November/December 2011

Going forward, supply chain risk management will be increasingly studied and variables will be more carefully weighted in risk/reward equations. As Rich Thompson of Jones Lang LaSalle notes in his excellent article upon the subject, multinational companies will reduce risk by setting up operations and supply chains regionally, while still serving global markets. This will be as much for business continuity as it will be for maximizing profit. Larry Gigerich of Ginovus discusses what plastics manufacturers should seek in a location to maximize efficiency. And Dennis Donovan of WDG Consulting provides in-depth knowledge about what companies in the fabricated metals industry should seek when siting new facilities. We also have industry outlooks from the International Warehouse Logistics Association and the American Association of Port Authorities, and Jennifer Alten follows up with a detailed look at how ports are affecting local economies across the country. Linda Dobel explores strategic logistical locations across North America, and Fred Burkhardt of Geneva Analytics examines the impacts from the Panama Canal expansion in his excellent Insights article.