Supply Chains, A Medium Publication

For more on this topic, see the latest The Wall Street Journal article here: wsj.com/logistics-repo….

Cold storage vacancies have surged to a 20-year high of 6.9%. Smart cold chain leaders like @americold and Lineage Logistics will look for new sources of innovation, growth, and value creation. These could come in several forms, ranging from traditional (new customers) to creative (new services) to unconventional (corporate venture arms). Where do you see the biggest growth opportunities in cold chain?

Here's what I think we will see in supply chain M&A this year logisticsmgmt.com/podcast/sizing…

The freight market recovery is underway. @CHRobinson is forecasting a 20% year-over-year increase in spot market dry van rates for Q1, and a 12% increase for the full year. Shippers should lock in rates, deepen relationships with their 3PLs, and prepare for a year of volatility. Remember all the shortages in 2021? Now is a time to double down on trusted partners, advisors, technologies and resources to get in front of this cycle.

Congrats to @EchoLogistics for completing its acquisition of ITS Logistics. Jeff Berman and @LogisticsMgmt wrote an excellent analysis. As he and I discussed, Echo’s acquisition of ITS reflects the company’s strategic expansion from truck brokerage into a broader range of supply chain solutions. “This is a watershed for the evolution of an industry leader, and reflects the increased value of combined bundles of services.” Kudos to @echoceo and all involved! logisticsmgmt.com/article/echo_g…

Ecommerce fulfillment continues to grow. @Prologis and GIC are teaming up to invest $1.6 billion in custom-built space for ecommerce. Good sign for the supply chain ecosystem! supplychain247.com/article/prolog…

Big announcement in supply chain! bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

The New "Pax Silica" Fund The Trump Administration is establishing a Supply Chain Fund. The "Pax Silica" fund will support energy, semiconductor, and critical materials. The US will commit $250M, and partners will include Singapore, the UAE, Qatar, and Sweden. The intent is to fund $1 trillion worth of opportunities to strengthen global supply chains and lessen dependencies on Iran, China, and other threats. What big ideas should the "Pax Silica" fund support? nytimes.com/2026/03/23/bus…

Convergence of supply chain software and services. Auctane and WWEX. Major move!

AI: Where VC converges with PE! Historically, outstanding venture capitalists invested in high-growth software. Top-quality private equity firms acquired companies. And the two strategies were distinct. Those two paths may be converging. @generalcatalyst just invested $13.8M to back KP Reddy to launch @ZeroRFI_ , an AI platform built to modernize the construction supply chain industry. Zero RFI's plans? Using AI "to be a force multiplier, acquiring, building, and scaling aligned businesses, creating shared intelligence, common infrastructure, and compounding value." But that's not all. "Zero’s first acquisitions include Brookwood Group, BuildingWorks, and KP Reddy Co." In other words, this company was purpose-built to use AI to automate traditional construction companies (with a turbocharge from KPRco). Is this a blueprint for the future? #supplychain #AI #investment citybiz.co/article/818957…

@dhl is expanding its US warehouse network rapidly to support AI demand share.google/AyehQTThbXPnCi…

Warehousing demand is surging. We are seeing a 31% year-over-year increase in leases for warehouses greater than 500,000 SFT, per @CushWake. After the COVID spike and the post-COVID hangover, are we seeing a return to healthy demand in logistics? See below for more from @WSJ. wsj.com/logistics-repo…

There's a new market value champion in parcel logistics. For the first time in over 50 years, @FedEx just passed $UPS as the most valuable company in parcel. The Memphis-based pioneer is now worth over $85 billion. While UPS still retains the lead in other metrics, including profitability and total package volume, FedEx has been growing faster. What is the key driver? Is it FedEx investments in AI, simplification through the freight cargo spinoff, superior labor flexibility (vs union-bound UPS), or is it something else? wsj.com/business/logis…?

Kudos to Cart.com on their $180M raise led by Springcoast Partners. Ecommerce fulfillment is consolidating, and Cart.com is positioned to be one of the big winners. This is a good time to go for growth! businesswire.com/news/home/2026…

AI continues to gain steam in logistics. Gather AI just raised $40 million to scale up in physical AI for logistics. They are building a "system of record for every warehouse, factory, and yard." They are seeking to create a "Physical Intelligence Platform" that uses AI-powered vision, pairs it to hardware like drones and MHE, and digitizes the warehouse process. What I find interesting about this is the blurring of lines between technology categories. Think of this as AI plus robotics. Wishing them success! gather.ai/news/gather-ai…

Did you know @Amazon is spending over $100 billion a year on freight? bloomberg.com/opinion/articl…

President Trump's State of the Union Speech highlighted plans to strengthen America's supply chain. Could batteries be the next frontier? Last October, China announced export controls on lithium-ion batteries, cathode materials, and graphite anode materials. This matters because batteries power both commercial and military supply chains. Drones, guidance electronics, and unmanned systems all depend on them. And China controls 97% of all anode manufacturing. Will the Administration launch a plan to rebuild American manufacturing capacity and supply chains in this realm? realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/…

As Russia's war against Ukraine enters year 5, the battle is increasingly turning on supply chains. Will Ukraine be able to disrupt Russia's military logistics networks? ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/409…

Why are global criminal gangs launching phishing attacks against US logistics companies? In a phrase: "that's where the money is!" bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/…

The spot market is finally crossing over and passing the contract market. Why does this matter? Because it provides the best data we've seen yet that the Great Freight Recession is ending. Is this a blip or a permanent shift? Is @rxoinc right? What do you think? freightwaves.com/news/rxo-tl-ma…