UPS workers voting on strike that could upend supply chains | White Cap buys assets of Tri-Boro Construction Supplies | Freight volumes continue to face headwinds
UPS workers are voting this week to decide whether the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union will strike if a contract agreement isn't reached by the Aug. 1 deadline. The negotiations began in April and UPS says agreements regarding in-vehicle cameras and some other issues have been reached.
White Cap has acquired the assets of Pennsylvania-based Tri-Boro Construction Supplies after the two companies signed a definitive agreement last month. The deal helps construction supplies and safety products distributor White Cap expand its reach into specialty construction supplies and boost its product portfolio.
Freight volumes and prices continue to drop dramatically, according to industry indexes. Spot rates are down to 2019 levels while carriers' energy and labor costs are up substantially over the past four years, with Patrik Berglund, CEO of maritime analytics firm Xeneta, calling the present situation "a collapse" after nine consecutive months of falling rates.
Verizon's annual data breach analysis found stolen credentials and ransomware to be the top threats, with the cost per ransomware attack more than doubling from November 2021 to October 2022. The human element is a factor in nearly three-quarters of all breaches, including social engineering and lack of protection for senior leadership.
Use these strategies to find the most qualified people to join your company. Make your job ad inviting but straight-forward, listing the job expectations, work flexibility and benefits available, and possibly a salary range.
Since recent bank failures, businesses now are paying better attention to protecting their cash deposited in financial institutions, writes Benjamin Verschuere, co-founder of Treasure Financial. Never keep more than what's FDIC-protected in any one bank account, spread funds among several financial institutions, stash cash in securities or other safe instruments that pay a good return, and do a regular evaluation of your deposit safety, Verschuere says.
Tapping into a potential buyer's emotions, and understanding them, can help improve sales success, and getting beyond the surface requires asking certain open-ended questions, listening so they feel heard, contextualizing and telling stories. "Sales professionals who want to stay relevant and successful in modern sales must learn how to uncover and identify buyer emotions and position their products accordingly," writes Anita Nielsen, president of LDK Advisory Services.
NextPR's Pamela Anderson offers advice on storytelling in business-to-business marketing, explaining how founder origin stories can be used to engage audiences and how to incorporate stories about customers into content. Anderson advises cutting storytelling into bite-sized chunks to appeal to audiences on social media and describes the importance of reinforcing messaging to maintain authenticity.
The Port of Los Angeles resumed operations on Tuesday and ILWU longshoremen union and the Pacific Maritime Association contract negotiations are being held as planned, according to sources, but supply chain disruptions continue as Union Pacific temporarily paused all inland ramp activity at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach due to port backups. "This is the ripple effect we are concerned about," say Paul Brashier, ITS Logistics vice president of drayage and intermodal.
Five solid pieces of leadership advice rose to the surface as Larry Robertson, founder of Lighthouse Consulting, researched his "Rebel Leadership" book, including nurturing your three-part soul. Also, going deep to discover a company's power source allows the leader to turn it into a superpower, says Robertson, who details three other strategies.
