Berlin Packaging acquires French glass distributor | S. Korea trucker strike exacerbates supply chain pain | Fuel price rises start to affect consumer patterns
Berlin Packaging has acquired Verrerie du Comtat, a glass packaging supplier for olive oil and French wine. "We are excited to continue expanding our wine and olive oil business with the acquisition of Verrerie du Comtat," Paolo Recrosio, CEO of Berlin Packaging EMEA, said.
Truck drivers and members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions shout slogans during a demonstration. (Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Roughly 37% of South Korea's union truckers went on strike last week over wages, leading to significant slowdowns at the country's largest ports, hindering factory production and creating the potential to exacerbate struggling global supply chains -- especially among firms reliant on automobiles, semiconductors, smartphones, batteries and electronics goods. Negotiations don't appear to be progressing, and the South Korean government is working with police to find ways to ship emergency exports.
US gasoline prices are near a record high of $5 per gallon, which has a direct impact on inflation and the possibility of recession, as well as on consumer behavior. Price increases across the board are denting the pent-up demand for travel and the return of work commuting and filtering through to higher costs for consumer staples, as manufacturers grapple with rising production expenses.
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DHL says the supply chain flow will get better in 2023, but it will not be going back to 2019 levels. "I don't think we're going to go back to this overcapacity situation where rates were very low," said Tim Scharwath, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight. "Infrastructure, especially in the US, isn't going to get better overnight, because infrastructure developments take a long time."
Port of Charleston (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images)
The Port of Charleston saw record volume last month with an 18% increase, marking 15 months of consistent record volume, according to data from the South Carolina Ports Authority. South Carolina ports handled 255,104 20-foot equivalent units in May for a total of 2.7 million TEUs in fiscal 2022 so far.
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Short-form video on platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram should be used to reach not only young and upcoming business-to-business buyers, but the older generations active on them, too, writes Lora Kratchounova, founder and principal of Scratch Marketing + Media. Kratchounova suggests a few ideas for B2B short-form videos, including behind-the-scenes content, product tutorials and thought leadership from industry experts.
The pandemic has spurred many to change jobs, switch locations and enable some to work from home, and all of this upheaval has forced a rethink of how to make the best use of time, in both personal and work lives. Workers talk about how they're now putting in place boundaries to have more time for themselves.
Building a neurodiverse workforce comes with benefits, including gaining access to a broad pool of talent. Several strategies can bolster neurodiversity on your staff, including offering flexible working options and using technology to provide support.
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