Wilbur-Ellis, startup team up on self-flying sprayers | Motion optimistic about future M&A after Kaman deal | Cardinal Health begins deliveries via drone in N.C.
Wilbur-Ellis has begun working with Massachusetts-based startup Guardian Agriculture to develop autonomous aerial spraying machines. "When we get the product in our hands, we're going to use them on the more risky, hard-to-apply and sensitive areas in the Salinas Valley [in California]," said Willie Negroni, director of sales at Wilbur-Ellis.
Motion's acquisition of Kaman Distribution Group led to a significant sales and profit boost, and the company is now looking ahead to other merger and acquisition opportunities. Officials with Motion parent Genuine Parts also said the integration of Kaman is moving ahead of schedule.
Cardinal Health has started delivering medications and supplies from Kannapolis, N.C., using drones from Zipline. "We're committed to working diligently to help ensure our health care provider customers have access to the right medication at the right time for their patients, and an effective distribution strategy is required to make this happen," said Josh Dolan, senior vice president of supply chain at Cardinal Health.
Consumers, employees, governments and investors increasingly expect companies to focus more on sustainability, but merely surveying suppliers or collecting their data may not be enough, writes Anthony Paine, chief marketing officer at HICX. Instead, companies should segment suppliers and ask the most relevant ones tactical questions, ensure effective communication, set benchmarks and implement digital processes to optimize workflow while staying on top of sustainability, Paine writes.
Supply chain problems that no longer garner major attention are nonetheless continuing, with rail, trucking, warehousing and dock work issues causing supply chain delays. Southern California warehouses have a vacancy rate of about 0.3%, according to Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka, while staffing shortages are causing the majority of truck gates at the Port of Los Angeles to go unused.
Sales personnel too often focus their strategies on customers who essentially are content with the status, to the detriment of other business, writes David Brock, author of "The Sales Manager Survival Guide." Sales professionals should instead focus on prospective customers who are undecided on a course of action and communicate value to those customers, Brock writes.
Networking is a useful business and career tool, but some people may be hesitant after spending the past two pandemic-disrupted years avoiding it in person, writes Rachel Loock, career and leadership coach at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. Before reaching out, consider what you want to accomplish, set networking goals and attend smaller conferences if you are not comfortable yet with larger events, Loock writes.
When mentoring a more experienced employee, help them understand how they can bring their wisdom and self-awareness together to leave a lasting legacy on the organization as well as benefit their own career, writes Alaina Love. "Mentoring an experienced employee means helping them move beyond the pursuit of title and power," Love writes.
Top CEOs are those who can "deliver on their commitments time and time again" and are open to hearing the views of others, including employees and their board, says Brent Saunders, a veteran CEO and board director. "You need the humility to just sit with a random group of employees in the cafeteria and see what's going on," Saunders says.
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