China’s Apparel Supply Chains
China’s Apparel Supply Chains
Read MoreTag: USA
ABX Air to acquire Cargo Holdings International
ABX Air, Inc. announced that it has agreed to acquire Cargo Holdings International, Inc. (CHI), a privately held provider of outsourced air cargo services based in Orlando, Fla., in a transaction valued at approximately USD 350 million.
CHI is a leading provider of air cargo transportation and related services to domestic and foreign air carriers, and other companies that outsource their air cargo lift requirements to reliable, cost-effective independent operators. CHI also provides aircraft leasing, fuel management, specialized transportation management and air charter brokerage services. Its roster of more than 30 customers includes BAX/Schenker, the U.S. Government, DHL, the U.S. Postal Service, and UPS. CHI operates 32 aircraft, and also owns five Boeing 767-200s and one 757-200 all undergoing freighter conversion. CHI expects to report revenues of USD 300 million for the year ended December 31, 2007, and is a solidly profitable company.
By the closing of this transaction, ABX Air will create a new holding company structure; with ABX Air, Inc. becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of ABX Holdings, Inc. CHI will become a wholly owned subsidiary of ABX Holdings, Inc. The final equity purchase price of the transaction is anticipated to be USD 260 million, which will include an adjustment based upon the net assets on CHI’s balance sheet at closing. The transaction will be financed with the issuance of 4 million shares of ABX Holdings common stock and cash from a new USD 345 million senior secured credit facility led by SunTrust Financial and Regions Bank, a portion of which will be used to refinance CHI’s existing USD 100 million credit facility.
Read MoreUSPS: Surge doubles holiday mail volume to Iraq
The surge in military personnel sent to Iraq is contributing to an overall increase in overseas mail delivery by almost 200 percent and average volume will quadruple during the peak holiday week. The U.S. Postal Service is reminding friends and families to send holiday mail destined to troops stationed overseas as early as possible.
Tuesday, Nov. 13, is the first recommended date for sending holiday packages to troops stationed overseas using Parcel Post to all Air/Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) ZIP Codes. Parcel Post is the most economical shipping option for families. The last recommended date for mail going to the war zone is Dec. 4, but for mail destined to all other international military installations, it is Dec. 19.
All military mail, regardless of destination, is sent by domestic mail rate. International rates do not apply to military mail delivery.
The Postal Service is expecting to deliver 20 million pounds of mail to military installations around the world this holiday season. The second week of December should be the busiest week for overseas delivery. Mail to Iraq alone during this period is expected to increase more than 400 percent over the average weekly volume.
The Postal Service has created a special mailing and shipping kit designed specifically for military families sending packages overseas. Each of these CARE KITs contains two Priority Mail boxes, six Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, eight Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and eight customs forms with envelopes. Flat Rate Boxes are a special value. Customers pay only USD 8.95, regardless of the weight or destination of the package.
Vending machines for prescription drugs
After visiting the doctor for the flu or other common complaint, the last thing consumers want to do is to make a second trip to a pharmacist and wait while their prescription gets filled. InstyMeds, a US startup, has devised a novel way to make getting medications easy. The company’s vending machines are designed to be placed in doctors’ offices, clinics, emergency rooms and other healthcare facilities. Each holds 100 of some of the most often used medications that can range from pills to drops to creams and so forth.
InstyMeds machines require that physicians create prescriptions electronically, which are then transmitted to the vending location. (Alternately, patients can take printed prescriptions to their regular pharmacists.) The machines include several safeguards to insure patients receive the proper medications their doctors ordered. From the patients’ point of view, however, the ordering process is relatively simple. They enter their prescription number and birthday via a user-friendly touchscreen monitor, then insert either cash or credit cards to cover co-pays, while their insurance companies are billed automatically.
Besides saving time for patients, InstyMeds machines also save pharmacists the slow and potentially error-prone process of counting out medications by hand. Indeed, relieving pharmacists from such routine tasks could turn out to be the machine’s major benefit. With pharmacist salaries in the United States climbing over USD 100,000, the time savings can mean significant cash savings. The vending machines, which are accessible 24/7, likewise could help alleviate a growing shortage of pharmacists. Moreover, InstyMed’s founders note that by handling routine prescriptions the vending machines let pharmacists focus on more important tasks such as counselling patients.
While start-up costs are likely to be high for any new venture in the heavily-regulated health arena, InstyMeds illustrates how entrepreneurs can devise niche products that handily meet customer needs while potentially chipping away at ever-growing healthcare costs.
Read MoreFedEx Kinko's opens Hillsboro site Nov. 5
The new store is at 1221 NE 48th St., near the Costco warehouse. It will be one of about 200 new Kinko’s centers across the United States to follow a small-format design. The company announced plans for these compact stores in August. Each will average about 1,800 square feet in size. The same compact design is planned for an additional 300 locations slated to open in 2008.
Despite their small footprint, each FedEx Kinko’s offers more than 700 different office products. They’re also equipped to offer access to a large range of services including copying and digital printing, professional finishing, document creation and videoconferencing.
Web-based printing is also available through Print Online, a tool that allows customers to digitally forward documents to FedEx Kinko’s centers for printing. Customers can also specify finishing options, track the status of orders and review their prior order histories and reuse saved print jobs, all from the same Web site.
FedEx Kinko’s also provides notary and direct mail services, in addition to the full range of FedEx ground and global express shipping services.
Read MorePost & Parcel Magazine
Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.