Material Handling Society of New Jersey

Simon & Schuster Tour

2010-10-21T21:26:00.005-04:00

On November 17th, MHSNJ will be touring the Simon & Schuster Distribution Center in Riverside, NJ.

TOUR INFORMATION

Riverside NJ is Simon & Schuster's (S&S) primary distribution center. From Riverside S&S ships directly to all of the US & Canada plus it supports S&S distribution globally. The facility ships over 150,000 books annually. The warehouse footprint is 520,000 SF & there are several free standing mezzanines totaling over 30,000 SF.

Riverside is heavily automated with an extensive conveyor system that includes: 2 high speed (120 ctn. /min.) sorters, weigh-in-motion, spiral conveyors, MRT right angle transfers, & fluid load extenders. The conveyor system is controlled by a state of the art warehouse control system (AL Systems) that is tightly interfaced with voice picking & with Manhattan's WM warehouse management system. The facility makes wide use of wireless for voice pick & RF for unit & case movement.

The DC supports over 25,000 active titles (SKUs) across a mix of split case, full case, & pallet.
Orders are shipped to a diverse range of customers: from consumers, to book, specialty stores & discount stores, & to retail & wholesale distribution centers. Order sizes shipped daily range from 1 book to multiple truckloads. The operation uses opportunity chargers to run its lift fleet 24 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. Over 48,000 pallets are stored in combination of storage media including: VNA (very-narrow-aisle 61"), push-back rack, & drive-in rack.

Thanks to acquisition, growth, & change S&S has faced ongoing capacity challenges. Complicating this is the uncertainty of what impact e-book's will have on physical distribution requirements. Couple this with the tight capital requirements that face all mature industries & facility expansion is simply not an option. Dave will overview these challenges & how they have been overcome using a combination of outsourcing, "lean" process review, & technology. Emphasis will be on a recently completed pick-line revamp & voice-pick installation that resulted in an annual $5 million cost savings.

PROGRAM SPEAKERS

Dave Schaeffer, VP Distribution & Fulfillment, Simon & Schuster
Mark Kushner, COO, AL Systems

Dave Schaeffer is responsible for the publisher's distribution of over 200 million books per year directly to customers in the US & Canada & to distributors worldwide. Dave's 35 years business experience spans both logistics & finance in two very different industries: the auto parts aftermarket & consumer book publishing. Although still a licensed CPA, for the past 25 years Dave has focused on the challenge of managing distribution operations to meet customer requirements while aggressively cutting costs. Dave holds an undergraduate in Business Administration & graduate degrees in Management & Information Technology from Penn State. In his spare time he is a Master Gardener & a beekeeper.

Mark Kushner is accountable for satisfying the needs of AL Systems' clients as the leader of project management, software development, product management, engineering, customer service and production. Mark has over 15 years of leadership experience in both public and start-up supply chain technology companies. He joined AL Systems in 2006 from SYSTECH International, where he led operations as Vice President of Corporate Development. Previously, Mark served as Vice President of Market Strategy for Manugistics, Inc. Mark holds a B.S. in Business from Drexel University and a J.D. from American University.

PROGRAM SPONSORS

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support
of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

PROGRAM LOCATION

Riverside Distribution Center
100 Front Street
Riverside, NJ 08075
856-461-6500

DINNER LOCATION

Carlucci's Waterfront
876 Centerton Road
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
856-235-5737

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

3:30 PM - Registration
4:00 PM - Tour Begins
5:30 PM - Travel to Restaurant
6:00 PM - Dinner Meeting Begins

DIRECTIONS

Directions to Simon & Schuster Facility:

NJ Turnpike South to Exit 6, I-276 / PA Turnpike / US-130 / Florence.
Drive approximately 1 mile and merge onto NJ Turnpike Extension.
After approximately 2.5 miles, merge onto US-130 S towards Burlington.
Follow US-130 S for approximately 11.5 miles and turn right onto S. Chester Avenue.
Drive 1.5 miles and make a left onto Front Street.
Simon & Schuster on the left.

Directions to Carlucci's from S&S:

Turn right out of the Simon & Schuster Facility onto Front Street.
Make a right at your first light, which is S. Chester Avenue.
Drive approximately 1.5 miles and make a left onto US-130 N.
Drive approximately 1 mile and make a right onto Creek Road (IMPORTANT - Creek Road is directly before the Riverside/Bridgeboro Exit. Do not take this exit.
Take the Creek Road exit).
Follow Creek Road for approximately 3.5 miles and make a left onto Centerton Road.
Carlucci's Waterfront 1/4 mile on left.

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations. Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners.

Please note: Walk-in day of tour registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $75.00

FIRST MEETING SPECIAL: JOIN MHSNJ AND ATTEND THIS PROGRAM AT A REDUCED RATE - $95.00

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TastyKake Builds a "Sweet" New Distribution Center - MHSNJ to Tour It!

2010-09-25T08:06:00.016-04:00

MHSNJ will tour the new TastyKake Distribution Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, October 12, 2010.

Tasty Baking Company (TSTY:NASDAQ) has been producing snack cakes under the TastyKake® brand name in Philadelphia since 1914. TastyKake® has achieved iconic status in the Philadelphia region and is viewed by many to be as integral to the culture of the City of Brotherly Love as cheese-steaks, soft pretzels, and Rocky Balboa. Among Tasty Baking's famous products are Butterscotch Krimpets®, KandyKakes®, TastyPies®, and a variety of other fresh-baked treats. For more than eighty-six years, the company had been operating out of a six-story manufacturing facility in the city (built in 1922 - see photo) and a low ceiling height distribution facility a few city blocks away.

In 2006, Tasty Baking Company hired Fluor® (one of the world's largest publically-owned engineering and construction management companies) to conduct feasibilities studies regarding moving the bakery operations to a new site. Concurrently, they hired OPSdesign Consulting® (a privately-held “boutique” supply chain consulting firm specializing in warehouse operations design) to perform feasibility studies associated with the possible move of the associated distribution operations to a new location. While Tasty Baking executive management explored sites in other states, they expressed a clear desire to honor the heritage of the organization and stay in Philadelphia if economically possible. Working with the state and local governments to develop an economic incentive package that would allow Tasty Baking to remain in Philadelphia, the company entered into a design-build lease agreement with Liberty Property/Synterra Limited Partnership for a 345,500 square foot building on approximately 25 acres located at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

The facility was completed and went into operation in the last quarter of 2009. It houses production, warehousing, and distribution operations. Additionally, a 35,000 square foot headquarters building was constructed about a mile away. The facilities are LEED-certified and employ energy efficient HVAC, water management, and other green technologies.

The design teams worked closely with Tasty Baking Company's internal project team to define, compare, and contrast a variety of operational concepts. As a result of these collaborative efforts, the new warehousing and distribution operations include improved processes, infrastructure, and systems allowing Tasty Baking to meet the demands of its growing business requirements.

The tour will include both the Bakery and Warehouse where we will see the new Voice Recognition System. The voice-directed system interfaces with Tasty Baking's business enterprise system, SAP. The process is paper and hands free, providing productivity and accuracy improvements.

PROGRAM LOCATION

TastyKake Distribution Center
4300 South 26th Street, Philadelphia Navy Yard
Philadelphia, PA 19145

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

10:00 AM - Registration
10:30 AM - Tour Begins
12:00 PM - Luncheon Meeting - Tour and Project Overview - Q & A

DIRECTIONS

Tasty Baking Company:
4300 S 26th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19112-1608

Directions:
NJ TPK/95 - Exit (6) 276 (W) (PA Turnpike) - 95 (S) - Exit 17 (Sports Complex/Navy Yard) Broad St - (L) Broad St - Main Entrance of Navy Yard - Light (R) - Stay on Road ~ 2 Miles ~ TastyKake on Right. Go Around The Building to Main Entrance for Registration.

MAP TO TOURSITE

Upon arrival to Tasty Baking Company, please proceed to main lobby for registration.

Please bring an umbrella with you to the Tasty Baking tour (just in case) since the group will be walking outside the building from the bakery to the distribution entrance. Hair and beard nets must be worn inside the facility and will be provided by Tasty Baking Company. No cameras or cell phones may be used during the tour. Please turn off your cell phone and keep it holstered while in the building.

Immediately following the tour, a networking luncheon and Q&A session regarding the Tasty Baking operation will take place at:

Popi’s Restaurant
3120 South 20th Street, Philadelphia

DIRECTIONS FROM TASTY BAKING COMPANY TO POPI’S RESTAURANT:
1. Start out going NORTH on S 26TH ST toward PENROSE AVE. 0.5 mi
2. Turn RIGHT onto PENROSE AVE. 0.8 mi
3. Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto W MOYAMENSING AVE. 0.0 mi
4. Turn RIGHT onto S 20TH ST. 0.0 mi
5. 3120 S 20TH ST is on the RIGHT.

MAP TO RESTAURANT

REGISTRATION

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $45.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $55.00

FIRST MEETING SPECIAL: JOIN MHSNJ AND ATTEND THIS PROGRAM AT A REDUCED RATE - $95.00

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September 2010 Newsletter

2010-08-23T01:27:00.001-04:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

President's Message for September 2010

2010-08-23T00:56:00.005-04:00

MHSNJ President Fred Gerstler and a fish.

With most of us returning from vacation and slowly getting back into the mindset of work, I felt the above photo was relevant with my first message as the President of the MHSNJ. The message is simple, vacations are a wonderful way to recharge, helping one to focus on the challenging business climate that all of us have been facing these past few years.

I know of more people who are out of work then any other time in my twenty five years in this business and for those who are working, I would be hard pressed to find someone who isn't working harder for less.

That is why an organization such as The Material Handling Society of NJ is more important than ever. We are a gateway that offers so many opportunities. Our tours are designed so you can see how others move their products, helping you to work smarter. Our guest speakers are relevant and offer insights and ideas that sometimes you can only realize when you take a step back and look at your operation through a different set of eyes. Lastly, our networking opportunities allow you to meet some of the sharpest professionals in our industry. All for $95.00 per year, that's an investment that I think, is a no-brainer.

You may notice some differences with the Material Handling Society this year. First, our newsletter is being produced in a different format. We realized that many of you were no longer reading the electronic version we sent in the past. Utilizing this new format makes viewing easy and computer friendly. As the newsletter evolves you will be able to click on links that you may find pertinent.

The second thing you'll notice is our new toll free phone number. Contacting your desired party will be quick and effortlessly done by simply dialing their extension.

Lastly, I want to thank Dave Lodwig for his years of dedicated service as our President. Dave is a true gentleman and working for him as his executive VP was a pleasure and honor.

I look forward to seeing all of you at our September Kickoff. I'd like to think of it as educationally fun. Forsgate Industrial Partners will be our sponsor and, for that, I want to say thank you for allowing us access to this very aggressive project and for helping to offset our meeting costs.

September Program - Roof Raising Seminar and Networking Event

2010-08-03T21:41:00.014-04:00

Roof Raising Seminar and
Casino Monte Carlo Networking Event

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Come join the Material Handling Society of New Jersey for our Annual Networking event on Wednesday, September 15, 2010. Our program will focus on the roof raising of 1100 Cranbury-South River Road, Jamesburg, New Jersey, followed by an evening of fun and networking with our Casino Monte Carlo program.

PROGRAM

Our program will begin with a panel discussion on the roof raising of 1100 Cranbury-South River road. This free-standing, 340,900 square foot building sits on 28.31 acres. It has 18,000 square feet of offices, and is now a clear height of 40' (previously 26' clear).

Clear height in industrial buildings has become more important than ever. With an increase in the numbers of SKUs and the speed at which they move, maximizing the inventory under one roof is critical. Join us to see how Forsgate Industrial Partners has adapted a building of 26' clear to 40' clear, increasing the cube capacity by 65%. A panel of experts who were involved in this project and other roof raisings will discuss this process.

PANELISTS

Alex Klatskin, Forsgate Industrial Partners - Facility Owners  
Ed Klimek, KSS Architects LLP - Architects  
Jeff Allen, Space Technology - Roof Lifting Contractor
John Harrison, Harrison Hamnet - Structural Engineers

Following the panel presentation will be our Casino Monte Carlo Networking event, where you are sure to meet new people, greet old ones, and enjoy a night of fun, laughs, and prizes.

Remember..."Gambling is the sure way of getting nothing for something."

Note: Soft drinks, coffee, tea, and wine and beer will be served. If you prefer other alcohol, please feel free to BYO.

PROGRAM SPONSORS

Forsgate Industrial Partners

Victory Packaging

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support
of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

PROGRAM LOCATION

1100 Cranbury-South River Road
Jamesburg, NJ

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

4:30 PM - Registration
5:00 PM - Panel Presentation on Roof Raising
6:00 PM - Casino Monte Carlo - Networking, dinner, and cocktails (wine and beer only)*
8:30 PM - Chip cash-out/Prizes

DIRECTIONS

From the NJ Turnpike: Take Exit 8A off of the NJ Turnpike, and bear right towards Cranbury/South Brunswick. At the traffic light, make a right. 1100 Cranbury-South River Road is your 2nd right.

REGISTRATION

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $60.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $85.00

FIRST MEETING SPECIAL: JOIN MHSNJ AND ATTEND THIS PROGRAM AT A REDUCED RATE - $95.00

US1 Newspaper Registration: - $85.00

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2010 MHSNJ Classic on June 9th

2010-05-17T11:50:00.007-04:00

On Wednesday June 9th, the Material Handling Society will host our annual MHSNJ Golf Classic at Minebrook Golf Club in Hackettstown, NJ. This event raises thousand of dollars that we award to students from both Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

At our March meeting, professors and students attended our program and were awarded $6,000 in scholarship money. Many of our past scholarship winners have gone on to jobs in the material handling industry, and are current members of the society.

We invite you to join us as a golfer, a sponsor, or at our dinner program after a day of fun, friendship, and networking.

Click here to view the companies and individuals who support our scholarship.

Download an application to be a golfer or sponsor here.

For more information, contact Don Cronin at 908-876-1771 or dcronin@alternativetec.com.

Golf registration and sponsorship options are available below:

GOLF REGISTRATION OPTIONS:

REGULAR GOLF REGISTRATION RATE - $125.00

SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS:

"DIAMOND" SPONSORSHIP - $500.00

"TITANIUM" SPONSORSHIP - $375.00

"PLATINUM" SPONSORSHIP - $250.00

"CLASSIC GOLD" SPONSORSHIP - $150.00

SPONSORSHIP BOOSTER - $75.00

DINNER ONLY - $45.00

May 2010 Newsletter

2010-04-30T07:32:00.000-04:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

May Program on Solar Energy

2010-04-10T10:39:00.007-04:00

Join us on May 12, at the Crowne Plaza in Monroe NJ, as we explore the advantages of incorporating solar energy within your business.

The roundtable will include Commissioner Joseph L. Fiordaliso of NJ, Board of Public Utilities, John Drexinger a principal of Pro-Tech Energy Solutions & Steven Kern of Turtle Energy. Richard Gomez, VP of Facilities East Coast Warehouse in Port Elizabeth (a long term owner of solar panels ) to discuss their experience with solar energy and Clarence Beverly, Jr. of PNC Bank to explain how financial institutions regard and finance solar projects. Fred Gerstler of New Pak, Inc. will also sit on the roundtable offering his experiences and why it made sense for his company to move forward in obtaining an alternative energy source.

Pro-Tech Energy will exhibit an actual solar panel array, allowing those in attendance to experience all the components that make up a solar panel system Software that manages energy information produced by solar energy and the SREC’s (clean energy credits) will also be on display.

During the roundtable we will discuss all aspects of solar energy including different technologies, mounting options, government grants and how the clean energy certificates are sold.

Meeting registration begins at 5:30 PM with reception beginning at 6:00 PM.

PROGRAM SPONSORS

NEW PAK, INC.
PNC BANK
PRO-TECH ENERGY SOLUTIONS, LLC
TURTLE ENERGY, LLC

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support
of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

FEATURED PANELIST

Joseph Fiordaliso
BPU Commissioner
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities

Commissioner Fiordaliso is the former Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Richard J. Codey. During Codey’s tenure, the Commissioner was responsible for inter-government relations; special interest groups; the governor’s advance team; briefing and special projects. Prior to going to the State House with Governor Codey, he was the District Director for the Senate President. Prior to joining Codey’s team, Fiordaliso was the Director of Government Relations for the Saint Barnabas Health Care System. Saint Barnabas is the largest healthcare provider in the State of New Jersey.

In 1988, he was elected to the first of 3 terms on the Livingston Township Council. He served as mayor 3 times during his tenure. In 1990, Joe as appointed, by the Essex County Executive, to serve as Director of Planning & Economic Development. A member of the Executive’s cabinet, he was responsible for establishing economic policy for the County of Essex. He has worked extensively with the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, the Essex County Democratic Committee & the Livingston Democratic Party. Joe was the founding member of Livingston Democrats for Change, and organization dedicated to making government more accessible.

A member of numerous organizations, he currently serves as a Trustee of Essex County College, and serves on the Board of Directors of The First Occupational Center of New Jersey. In 2003, Joe was honored as the “Citizen of the Year” by Livingston UNICO, an Italian/American service organization.

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

Crown Plaza Monroe
390 Forsgate Drive
Monroe Township, New Jersey

SCHEDULE

5:30..........................Reception at Restaurant
6:00...........................Dinner Program Begins

DIRECTIONS

From NJ Turnpike

New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 8A.
Stay to the left and follow signs for Jamesburg/Monroe.
This will put you onto Route 32.
Make first right into the Crowne Plaza Parking Lot.

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations. Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners. Please note: Walk-in day of tour registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $75.00

FIRST MEETING SPECIAL: JOIN MHSNJ AND ATTEND THIS PROGRAM AT A REDUCED RATE - $95.00

Board of Directors Election

2010-04-09T07:08:00.006-04:00

This year's election for our Board of Directors is currently underway. Nominations were received at our last general membership meeting in March.

At this time, all members in good standing have been mailed ballots. In order to be a member in good standing, you must have paid you 2010 membership dues. Click here if you would like to pay your current membership dues.

Below is the list of candidates for the open director positions:

DON CRONIN
Past President of MHSNJ, Don is President of Alternative Technologies, Inc. with over 35 years experience in the design and implementation of material handling systems. A member for 15 years, he currently chairs the Golf Scholarship Committee, and looks forward to supporting & serving members for another term.

FRED GERSTLER
A member for 18 years, and serving as our Executive Vice-President for the past two years, Fred is part owner and President of New Pak, Inc. “The knowledge offered by MHSNJ has made a positive contribution to me. As a Director I’m able to help keep the Society’s future strong.” His energy has proved that.

MINDY LISSNER
A new member of MHSNJ, Mindy is a Senior Vice President at CB Richard Ellis specializing in industrial real estate sales and leasing. “The networking and education opportunities within MHSNJ will enable me to better serve my clients. I look forward to being an integral part of the organization.”

DAVE LODWIG
Our President for the past two years, Dave is with Conveyco Technologies and has been a member since 1998. “I feel a responsibility to help the organization thrive so we all can benefit, and work to constantly improve our programs and services to our members. I enjoy my time spent with members at events.”

TOM PANETTIERE
Account executive with Victory Packaging for 6 years, Tom is a new member in 2009. “I am honored and excited to be nominated to the MHSNJ Board of Directors. With my expertise in implementing cost savings solutions, I look forward to the opportunity of serving the Society for the benefit of our members.”

PETER ROESSLE
Major Account Manager with Raymond of New Jersey, Pete has been a member since 1994 and served as President from 2002-2004. “I look forward to serving another 3 years on the Board and hope to continue to advance the interest of MHSNJ and our members. Serving as a Director has been a positive experience.”

March Program is at Hyundai in South Brunswick

2010-02-24T07:27:00.002-05:00

We will be touring the Hyundai DC in South Brunswick, NJ on Wednesday, March 24th.

Hyundai (Mobis Parts America) launched on January 1, 2009, has begun the challenging two year task of combining the Hyundai and Kia operations into one customer service focused and efficient operating company. Systems strategies are being developed to integrate both companies into a single state of the art system. Parts Distribution Centers will become Hyundai/Kia facilities, allowing MPA to position facilities closer to their customers increasing current service levels at a significantly reduced cost.

Increasing service and reducing costs are the primary goals in combing Inventory Control, Parts Training and the Parts Technical Call Centers. A key business opportunity is in Parts Marketing. By leveraging the strength of both companies and utilizing common market intelligence, design and execution resources, MPA will add real Market Value for the manufacturer and dealer for both retail customers and wholesale business. As a result of the dramatic increases in sales for both Hyundai and Kia products, the Hyundai/Kia parts market has become extremely competitive and MPA is now positioned to win Customer loyalty.

Mobis Parts America (MPA), launched on January 1, 2009, has begun the challenging 2-year task of combining the Hyundai and Kia operations into one customer service focused and efficient operating company. Systems strategies are being developed to integrate both companies into a single state of the art system. Parts Distribution Centers will become Hyundai/Kia facilities, allowing MPA to position facilities closer to their customers increasing current service levels at a significantly reduced cost.

Increasing service and reducing costs are the primary goals in combing Inventory Control, Parts Training and the Parts Technical Call Centers. A key business opportunity is in Parts Marketing. By leveraging the strength of both companies and utilizing common market intelligence, design and execution resources, MPA will add real Market Value for the manufacturer and dealer for both retail customers and wholesale business. As a result of the dramatic increases in sales for both Hyundai and Kia products, the Hyundai/Kia parts market has become extremely competitive and MPA is now positioned to win Customer loyalty.

Having concluded the move into their new facility in August ‘08, MPA has realized a dramatic increase in storage capacity of fixed location capacity from 42K slots to 74K slots (+76%) ensuring our commitment to growth and operating efficiency. Although the new facility footprint is only marginally larger the increased operational height allows MPA to maximize the cube and achieve a 47% storage advantage. Additionally, energy efficient lighting and natural lighting provided by perimeter windows improve processing accuracy and provides a brighter and more open environment.

This facility provides service to 204 Hyundai Dealerships located in 13 states in the Northeast. Processing in excess of 1.7 million order lines annually, while maintaining a world class accuracy rate 99.92% (1 error for 1250 lines processed). Hyundai has been recognized by Industry analysts as a leader in Fill Rates, measuring over 98%, PDC Productivity and overall Supply Chain Efficiency.

Tour Highlights:

A 320K square foot of warehouse and distribution operations
A state of the art Technical Training Center for Dealership Technicians
Utilization of in house slotting tools, providing optimal storage of over 33K unique part numbers
A transportation system that provides delivery service to 203 dealerships by noon the following day with 60% of dealerships ordering parts prior to 3PM receiving deliveries prior to their opening the following morning

People are truly their most valuable asset that sets MPA apart from the rest. Processors are routinely flown to other facilities in the network to work, learn and share best practices, resulting in a unique camaraderie within the collective group. In addition to experiences at the other facilities, many of their Processors have visited their US Headquarters and Korean Operations both in Seoul and Ulsan to learn about the company and the Korean culture which is their foundation.

Unlike most PDC’s in the Service Parts Aftermarket, Hyundai takes a somewhat different approach in compensation, paying for performance opposed to contractually negotiated or predetermined increases, reinforced by incentives that provide monetary reward for meeting and exceeding performance goals.

PROGRAM SPONSORS

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support
of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

DINNER SPEAKER

Ronald M. Palochko
MPA National Parts Distribution Center

MPA is truly excited to share their story and hope you can join us on March 24 for an exciting tour and presentation by Ronald M. Palochko, MPA National Manager Parts Distribution Center, as he tells us “The rest of the story…”

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

Crown Plaza Monroe
390 Forsgate Drive
Monroe Township, New Jersey

SCHEDULE

3:30....................Registration at the Tour Site
4:00..............................................Tour Begins
5:30..........................Reception at Restaurant
6:00...........................Dinner Program Begins

DIRECTIONS

Mobis Parts America (Hyundai)
1122 Cranbury-South River Road
Jamesburg, New Jersey 8831

From NJ Turnpike

New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 8A.
Stay to the right and follow signs for Cranbury, South Brunswick, Route
535.
At traffic light, make a right onto Cranbury South River Road (Rt. 535)>
Hyundai is first right.

DIRECTIONS FROM TOURSITE TO DINNER PROGRAM

Crown Plaza Monroe
390 Forsgate Drive
Monroe Township, New Jersey 08831

From Toursite:

Make a left out of the Hyundai parking lot onto Cranbury South River Road (Rt. 535).
Continue straight through 2 traffic lights (the one directly next to Hyundai; and over Route 32).
Make your first left onto Interchange Plaza and proceed to the end.
Make a left onto Abeel Road.
Follow straight into the back of the Crowne Plaza Parking lot.

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations. Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners. Please note: Walk-in day of tour registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $75.00

US1 REGISTRATION - REFERENCE CODE HK32410

FIRST MEETING SPECIAL: JOIN MHSNJ AND ATTEND THIS PROGRAM AT A REDUCED RATE - $95.00

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NJ Franchise Practices Act Expanded to Cover Wholesale Distribution Warehouses

2010-02-23T18:09:00.001-05:00

The following article has been provided by MHSNJ member Jeremy Silberman.

MHSNJ Member Jeremy I. Silberman, Esq.

In the January 2009 MHSNJ Newsletter, I wrote about the wide range of businesses covered by New Jersey’s Franchise Practices Act (“NJFPA”) and its protections. Click here to download January 2009 Newsletter. On January 16, 2010, the NJFPA was amended to cover an even wider range of businesses, including specifically warehouse based wholesale distributors.

Enacted in 1971, the NJFPA prohibits a “franchisor” from terminating a “franchisee” without “good cause” or from imposing unreasonable standards of performance. First, let’s be clear that a “franchise,” for purposes of the NJFPA, is not just your neighborhood McDonalds, Burger King, and other types of traditional franchises. Many types of businesses in New Jersey, are franchises for purpose of the NJFPA, including companies in material handling industries. A contract between any two businesses is a “franchise” under the NJFPA so long as six requirements are met: (1) a written arrangement between the parties, (2) one party (called the “franchisor”) grants the other party (the “franchisee”) permission to use a trademark, trade name, service mark, or related characteristic, (3) there is a “community of Interest” in the marketing of goods or services, (4) the franchisee has “a place of business” in New Jersey, (5) more than 20% of the franchisee’s gross sales are derived (or intended to be derived) from this arrangement, and (6) gross sales of products or services between the franchisor and franchisee exceed $35,000 in the prior year.

I highlighted the “place of business” element in the above paragraph because that requirement was just amended to include warehouses and offices of wholesale distributors. Prior to the recent amendment, the NJFPA defined a place of business as “a fixed geographical location at which the franchisee displays for sale and sells the franchisor’s goods or offers for sale and sells the franchisor’s services... [but] shall not mean an office, a warehouse, a place of storage, a residence or a vehicle.” Thus, the law required some level of sales activity to take place on the premises and excluded certain types of facilities. Manufacturers used this “place of business” definition to deprive distribution businesses of the NJFPA’s protections. Distributors frequently do not conduct sales activity on their own premises; the distributors’ personnel make sales calls, obtain orders, and make deliveries at their customers’ facilities. This led to the following anomaly: if a distributor required its customers to buy goods at the distributor’s place of business, it could be protected from termination by the statute, yet if the distributor instead delivered products to its customers and consummated its sales at the customer’s location, it did not meet the place of business requirement, and was not protected by the NJFPA.

Following this logic, in 2007, the federal district court in New Jersey allowed the termination of a New Jersey wholesale distributor of Vitaminwater™ beverages, holding that it was not protected by the NJFPA. This company had been distributing Vitaminwater™ beverages since the product was first introduced, and invested considerable time and money to create a market for the product where none previously existed. Its personnel made sales calls at customers’ corporate offices and supermarkets, obtained orders at the customers’ facilities, and delivered the product to the customers’ stores. After the distributor built a multi-million dollar market, the Coca-Cola Company purchased Glaceau, maker of Vitaminwater™ , terminated the Vitaminwater™ distributors, and replaced them with Coca-Cola’s existing distributors. The New Jersey distributor sued for unlawful termination, in violation of the NJFPA. However the federal district court found it was not protected by the statute because it did not have sufficient retail sales activity at its own warehouse to meet the “place of business” requirement.

The legislature passed the new amendment to the NJFPA in response to this Vitaminwater™ distributor case and other instances where wholesale distributors were denied NJFPA protection. In passing the amendment, the legislature expressly found that protections against unreasonable termination “are necessary to protect not only retail businesses, but also wholesale distribution franchisees that, through their efforts, enhance the reputation and good will of franchisors in this State.” (P.L. 1971, c.356, Sec. 2.)

Under the amended law, effective January 16, 2010, the place of business definition is expanded:

Place of business means a fixed geographic location at which the franchisee displays for sale and sells the franchisor’s goods or offers for sale and sells the franchisor’s services. Place of business shall not mean an office, a warehouse, a place of storage, a residence or a vehicle, except that with respect to persons who do not make a majority of their sales directly to consumers, “place of business” means a fixed geographic location at which the franchisee displays for sale and sells the franchisor’s goods . . . or an office or a warehouse from which franchisee personnel visit or call upon customers or from which the franchisor’s goods are delivered for customers. (P.L. 1971, c.356, s.3)

This expansion of the place of business requirement is limited to companies “who do not make a majority of their sales directly to consumers.” For these businesses, at least, the place of business requirement can be met by an office or warehouse from which sales personnel make sales calls or from which product is delivered, even if no sales activity takes place at the facility. The amended NJFPA is a significant improvement in protecting New Jersey’s wholesale distributors from unreasonable terminations, and expands the opportunity to structure your business operations to fall within its protections.

Jeremy I. Silberman (MHSNJ Member) and Haekyoung Suh, who contributed to this article, are members of Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A. and specialize in franchise and distribution law. Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus is a full service law firm based in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with offices in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and New York City. For more information visit www.nmmlaw.com.

Coming in June: The 2010 MHSNJ Classic

2010-02-04T23:48:00.001-05:00

At our March meeting, professors and student attended our program and were awarded $6,000 in scholarship money. Many of our past scholarship winners have gone on to jobs in the material handling industry, and are current members of the society.

We invite you to join us as a golfer, a sponsor, or at our dinner program after a day of fun, friendship, and networking.

Click here to view the companies and individuals who support our scholarship.

Download an application to be a golfer or sponsor here.

December 2009 Newsletter

2009-12-27T11:50:00.000-05:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

January Program from MHSNJ

2009-12-10T07:13:00.013-05:00

Our next program will be at the Newark Refrigerated Warehouse in Newark, New Jersey on the 20th of January.

TOUR DETAILS

Newark Refrigerated Warehouse operates two public refrigerated warehouses one in the City of Newark and one in the Port. The facility handles largely imported and exported food products coming from or going to the Port. The largest commodity is juice concentrate.

The building is refrigerated by four engine driven compressors, two liquid Kathabar desiccant systems and traditional brine coils. The facility is comprised of 2 buildings, the older 1926 building, and a new building about five years old which has man up cranes. The new facility is about 75 feet high with about 65 feet of product and 9,200 pallets in a 25,000 square foot footprint. The facility also manufactures frozen dough bagels and is in the process of building a juice pumping facility to pump concentrate from drums and totes to tanker trucks.

Five aspects of the building are of interest:

Engine driven compressors with heat recovery
Liquid desiccant systems
Bagel manufacturing
Aisle mobile cranes
Concentrate pumping (under construction)

Other features:

4 Million Cubic Feet
Crane Building – RF – 4 years old
Conventional Building – RF
16 rooms with Separate Temperature Controls
Building is Being Partially Automated
Fully Enclosed Dock
Less Than 2 Miles from the Port
Desiccant De-humidification and Air Filtering Including Microbe Reduction

ABOUT OUR HOST

Newark Refrigerated Warehouse focuses on handling imports and exports going through the Port of Newark / Elizabeth. The products are largely food stored in temperature controlled conditions, although some of the products are dry products handled for customers that want the care associated with temperature controlled conditions. Their customers are global so they have done everything possible to provide global access to all of the information about their inventory their customers need. All ordering activity, inventory records, etc. are available on the internet. EDI is available as are the more modern XML files. Most communications between their customers and the warehouse personnel now takes place largely on cell phones and through emails. When a problem occurs with an inbound load, the customer immediately receives an email containing pictures and a description of the problem. The actual warehouse receipt will be emailed to the customer within 24 hours so that each customer is completely informed about the status of their cargo no matter where that customer is. Customers should, and do, call and email individual management people directly. Their customers receive the best possible information as quickly as possible.

Although the Newark Refrigerated Warehouse handles many commodities, they specialize in:

Juice concentrates
Meat
Kosher products

The warehouse has developed special skills in handling these commodities. For instance, the warehouse can redissolve precipated sugars in white grape juice concentrate. The warehouse performs USDA meat inspections on all imported meat and, in fact, the Port Newark Refrigerated Warehouse accounts for about 80% of that business coming through Port Newark. They have excellent relationships with a number of kosher certifying agencies to make sure that the USDA meat inspection and other procedures interfere with Kashrut.

The warehouse provides all services an importer or exporter may need including drayage to and from the Port, handling, storage, cross-docking, rail connection, product sampling, inventories, etc. They also have other specialized services such as central customs container exam station (CES), USDA clean room, cold treatment capabilities and bulk pumping facilities.

Because ships arrive at any time, over which the warehouse has no control, the warehouse is accustomed to doing whatever is necessary to get the containers from the piers and put the product in the warehouse without regard to weekends, holidays or any other event. Many of their customers are local and pick up their own product. Therefore, appointments are not required although a 24 hour in advance appointment, however, is much appreciated.
Newark Refrigerated Warehouse has 16 temperature controlled rooms and, therefore, they can offer customers specific temperatures, 55°F for white grape, 28°F for fresh meats and so on. If a customer has any special needs, they probably can accommodate them.

The new building at Newark Refrigerated Warehouse has man-operated cranes, 65 feet tall and is a very efficient warehouse using RF. RF is also being installed on the older building in Newark. Port Newark Refrigerated Warehouse is building a new building which will have fully automated cranes 120 feet tall and will be able to provide better service more economically to their customers. The New Refrigerated Warehouse is focused on using the best available technology to serve their global customers.

DINNER PROGRAM

Stefan Pryor
Deputy Mayor for Economic Development
City of Newark

Stefan Pryor is Deputy Mayor for Economic Development in the City of Newark. In that capacity, he oversees the City offices responsible for economic development, city planning, housing, and workforce development. Pryor also serves as Chairman of the Brick City Development Corporation (BCDC), which is Newark’s economic development organization and which Pryor helped found.

Before his appointment to these posts, Pryor served as President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. In that capacity, he served as the agency’s chief executive. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) was created in the aftermath of September 11th by the State and City of New York to plan and help coordinate the physical rebuilding and economic revitalization of Lower Manhattan. Pryor was the first employee of the LMDC, which was formed in November of 2001, and he served in a number of leadership capacities before serving as its President.

Pryor previously served as a Vice President at the Partnership for New York City (where he worked from 1998 to 2001). The Partnership is the NYC’s leading business organization. At the Partnership, Pryor spearheaded the organization’s public education efforts and served as Executive Director of its main school reform program. After September 11th, Pryor helped coordinate the Partnership’s efforts to get downtown businesses up and running again. Pryor helped found ReStart Central, which provided donated and discounted goods and services to 9/11-affected businesses.

From 1994 to 1997, Pryor served as Policy Advisor to the Mayor of New Haven, Connecticut. Pryor is a co-founder and was the first Board President of Amistad Academy, a highly acclaimed charter school in New Haven. Amistad is the flagship for the Achievement First network of charter schools. Pryor serves on the board of Achievement First, which has opened and now operates 15 academies and schools in Connecticut and in New York City. Pryor is a graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School.

SCHEDULE

3:30...................Registration at the Tour Site
4:00............................................Tour Begins
5:30.........................Reception at Restaurant
6:00.........................Dinner Program Begins

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

IBERIA
80-84 Ferry Street,
Newark, New Jersey

DIRECTIONS

NEWARK REFRIGERATED WAREHOUSE
104 AVE C, Newark, N.J. 07114
PH:973-824-6694

From South

New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 13A Newark Airport/Elizabeth Seaport
Continue onto US 1 & 9 N (1.6 mi.)
Left ramp onto McCarter HWY RT21 N (1.3 mi.)
Right on Miller St (0.4 mi.)
Right onto Avenue C

From North

New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 14/Newark Airport (US-1)/Clinton (US-9)/US-22
Take the Newark(RT-21)Left exit onto US-1 & 9 S (US-1 S) toward Newark (US-22)/US-9 S
Take ramp onto McCarter HWY(RT-21 N) toward Newark
Turn Right on Miller St
Right onto Avenue C

DIRECTIONS FROM TOURSITE TO DINNER PROGRAM

IBERIA
67 Ferry Street,
Newark, New Jersey

From Newark Refrigerated Warehouse:

Avenue C back to Miller St
Left onto Miller St, Right onto McCarter HWY RT-21 (1.3 mi.)
Right onto Market St (0.1 mi.)
Bear Right onto Ferry St to 67 Ferry St (0.2 mi)

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations. Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners. Please note: Walk-in day of tour registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $75.00

FIRST MEETING SPECIAL: JOIN MHSNJ AND ATTEND THIS PROGRAM AT A REDUCED RATE - $95.00

November 2009 Newsletter

2009-11-14T11:21:00.002-05:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

December Program

2009-10-29T22:20:00.008-04:00

Our next program will be at the CVS/Caremark Distribution Center in Lumberton, New Jersey on Wednesday, December 2nd.

TOUR DETAILS

This is an immense, well run distribution center that CVS management is very proud to show off. The tours of their facility are extremely informative and will be a great learning experience for all our members. We are expecting a good turnout for this tour so please register early.

This facility services 666 stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and parts of New York. Located on 50 acres in Lumberton the DC comprises 1,014,409 SF, with an additional 162,000 SF in their Central Warehouse across the street.

CVS / Caremark’s operations include RX Pick-to-Light, pharmacy loose picks, daily, seasonal and promotional store replenishments and order fulfillments. The facility comprises:

44 receiving dock doors
Over 7 miles of conveyor
A propriety CVS WMS, RF based, UCC 128 BC driven system runs all order and labor management processes
The DC has over 1,000 full time employees on a 3 shift, 5 day operation supported by a 41 person management team

Some operational statistics for the DC:

145,000 cases received on a daily basis
23,000 total SKUs
Average Front Store Pick = 1,200,000 pieces using totes using roughly 35,000 totes
Average Pharmacy Loose Pick Daily = 212,000 pieces using 2,600 totes
Average Outbound Parcels = 115,000 parcels direct delivery daily
Weekly deliveries from this facility = 740

DINNER PROGRAM

The CVS/Caremark DC Story

For our dinner panel discussion / presentation Ron Richmond, Director of CVS / Caremark and his team will present additional information on CVS / Caremark’s distribution channels, future growth and answer any questions you might have on the facility.

Ron Richmond – Director, CVS Lumberton Distribution Center, began his CVS career in July of 2009. Prior to CVS, he spent 5 years as the General Manager of IKEA Home Furnishing’s 1.8mm square foot distribution center in Perryville, Maryland. Prior to IKEA, Ron spent 16 years with Wal-Mart Distribution in various roles and locations throughout the United States.

Rich Sanitate – Sr. Operations Manager, CVS Lumberton Distribution Center, began his CVS career in 1998 after a successful distribution career with Sony Music Entertainment in Chicago where he was the Associate Director of that operation. Rich has filled several roles in the Lumberton building and is currently part of an implementation team who assists other CVS Distribution Centers in the new WMS platform implementation.

Matt Forster – Operations Manager, CVS Lumberton Distribution Center, began his CVS career in early 2008 as Operations Manager for the facility. Matt has responsibility for operations and inventory control across all shifts and schedules. Prior to Matt joining CVS, he worked for Target Corporation in various roles to include transportation and distribution as well as time in the retail sector as a Store Manager

PROGRAM SPONSOR

Intelligrated® is an American-owned supplier of integrated material handling systems that provide logistics solutions throughout the supply chain with services and products primarily serving the warehousing and distribution sector. The world class equipment we produce demonstrates our ability in high speed case sortation, accumulation, merging and controls technology, all supported by 24x7 customer service and sales. The acquisition in 2009 of automated material handling supplier FKI Logistex® (www.fkilogistex.com) expands the Intelligrated product line to include Alvey® palletizers, Real Time Solutions® order fulfillment systems, and Crisplant® tilt-tray and cross-belt sorters.

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support

of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

SCHEDULE

3:30 - Registration at the Tour Site

4:00 - Tour Begins

5:30 - Reception at Restaurant

6:00 - Dinner Program Begins

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

Deerwood Country Club
845 Woodlane Road
Westhampton, New Jersey 08060
609-265-1855
www.deerwoodcc.com

DIRECTIONS

TO CVS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
1 Berry Drive , Lumberton, NJ 08048
609-267-6700

From North or South Jersey

New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 5 – Burlington/Mt. Holly
Thru tolls, right at light onto Rt. 541 South
Follow Rt. 541 South thru 2 lights for 1.6 miles
Bear right just before the 3rd light (Burger King on right) onto the Lumberton/Medford (Rt. 541 Mt. Holly Bypass)
Continue on Rt. 541 - Mt. Holly Bypass for 2.2 miles, thru 3 lights, crossing over Rt. 38
Make right at next light onto Berry Drive
Go 0.3 miles, CVS is on LEFT side
Park in middle of lot near the front entrance (visitor spots), sign in at lobby.

TO THE DEERWOOD COUNTRY CLUB
845 Woodlane Road, Westhampton, New Jersey 08060
609-265-1855

From CVS / Caremark DC: (back toward NJ TPK)

Right out of parking lot, 0.3 miles
Left turn onto Rt. 541 - Mt. Holly Bypass for 2.2 miles
Left at 3rd light onto main Rt. 541
Go 0.3 miles, right onto Woodlawn Road, Deerwood CC is 0.4 mile on left

From NJ Turnpike:

New Jersey Turnpike to Exit 5 – Burlington/Mt. Holly
Thru tolls, right at light onto Rt. 541 South
Follow Rt. 541 South @ 1 mile to Woodlane Road, take jug handle, make left onto Woodlane Road
Deerwood CC is 0.5 mile on left

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations.

Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners.

Please note: Walk-in day of tour registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $60.00

Photos from Our October Program

2009-10-29T21:29:00.004-04:00

Our October Program was a great success. Over 60 people attended the tour and/or dinner presentation.

We wish to thank the people of Loehmann's for opening their doors to us, our speakers for donating their time, and SDI for sponsoring the event.

Bill Thayer of Loehmanns speaks to our group.

Fred Gerstler thanks our guest from Loehmanns.
From left to right Pete Inchausti, Bill Thayer, Fred Gerstler, Andrew Love, and Greg Cioffi.

Our Dinner Presentation.

Steve O'Reilly thanks our speakers.
From left to right Anthony DeIeso, Steve O'Reilly, and Christopher Ulricksen.

October 2009 Newsletter

2009-10-04T14:28:00.001-04:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

October Program and Registration

2009-09-25T21:26:00.014-04:00

We are pleased to announce our next program will be held at the Loehmann's Distribution Center in Rutherford, New Jersey on Wednesday, October 21st.

About Loehmann's

Loehmann's Distribution Center supplies floor ready goods to their 60+ stores in 16 states. Over the past few year, Loehmann's management has made the decision to install SDI high speed sorters and convert their historically labor intensive operation into a one with higher speed, accuracy, and throughput.

Over the past few years, Loehmann's unit volumes have increase by 44% (2002-2008), yet the company was able to continue to operation from the same building and avoid expensive moving costs and upheaval. Because of the dramatically increased speed of merchandise flow, they avoided the exhaustion of the DC's capacity, which consultants had predicted would occur in 2006.

Despite a 40% increase in labor costs across the period, cost per unit rose only 12%. There has been a significant reduction in head count. In 2000, there were 400 employees handling 12 million items and in 2008, just 350 staff members were handling over 17 million items and with nearly perfect accuracy.

Highlights of this tour will be:

400,000+ square feet of warehouse and distribution operations
Receiving of boxed and hanging goods.
QA rocesses and breakdown of garments to hangers.
Picking, Putaway, and Staging processes
Value Added Services of Price Ticketing and Security Tagging
Miles of GOH Rail and Powered Conveyor Systems
High Speed Soration of Hanging and Flat Product Utilizing SDI Sortation Equipment
350 Staff Members handling over 17 Million units with nearly perfect accuracy

Today, more than 87 years after opening its first off-price apparel store in Brooklyn, NY, Loehmann’s continues to distinguish itself as a preeminent, upscale, off-price specialty retailer for name brand designer fashions.

Couture and designer fashions plus current, in-season merchandise and frequent new arrivals, all at prices 30% to 65% less than department store prices, still serve as hallmark features of Loehmann’s, attracting generations of fashion-savvy women and men to a shopping experience unlike any other.

Loehmann’s carries a wide spectrum of looks favored by customers with classic to contemporary lifestyles. Store departments include ladies sportswear, dresses, career and casual collections; shoes, accessories including handbags and jewelry plus men’s, juniors and children’s.

Loehmann’s continues to feature its famous “Back Room” where shoppers are privy to a select yet ever changing and surprising array of high end designer and couture clothing at lower prices. With an exclusive selection of colors and sizes represented, the thrill of “getting a deal” on something special and unique is as exciting today as it was when Frieda Loehmann started the Company in 1921.

Now, more than 60 stores strong in 16 states, the stores are filled with collections from today’s top designer names such as Calvin Klein, Diane Von Furstenberg, Kenneth Cole, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Nicole Miller, Anne Klein, Donna Karan, Michael Kors and more! Loehmann’s has grown to include a large flagship store in Manhattan and one in Beverly Hills, as well as a “Size Search” in-store service that helps find and ship appropriate sized items to customers; plus, in select large stores, free personal shopping service.

Program Sponsor

SDI Industries is a leading specialist in the provision of integrated materials handling solutions for retail, wholesale, fulfilment and e-commerce distribution operations.

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support
of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

Dinner Program

Achieve More. With Lean Ergonomic Six Sigma

The current economy and competitive pressures continuously drive the need for organizations to reduce costs, the value of implementing Lean principles coupled with workplace ergonomic improvements and Six Sigma is becoming increasingly evident. Resource constraints faced by most organizations make it essential to prioritize improvement opportunities so that available energy is focused on solving the problems that have the most impact to business and productivity with a bi-product of health and safety.

Lean, ergonomics, and Six Sigma can produce significant benefits to companies that are seriously committed to a scalable and sustainable approach to reduce costs. The use of the DMAIC process of Defining, Measuring, Analyzing, Improving and Controlling, when performing ergonomic business case analyses allows organizations to control ergonomic risk factors and the impact ergonomic solutions have on risk reduction, efficiency and company metrics.

Review of a series of case studies will outline an effective process and toolset resulting in 50-75% reduction in ergonomic risk factors and 30-80% improvement in operational efficiency.

Speakers

Anthony DiIeso, OTR, CPE

Mr. DiIeso is a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) and Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR) who has over 10 years of experience in the field of occupational ergonomics in rehabilitation, workers compensation and lean manufacturing. He is currently a Senior EHS Consultant with Environmental and Occupational Risk Management, Inc. (EORM®). As a consultant he is experienced in developing, deploying and managing corporate wide ergonomics programs; implementing effective engineering solutions; designing return to work programs, fitness for duty programs and physical demands analysis; utilizing qualitative and quantitative ergonomic risk assessments to focus on implementing engineering solutions for risk reduction and increasing efficiencies. His expertise lies in the areas of human anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and job/process redesign. Key accomplishments include:

Successfully developed, deployed and managed return to work and ergonomic programs and initiatives. Program results have included: reduction in Workers Compensation costs, ergonomic risk factors and an increase is productivity.
Achieved risk reduction and efficiency gains while working with design teams, engineers, management, medical personnel and employees in fortune 500 companies.

Christopher Ulriksen, CSP

Mr. Ulriksen is a Certified Safety Professional with over 10 years of experience in environmental health and safety matters in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. Prior to joining Environmental and Occupational Risk Management, Inc. (EORM®) as a Principal Consultant, Mr. Ulriksen had a 5 year tenure as the EHS Manager for Laureate Pharma in Princeton and Totowa, NJ. His experience ranges from the development of cost-effective training and OSHA compliance programs to performance-based program management. Mr. Ulriksen is a member of the AIHA, NSC and ASSE.

Environmental and Occupational Risk Management, Inc. (EORM®)

EORM is a national, multi-disciplinary environmental, health, safety and sustainability management and technical consulting firm, founded in 1990 and incorporated in the State of California in 1992. The Company’s headquarters are located in San Jose, California with multiple offices strategically located to serve clients in major markets through-out the United States and select projects internationally. We feel that the best way to service our clients in a timely, efficient and cost effective manner is to have expertise as local as possible. Supporting our office locations are field offices comprised of experienced consultants working from a home office or a key client site. Our team of 125 experts has provided professional consulting services all over the US and globally for many fortune 500 companies. EORM is both ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001-certified.

TOUR LOCATION

Loehmann's Distribution Center

299 Thomas E Dunn Memorial Hwy

Rutherford, NJ 07070

Loehmann's DC is on the left (Red A)

From the Turnpike/Route 3 West:

NJTPK Exit 16W (Giants Stadium)
Route 3 West for 2.5 Miles
Exit for Route 17 North SERVICE ROAD
At the end of the ramp, make a right onto Rutherford Ave/Thomas E Dunn Hwy
Drive 1/4 mile and make a sharp left into the Loehmann's parking lot
Park in the right hand lot as you enter the property.

SCHEDULE

Registration At Tour Site.…..……….…..3:30 PM
Tour Begins………………….…..……….…..4:00 PM
Reception at Restaurant….……..……….5:00 PM
Program begins……..………>………..…...6:00 PM

DINNER LOCATION

The Landmark
26 Rt. 17 South
East Rutherford, N.J. 07073
(201) 438-3939

Directions From Loehmann's: Turn right out of Loehmanns parking lot Take exit for Route 17 north. Then exit at Paterson Plank Road. Make a left turn at the light at the top of the ramp. Cross over highway and follow sign for U-turn to Route 17 south. See entrance to Landmark 50 feet past underpass on right.

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to programs is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Programs often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations.

Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners.

Please note: Walk-in day of programs registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00

NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $60.00

September 2009 Newletter

2009-09-06T22:15:00.001-04:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

September Kick-off Program and Registration

2009-09-04T23:56:00.006-04:00

Wednesday, September 23rd is the date for the start of our sixty first year.

We are honored to have as our guest speaker, Jerold Zaro, Chief of the Governor's Office of Economic Growth.

Jerold Zaro

TOPIC

During his address, Chief Zaro will provide an overview of New Jersey’s business climate and discuss the Office of Economic Growth’s efforts to make the state more business friendly by supporting the creation of pro-business legislation and a variety of financing, incentive and assistance programs. Working hand in hand with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, the office serves as a one-stop shop to expedite the delivery of state benefits and products to the business community. Under Jerry’s leadership, the office has implemented a “concierge service” through which all inquiries are addressed within 48 hours.

SPEAKER PROFILE

Jerry Zaro was named Chief of the Office of Economic Growth by Governor Jon S. Corzine in October 2008. In that capacity, he also serves on the board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. Zaro brings to state government more than 33 years of experience in the law, business, banking, real estate and transportation fields.

The Office of Economic Growth was established as a permanent part of the executive branch in January 2007 by Executive Order 50, to coordinate the state's economic development efforts across all sectors and departments. As Chief, Zaro oversees the implementation of the state's Economic Growth Strategy, and coordinates efforts to improve the business climate while working to attract and retain jobs.

Prior to joining the Corzine Administration, Zaro served for more than two decades as president and managing partner of the law firm of Ansell Zaro Grimm & Aaron, one of the 50 largest law firms in New Jersey. During that time, he served as a Commissioner of the New Jersey Highway Authority for more than 12 years, with the last two years of the term as Chairman. More recently, he concluded a four-year term as Commissioner of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority.

Zaro has been involved in numerous business and corporate affairs throughout his career. He began his law career as a judicial secretary to the Honorable Thomas F. Shebell, Jr. in the Superior Court of Monmouth County and is a member of the Monmouth, New Jersey and New York Bar Associations. Among his many professional highlights, Zaro was one of the initial stockholders and served as Chairman of the Board of Ocean Independent Bank, a state chartered banking institution. He has served as a director of several other stock exchange listed companies, and as a principal in numerous real estate development and management firms. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Denholtz Holdings, LLC, a privately held national real estate company that develops, owns and operates office, industrial, flex and retail properties.

A lifelong philanthropist, Zaro served as Chairman of the board of trustees of Joan Dancy and P.A.L.S., Inc., which provides financial assistance and emotional support to people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He also serves on the boards of the American Cancer Society's Special Gifts Unit, the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation, the Mental Health Association Foundation and a myriad of Jewish organizations.

Born in 1951 and raised in Teaneck, Zaro has a bachelor's degree in history and government from Boston University and received his juris doctorate from Boston College's School of Law in 1976. He lives in Ocean Township and has three grown sons.

SCHEDULE

5:00..................Reception at Restaurant

5:30..................Dinner Program Begins

6:15.............................Dinner Is Served

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

Lobster Shanty
82 Channel Drive
Point Pleasant, NJ 08742
(732) 899-6700

DIRECTIONS

From the North:

Take Garden State Parkway Exit 98, Manasquan / Point Pleasant exit.
As you exit you will be on Route 34 South.
Continue on 34 South to the second circle where you will pick up Route 35 South.
Continue on 35 South about 2 miles over a large bridge, bear to your left and take the first left after you cross the bridge (sign reads Broadway/Beach area).
Follow the turn through and bear right over the railroad tracks, make you first left onto Channel Drive.
We are three blocks down on the left.

From the South:

Garden State Parkway Exit 90.
At the end of exit make a right onto Chambers Bridge Road.
At the first light, go around the jug handle and then make a left onto Chambers Bridge Road.
Take it to the first traffic light and make a right onto Route 88 East.
Take Route 88 East about 10 miles until you enter Point Pleasant Beach.
88 East turns into Route 35.
Take Route 35 North to the fifth traffic light and and make a right to go over the railroad tracks, then make your first left onto Channel Drive.
We are three blocks down on the left.

REGISTRATION

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00

NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $60.00

Message from the President

2009-09-04T21:29:00.000-04:00

Dear Members and Friends:

Welcome back from the summer season. I hope you are well rested and ready for our 2010 program year and the start of MHSNJ’s 7th decade. I have been traveling a lot this summer and spending a fair amount of idle time in planes, trains, and automobiles that has allowed me to ponder a lot of things including the changes to the names of the leaders in our industry.

Well known brand names in our industry have transformed and/or disappeared. Brands such as Kingway, Interlake, Rapistan, Buschman, Jervis Webb, Litton, Matthews. There are also a fair amount of local company names that have disappeared. Certainly some of this is due to inevitable consolidation. But I think it is also due to business changing and not all companies adapting to those new conditions. First of all, I am not singling any of the companies above as not adapting. Some of them did not but some of them have just changed names. I have some thoughts on how and why companies in general do not continue to thrive over longer periods of time.

Most of my travel this summer has taken me to Europe. It has been a great cultural experience, but I have also been able to see many different types of distribution operations as well. The Europeans have a very different way to look at how they plan their distribution centers. They look for the best possible solution before they look at the bottom line. Obviously they have the same financial responsibilities to their companies as we do here in the US, but they address the best solution first.

Spending my career as a solutions provider, I have seen too many situations where companies on both sides of the aisle race to a price and feel successful when they think they have reached it. I am not really talking about individual facilities and systems, I am talking about how they run their business. Sometimes we think if we offer the lowest price to our customer we have done a good job. As competition in global markets heat up, it is not usually the low price provider who achieves long term viability.

We all need to connect with our customers well enough to learn their specific needs. Then we have to figure out how to best fulfill those needs (no pun intended). We must keep learning and rethinking how we approach our customers and our businesses accordingly. You may say that if it worked for our parents it will work today and to keep things. I agree with that theory as long as we keep reexamining our processes and solutions.

Take something as basic as t-shirts. Several years ago in Baltimore, someone figured out that people will pay $40 for a t-shirt that dries quickly and doesn’t stay soggy. I sweat and I wear Under Armour because it is worth it to me. That was a great idea and now they are a publicly traded company worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Under Armour was obviously asking people if there was anything that would make their exercising more comfortable.

Solutions providers must think how they can separate themselves from the pack. Just bidding to someone else’s specification will not guarantee your long term survival. Supply Chain managers should not throw out vague specifications to potential vendors and see can offer the lowest price. There are several solutions providers in Europe that many of us may not have heard of who have built $200-$300 million business. They supply 4-6 solutions per year and support their customers for a life time. In most cases they have technical personnel on the customer’s site full time. These companies do not manufacture very much of the equipment they supply, and they work with their customers from the ground up to develop the right solution and are responsible for the performance of an entire facility when they are done. These European facilities I visited are a fraction of the size of comparable operations in the US. They are also much more efficient from a labor standpoint. They also have a return on investment of 3-4 years, but they add millions of Euros to the company’s bottom line in year 4 or 5. If you do not look past a 12- 24 month return on investment period, you may be costing your company a lot of money over the long term.

We need to rethink how we are getting the best value out of our businesses and what the changing market place will throw at us. This month we will have a special program when our guest speaker will be Jerrold Zaro, Chief of the Office of Economic Growth for New Jersey. He will tell us how he has plans to change the way business is done in New Jersey. This is a great program for anyone interested in business in general in the state. Please take the opportunity to invite your friends and come out for a great dinner and enjoyable speaker.

Dave Lodwig
MHSNJ President

Scholarship Sponsors

2009-08-19T23:58:00.009-04:00

These sponsors supported the 2010 MHSNJ Scholarship Fund. We award scholarships annually for deserving college student pursuing degrees in material handling fields. We thank all these companies and individuals for their generous support.

Diamond Sponsors
_________________________________________________

ALWAYS EQUIPMENT

BEUMER CORPORATION

CB RICHARD ELLISE

CONVEYOR HANDLING

ENERSYS

MCC RECYCLING COMPANY

OPSDESIGN

SECURE CABLE TIES

SMART KARTON

Titanium Sponsors
_________________________________________________

Platinum Sponsors
_________________________________________________

UNEX MANUFACTURING

"Classic Gold" Sponsors
_________________________________________________

CARL & CAROLIE JOHNSON

ELECTRIC BATTERY COMPANY

NORTHEAST INDUSTRIAL BATTERY

TGW ERMANCO

VICTORY PACKAGING

W & H SYSTEMS

Note: If you are a sponsor and would like your company logo displayed, please email your logo to info@mhsnj.com.

Program Calendar

2009-07-11T11:00:00.008-04:00

Program Calendar for the Upcoming Year

Please Note: Programs and Dates are subject to change.

2010/2011 Upcoming Program Dates
_________________________________________

September 15, 2010
Program Year "Kick-off" Networking Event

October 12, 2010
Tasty Cake - Philadelphia, PA

November 17, 2010
Simon & Schuster - Pennsauken, NJ

January 19, 2011
G III - Dayton, NJ

March 16, 2011
Snapple - Carteret, NJ

May 2011
Coming Soon

June 15, 2011
MHSNJ Classic - Annual Scholarship Fundraiser - Hackettstown, NJ

Free Seminar for Material Handling Business Owners and Distributors

2009-06-04T21:13:00.000-04:00

Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, in conjunction with the Material Handling Society of New Jersey and Forkliftaction.com, is proud to present Legal Issues for Material Handling and Industrial Equipment Businesses in the Current Economy, which will be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the firm's Bridgewater office. The speakers will include, Jeremy Silberman, a member of the Franchise Law Group, Morris Bauer and Gary Marks, members of the Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Group, David Cassidy and Charles Bruder, members of the Labor & Employment Group. The seminar is designed to inform owners and executives of material handling and industrial equipment businesses of legal issues critical to surviving the current economic climate and preparing for the future.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT NORRIS MCLAUGHLIN & MARCUS FOR MORE INFORMATION

MHSNJ member Jeremy Silberman

Topics to be discussed:

Protecting Your Dealership Under State Franchise and Dealer Protection Laws
Collecting from Financially Distressed Customers
Updates on the Employee Free Choice Act and Labor Law Issues
When to Consider Filing for Bankruptcy Protection for Your Business
Succession Planning—Minimizing Costs and Risks When Transitioning Your Business to a Family Member or Selling to a Third Party

We are offering this seminar free of charge; however, space is limited. Please complete and return the Registration Form to Cassie Coldreck by fax at 908-722-0755 or by email at ccoldreck@nmmlaw.com by June 9, 2009. For more information, please call 908-252-4172. Click here for Directions.

The MHSNJ Golf Classic

2009-05-19T17:00:00.016-04:00

On Wednesday June 3rd, the Material Handling Society will host our annual MHSNJ Golf Classic at Minebrook Golf Club in Hackettstown, NJ. This event raises thousand of dollars that we award to students from both Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

At our March meeting, professors and student attended our program and were awarded $6,000 in scholarship money. Many of our past scholarship winners have gone on to jobs in the material handling industry, and are current members of the society.

At our March meeting, Don Cronin presents scholarships to Dr. Thomas Boucher and students
from Rutgers University. From left to right: Dr. Thomas Boucher, Joel Lora,
Christopher Krieger, Haithum Salem, and Don Cronin.

At our March meeting, Chuck Kroner & Don Cronin presents a scholarship to
Dr. Layek Malek and a student from NJIT. From left to right: Don Cronin, Dicknery Diaz,
Dr. Layek Malek, and Chuck Kroner.

We invite you to join us as a golfer, a sponsor, or at our dinner program after a day of fun, friendship, and networking.

Click here to view the companies and individuals who support our scholarship.

Download an application to be a golfer or sponsor here.

For more information, contact Don Cronin at 908-876-1771 or dcronin@alternativetec.com.

Golf registration and sponsorship options are available below:

GOLF REGISTRATION OPTIONS:

REGULAR GOLF REGISTRATION RATE - $150.00

SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS:

"DIAMOND" SPONSORSHIP - $500.00

"TITANIUM" SPONSORSHIP - $375.00

"PLATINUM" SPONSORSHIP - $250.00

"CLASSIC GOLD" SPONSORSHIP - $150.00

SPONSORSHIP BOOSTER - $75.00

DINNER ONLY - $30.00

May Program and Registration

2009-04-24T21:07:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday May 19th, the MHSNJ is touring the Prudential Center center in Newark New Jersey.

Prudential Center

165 Mulberry Street
Newark, New Jersey
973-757-6000

Instead of the usual tour of a warehouse, factory, or distribution center, we are treated this month to a tour of a noted public venue where we can see how materials, people and equipment are distributed within the facility. While this is primarily an entertainment facility, hosting sporting events such as professional hockey (New Jersey Devils), college basketball (Seton Hall University), as well as concerts and other events, the problem of moving a variety of items from storage to set-up and consumption utilize many of the material handling functions we have all come to appreciate in our own business lives.

For example, while almost all events require the distribution of food and beverage, each other function require different types of equipment and supporting structures unique to their individual needs. This means that the staff of the Center must be able to handle all the individual needs of the particular event, often with a very short lead time. The technology used to run the building is of great interest, how they move the different venues in and out, ready for the next event. One of the interesting things is the very heavy power demands, and the partnership with Public Service Electric and Gas Co. which makes it go, and which helps with the distribution of power throughout the city of Newark.

After the tour, members and guests will go three blocks to One Newark Center for our dinner meeting. We will have as our speakers Charles Leone, Jr., Director of Operation for the “Rock” and Tim Dougherty, Engineer, who will explain how all this is done. We look forward to a very different but very interesting and informative tour.

DINNER PROGRAM

TOPIC: Behind the Scenes Operations at "The Rock"

SPEAKERS:

Charles Leone, Jr. - Director of Operations - The Prudential Center
Tim Dougherty - Engineer - The Prudential Center

SCHEDULE

3:00...........Registration at the Tour Site

3:30......................Featured Tour Begins

5:00..................Reception at Restaurant

5:30..................Dinner Program Begins

6:15.............................Dinner Is Served

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

Newark Club
One Newark Center
22nd Floor
Newark, NJ
(973) 242-0658

DIRECTIONS

We suggest parking in the garage at One Newark Center and then walking 3 block along Mulberry Street to the Prudential Center.

From the West: Rt. I-78 to Exit 57, merge onto NJ-21N, McCarter Hwy toward Newark 2.8 mi to 1 Newark Center.

From the South: GS Parkway to Rte I-78E via Exit 142 toward NJ Tpk/Newark Intl Airport/Springfield 3.6 mi to Exit 57, continue as above.

From the North: GS Parkway to I-280E via Exit 47A on the left toward THE ORANGES/NEWARK. Take the Rte 21S exit (EXIT 15) toward Downtown Ironbound, right onto NJ 21 0.8 mi to the Center.

Mass Transit Information

After the tour return to the One Newark Center, Newark Club Restaurant is on top floor. Discounted Parking Validation ($7) can be purchased from the bartender at the Newark Club.

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations.

Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners.

Please note: Walk-in day of tour registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $60.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $70.00

May 2009 Newsletter

2009-04-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

Message from the President

2009-04-23T20:44:00.000-04:00

Dear Members and Friends:

I hope you got a chance to attend the Volkswagen tour in March. It was a great lesson in fine tuning operational processes to meet the unique needs of a distribution center. They have really done a lot with very little automation. It just goes to show you that sometimes a simple approach to improving your operation is better.

This May we have an exciting new tour. We will be touring the brand new Prudential Center in downtown Newark. Don’t let the location scare you away, downtown Newark is bustling and safe. We are going to see the operations behind the curtain, meaning we will learn how they get food, retail merchandise, and other supplies distributed to all the right areas in time for hungry fans.

Their operations managers will show us what technology they use to keep people and product moving in the right direction. It will be interesting as well as entertaining for those of us who are sports fans. For those of us who are not sports fans it will still be a lot of fun. The “Rock”, as it is known, also hosts concerts and other civic events that require all the infrastructure and support. Please join us to see a unique and rare view of what makes the arena really move.

Dave Lodwig
MHSNJ President

Don't Forget to Vote

2009-04-22T20:47:00.000-04:00

Voting for Board of Directors has begun. There are five openings for 3-year terms beginning July 1, 2009. The six candidates are:

Allison Clancy of The CORE Group
Don Craig of Aeropostale
Jonathan Frankfort of MMS Medical Supply
Steve Garvey of Intelligrated
Rick Geiger of the New Jersey Department of Labor
John Yacka of Bed, Bath & Beyond

Remember, in order to vote, you must have paid 2009 Dues. Ballots are due back by May 15.

So if you’re not current, get paid up and VOTE!

Our May Program: The Prudential Center in Newark

2009-04-02T22:05:00.004-04:00

Our next facility tour will be on Tuesday, May 19th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

More details of this program will be posted on this website in the coming days.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

Focus on Warehouse Safety

2009-04-01T22:18:00.001-04:00

This video shows how an accident can occur in a warehouse.

This video clearly illustrates:

It is essential to have of a good Forklift Safety Training Program at your company.
The importance of understanding and adhering to the designed loading limits of a pallet rack system.

Thankfully, it appears that no one was hurt in this accident.

Thanks to Larry Shemesh of OPSdesign for providing this video.

MHSNJ Members In The News

2009-03-28T11:13:00.012-04:00

Fred Gerstler (right) is the Executive Vice President of the MHSNJ
and has been a member for over 15 years.

Recently featured in the Home News Tribune:

Owners of Shipping Firm Keep Business in Perspective
By JARED KALTWASSER • Staff Writer • February 18, 2009

SOUTH PLAINFIELD — For Fred Gerstler and Ed "E.J.'' Koznowicz, business and friendship always have been intertwined, and that's just the way they like it.

The co-owners of shipping supply firm New Pak met in the 1980s when they worked at Gerstler's uncle's company, Central Jersey Steel Strapping and Shipping.

Koznowicz came in part-time after high school to help with filing and other paperwork. Gerstler, who also had worked at the company as a teenager, returned after the death of his uncle to work in outside sales.

After Central Jersey Steel Strapping and Shipping closed its doors in 1988, Koznowicz, Gerstler and Tom Kay, who was operations manager at the old firm, started their own company in 1989, based out of Gerstler's Carteret home.

Fred Gerstler in the late 1980's when he founded New Pak.

"We figured, let's start it,'' Koznowicz recalled. "We did have a lot of customer contacts and stuff like that, but for the most part, we started from scratch.''

After eight months, the firm had a warehouse in Elizabeth, and by 1993, the trio had bought out their business partners in Brooklyn, N.Y. They moved the business to South Plainfield in 1993 and to its current location on Kennedy Road in 1998. Kay retired in 2005.

The company sells shipping supplies and equipment, as well as janitorial supplies. In addition to its local sales, New Pak also now makes sales across the country through its Web site, but Gerstler said customer service remains their main focus and selling point.

The pair maintains a family-like atmosphere inside their business, but both also place a premium on family and community outside of work.

"We realize we have a life outside of this place, and we enjoy it,'' Koznowicz said.

At the end of the day, Gerstler said, they know those community ties are just as important as any sales they may make during the day.

"We tend to be two people who enjoy life and don't take ourselves too seriously,'' he said. "We respect our business, we enjoy our business, but we put it in perspective.''

IF YOU KNOW OF ANY MHSNJ MEMBERS IN THE NEWS, PLEASE EMAIL INFO@MHSNJ.COM.

MHSNJ Members In the News

2009-03-28T10:16:00.003-04:00

Recently featured in the Home News Tribune:

First Energy Reduces Businesses' Utility Bills
By SUSAN LOYER • Staff Writer • March 3, 2009

Herb Unger (right) has been a longtime MHSNJ Member

OLD BRIDGE — With the economy in a recession and utility bills skyrocketing, many companies are turning to the First Energy Group to reduce their energy consumption.

First Energy Group, which designs and arranges the installation of energy-efficient equipment for commercial, industrial and institutional organizations, was founded 19 years ago by Herbert M. Unger and Howard Porter. The pair were joined in their endeavor by Jay Lopatin in 2001. Porter retired in 2007.

The group has helped cut energy costs at nursing homes, hospitals, schools and businesses and in some municipalities, Unger said.

Although the company primarily focuses on businesses in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, it has worked with companies throughout the country.

"Over the years, we've saved about 3 million kilowatt hours of energy or almost six million gallons of gasoline,'' Lopatin said. "We've saved so much energy that it's equivalent to planting 87,000 acres of trees or removing 42,000 cars from the road.''

Lopatin said he joined the group when he wanted to make a career change.

"I heard all this talk about using too much energy and global warming and thought this was something I can help with,'' he said. "Saving all this energy for customers is a good thing. Not only does it make economic sense, but in addition, there are only a few times when you can make money and help the world at the same time.''

Unger got into the energy business in 1981 after owning a maintenance chemical company, which he sold in 1977.

"In the chemical business, I saw an awful lot of problems with petroleum and derivatives,'' Unger said. "I felt that energy was a growing problem in this country, and I thought I could service it very well. With the gas crisis and the rising cost of energy and oil, I thought it was the right place to be at the right time.'' Unger started his own energy company, which he sold nine years later. He then joined forces with Porter and founded First Energy Group.

"We will solicit a company to reduce their energy consumption and improve their environmental conditions by addressing things like lighting, motors, air conditioning and refrigeration,'' Unger said. "We look at about 40 different things to reduce energy consumption.''

The first step in First Energy Group's efforts to cut costs is an energy audit, Unger said.

Typical changes, he said, include replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

"We take the warehouse lighting, which is notoriously inefficient, and we install lighting that's much more efficient and uses 50 percent less energy,'' he said.

First Energy Group then sub-contracts the jobs to licensed and insured electrical contractors.

"We design a "turnkey' project,'' he said. "We tell the subcontractors what to do. We arrange for the installation and deliver the finished project.''

Companies save anywhere from 30 percent to 60 percent in their energy bills, Unger said.

"Everybody needs to reduce their overhead,'' he said. "Whatever we reduce in energy goes directly to the company's bottom line.''

Companies who undergo an energy reduction generally are eligible to receive incentives from the state, Unger said. Those incentives are handled by First Energy Group, Unger said.

"We arrange for the client to get the benefit of those incentives, which reduces their capital cost,'' he said.

Besides savings on utility bills, Unger said, companies also may see increased productivity because of improved working conditions.

IF YOU KNOW OF ANY MHSNJ MEMBERS IN THE NEWS, PLEASE EMAIL INFO@MHSNJ.COM.

Our 60th Anniversary

2009-03-27T09:42:00.003-04:00

The Material Handling Society of New Jersey celebrated it's 60th anniversary at the March Program. MHSNJ is the oldest professional organization in the country in this field, began with an organizational meeting held in Public Service Company’s auditorium in Newark, NJ on February 25, 1949.

Chuck Kroner of the MHSNJ spoke of our history. Chuck is a past president
and has been an active member for over 30 years.

A meeting of past MHSNJ presidents at our March Program.
From left to right: Kim Frazier (Son of Former President Don Frazier), John Tracy, Harry Baldeo,
Bob Berry, Chuck Kroner, Carlton Johnson, Don Cronin, John Yacka, and Steve Garvey

MHSNJ Scholarship Awarded at the March Meeting

2009-03-26T09:29:00.006-04:00

The Material Handling Society awards scholarships annually to college students pursuing studies in material handling related fields. At our March Program, we award scholarships to deserving students from from both Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Don Cronin presents scholarships to Dr. Thomas Boucher and students from Rutgers University.
From left to right: Dr. Thomas Boucher, Joel Lora, Christopher Krieger, Haithum Salem, and Don Cronin.

Chuck Kroner & Don Cronin presents a scholarship to Dr. Layek Malek and a student from NJIT.
From left to right: Don Cronin, Dicknery Diaz, Dr. Layek Malek, and Chuck Kroner.

News Link

Photos from the Volkwagen/Audi Tour and Dinner Program

2009-03-25T07:51:00.003-04:00

Our March Program took place this last week. It was attended by over 60 members of the MHSNJ and WERC. We would like to thank Ray Matusiak of Volkswagen/Audi for letting us tour his facility and Jeff Corrandino for speaking at our dinner program. We would also like to thank our program sponsors Alternative Technologies and NewPak Inc.

Allison Clancy presents membership certificates to new MHSNJ members.
From left to right: Ray Matusiak, Jacob Barnes, Jonathan Rudnick, Nicole May Conover, and Allison Clancy.

Fred Gerstler thanks Jeffrey Corradino for speaking at our dinner meeting.

Our tour host Ray Matusiak is thanked by Fred Gerstler.

Jeffrey Corradino speaking at our dinner meeting.

It was a full house for this month's program.

March Program Details and Registration

2009-03-01T18:03:00.009-05:00

On Tuesday March 24th, the MHSNJ is touring the Volkswagen/Audi distribution center in Cranbury New Jersey.

TOUR DETAILS

Volkswagen/Audi Distribution Center
47 Station Road
Cranbury, New Jersey
609-443-5510

Our March tour will be of the Volkswagen / Audi Parts Distribution Center in Cranbury, NJ. This will be a joint tour with the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut Chapter of the Warehouse Education Research Council (WERC), and will be followed by an outstanding speaker and dinner meeting at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel by NJ Tpke Exit 8A.

The facility is actually two distribution centers in one location, the New Jersey Parts Distribution Center (PDC) and the North American Redistribution Center (RDC) which will serve as the main hub for incoming parts and accessories to be distributed throughout North America. Opened in 2002/2003, together the two units share 72 acres at this site.

The North American RDC occupies 578,000 square feet and employs 70 warehouse personnel and 13 administrative staff. It houses some 70,000 products and services the USA and Canada including 7 PDCs. The New Jersey PDC encompasses 350,000 square feet and employs 90 warehouse personnel and administrative staff. This site serves 255 Volkswagen and Audi dealers in the Northeastern United States.

Due to the wide range and size configuration of auto parts handled in both the PDC and RDC, internal transport is via 166 pieces of material handling equipment including order pickers, tugs, reach trucks and sit-down forklifts.

Founded in 1955, in Englewood Cliffs, NJ Volkswagen of America, Inc. is now headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen recently announced the construction of a new manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee which is slated to open in 2011.

Volkswagen of America and its affiliates employ approximately 2,850 people in the United States and are responsible for the sale and service of Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen products through retail networks of approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers.

DINNER PROGRAM

TOPIC: Proposed Labor Legislation

SPEAKER: Jeffrey J. Corradino/Partner in the Law Practice of Jackson Lewis, LLP

Mr. Corradino is a partner in the Morristown law office of Jackson Lewis, LLP. He received his Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School, cum laude. He completed his undergraduate studies with a B.A. degree from Montclair State University, and is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York and is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association.

Mr. Corradino serves on the National Labor Relations Board, Region 22 Practice and Procedure Committee and the New Jersey Business and Industry Assn’s Legislative and Human Resource committees.

In his daily practice, Mr. Corradino specializes in traditional labor law. In that role, he has acted as the chief spokesperson in hundreds of collective bargaining relations and advised employers on the workplace issues raised by numerous complex business operations. His practice also includes counseling Legal and Human Resource personnel on virtually every employment related issue including managing employee performance, wage payment, and has developed a specialty in handling the complex issues that arise when classifying workers as independent contractors under federal and numerous state laws.

In a recent article in NJBiz, Mr. Corradino takes an in-depth look at the proposed “Employee Free Choice Act” which he labels a “deceptively named” bill to reveal the true nature of the proposed law. “In reality, it’s just another bailout for another floundering institution”. He will present to the members and guests a brief summary of the decline in union membership in the national workforce, and the effect this law would have on union organizing activities and the collective bargaining process. This should be an interesting discussion for the Society.

PROGRAM SPONSORS

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support
of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

SCHEDULE

3:30 - Registration at the Tour Site

4:00 - Tour Begins

5:15 - Reception at Restaurant

5:45 - Dinner Program Begins

6:30 - Dinner

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

Crowne Plaza Monroe
390 Forsgate Drive (Route 32)
Monroe Township, New Jersey
609-655-5254

DIRECTIONS

Directions to Tour: NJ Turnpike Exit 8A, bear right thru tolls towards Cranbury; at light make left onto Cranbury-South River Rd (Rte 535). Go South on 535 for 2.6 miles, at end, make quick right, then left onto Rte 130 South. Go 0.8 miles and turn left at Station Road light, VW entrance immediately on left.

Click Here for a Map to the Tour Location

To the Dinner Program/Restaurant: Return via Rte 130 North, go just past 1st light, bear right onto Rte 535 North, go 2.4 miles, turn right at Forsgate Dr. /Rte 32 East, 0.2 miles to Crowne Plaza on right

Click Here for a Map to the Dinner Program Location

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations.

Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners.

Please note: Walk-in day of tour registrations are subject to availability and are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $60.00

60 Years of MHSNJ

2009-03-01T10:33:00.002-05:00

At the dinner meeting at the Crowne Plaza Monroe following the Volkswagen tour, the Material Handling Society will celebrate our 60th Anniversary with a varied program which will include honoring our Past Presidents and making scholarship awards to Rutgers and NJIT. This, the oldest professional organization in New Jersey in this field, began with an organizational meeting held in Public Service Company’s auditorium in Newark, NJ on February 25, 1949.

There were 80 attendees and a Constitution and By-Laws were approved, officers and directors elected. This meeting was followed on March 16th with the first “official” dinner meeting held at the Military Park Hotel in Newark, and the Society had its first plant tour the following November at the Allen B. Dumont Co. (television) plant in East Paterson, NJ.

MHS Elections

2009-03-01T09:57:00.004-05:00

Voting for Board of Directors will begin soon after the March Tour. There will be five openings for 3-year terms beginning July 1, 2009.

The Nominating Committee has named the following current Directors up for reelection: Allison Clancy of CORE Consulting Group, Steve Garvey of Intelligrated, Rick Geiger of the New Jersey Department of Labor, and John Yacka of Bed, Bath & Beyond. The balance of the slate will be presented at the March meeting.

During out March Dinner meeting, nominations from the floor will be taken for Society members who wish to serve on the board and wish to be added to the list of candidates.

Message from the President

2009-03-01T09:35:00.003-05:00

Dear Members and Friends:

It was good to see many of our members at the ProMat trade show in January. There were several new uses of technology that I thought were pretty exciting. I like some of these ideas because they are innovative ideas that rely on smart controls.

I hate to keep droning on about the economy like a 24 hour news channel anchor, but the fact is we are facing tough times and I want to try and address timely and relevant ideas that will help us be more effective. We need to start working smarter and finding ways to make operations run smoother and leaner. I think there are two basic directions we can take; going back to basics or looking to new technology to help us become more efficient. These directions are not mutually exclusive by any means. Let’s face it - most of us have already picked the low hanging fruit off the process improvement tree. That means the next steps taken will be tougher and require more thought and team input.

This month’s tour of the Volkswagen/Audi distribution center is a study of going back to basics. The managers at Volkswagen/Audi looked intensely at their business when they designed the operation and planned the facility. They decided that a more conventional type of operation suited them best. They will tell us how they made their design decisions and why.

As we all go about our supply chain jobs in the coming years we should be trying to educate ourselves on new applications of technology but don’t forget the past while you’re doing it. We’ll see you in Cranbury. Help us to honor some of our Past Presidents and the College Scholarship presentations at the dinner meeting following the tour.

Dave Lodwig
MHSNJ President

March 2009 Newsletter

2009-02-25T21:20:00.000-05:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

Our March Program

2009-02-10T16:49:00.008-05:00

Our next facility tour will be on Tuesday, March 24th at the Volkswagen/Audi Distribution Center in Cranbury, New Jersey.

More details of this program will be posted on this website in the coming days.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

Mark Your Calendars for the MHSNJ Classic

2009-01-29T01:57:00.004-05:00

Our annual scholarship fundraiser event "The MHSNJ Classic" is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009. Please mark you calendars and plan to join us for our annual day of fun and competition for a good cause. More information will be available as we get closer to the event date.

The Material Handling Society awards scholarships annually to college students pursuing studies in material handling related fields. Our annual MHSNJ Classic Golf Outing each June raises over $5,000 annually to be awarded to students from both Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Click here to view the companies and individuals who support our scholarship.

Please contact Don Cronin if you wish to particpate in this event, or become a sponsor.

Photos from the newegg.com Tour and Dinner Program

2009-01-24T11:47:00.006-05:00

We would like to thank newegg.com for opening their doors to our group for an excellent tour. We would also like to thank Geoff Sisko for his interesting and informative presentation on current warehousing operations. Finally, we would like to thank Bob Poth and Dematic for sponsoring this month's program.

Fred Gerstler presents a certificate of appreciation to our newegg.com tour host Steve Bautz.

Dave Lodwig with Geoff Sisko of Transystems who spoke at our dinner.

Allison Clancy welcomes new society members.

We are finalizing our next program in March. Please check this website for the latest information.

Tour of Newegg.com Distribution Center

2009-01-03T00:55:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday January 21st, the MHSNJ is touring the newegg.com distribution center in Edison New Jersey.

TOUR DETAILS

newegg.com Distribution Center
45 Patrick Avenue
Edison, New Jersey
732-321-0624

Tour highlights include:

Facility is 380,000 SF
8 miles of conveyor
20,000 SKU locations
Processes 17,000 sales orders per day
State-of-the-art pick to light system
Intelligent bar code management
7 shipping lanes
30 packing lanes

Newegg is an online e-commerce company offering more than 25,000 computer hardware and software, consumer electronics and communications products in stock at competitive prices and ready to ship at lightning speed. They serve do-it-yourselfers, hardcore gamers, students, stay-at-home parents, small to medium size businesses, IT professionals, resellers, and anyone desiring a comprehensive digital lifestyle.

The company opened for business in 2001 and achieved $1.5 billion in annual sales in its first 6 years of operation. Inc. Magazine recently distinguished Newegg in its list of America’s 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies. It is one of four in the list’s 25 year history to qualify on growth merits while also recording over $1 billion in annual sales.

Newegg emphasizes superior customer experience through a user-friendly website that continually improves serving their customers’ needs. Stressing superior logistics, 99% of their orders ship same day. More than 9 million registered shoppers have applauded their efforts by rating them among the highest-rated online retailers in the world. Their headquarters is located in City of Industry, California.

DINNER PROGRAM

TOPIC: 2008 Warehouse/DC Operations Survey Results

SPEAKER: Geoff Sisko - Transystems/Gross & Associates

Logistic Magazine’s 3rd Annual Warehouse/DC Operations survey revealed that today’s DC managers are “battening down” their operations as they ride out 2008’s economic storm. Although some managers have tried keeping warehouses and DCs “leaner and greener,” most are proceeding with caution, sticking with the equipment and plans they already have in place, and making very few plans for expansion. In short, managers are holding tight.

Geoff Sisko of TranSystems /Gross & Associates will dig into all of the details of this highly anticipated annual survey and offer the annual state of warehouse and DC operations in North America at the dinner meeting following the tour of newegg.com.

Geoff spent twenty-four years in operations and two years in consulting prior to joining Gross & Associates seventeen years ago. Gross & Associates was acquired by TranSystems Corporation in May of 2008. Geoff is an Assistant Vice President at TranSystems. His career has included experience in manufacturing, distribution, production and inventory control, construction management and general management.

PROGRAM SPONSOR

MHSNJ would like to thank our program sponsor for their support of this month's program, as well as supporting our society.

SCHEDULE

3:30 - Registration at the Tour Site

4:00 - Tour Begins

5:15 - Reception at Restaurant

5:45 - Dinner Program Begins

6:30 - Dinner

DINNER PROGRAM LOCATION

Sheraton Edison Hotel - Raritan Center
125 Raritan Center Parkway
Edison, NJ
732-225-8300

DIRECTIONS

Directions to Tour: Exit 1B on I-287 (US 1 South to Trenton), approx 0.8 mile on Rte.1, turn right onto Prince Street, go approx. 0.1 mile to left turn onto Patrick to newegg.com facility.

Click Here for a Map to the Tour Location

To the Dinner Program/Restaurant: Leaving newegg, turn right onto Prince St, stay to the right at light; turn left onto Rte. 1, and take first exit on right to 531 (South Bonhamtown) merges into Main Street. Continue straight to light at Woodbridge Ave (Rte 514 East). Turn left on Woodbridge Ave. to exit for Raritan Center on right. Stay right at bottom of ramp, go straight thru light to Hotel parking lot.

Click Here for a Map to the Dinner Program Location

REGISTRATION

Registration prior to tours is strongly recommended to guarantee admittance. Tours often fill to capacity prior to program date which prevents same-day on-site registrations.

Please pre-register to allow us to adequately plan our programs and dinners. Walk-in registrations (when available) are subject to an additional charge.

MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $50.00
NON-MEMBER PRE-REGISTRATION RATE - $60.00

Message from the President

2009-01-02T10:11:00.008-05:00

Dear Members and Friends:

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year. MHSNJ is celebrating of our 60th anniversary in 2009. Since 1949 we have served the supply chain and distribution community of New Jersey. We are the oldest and largest local material handling organization in the country. We are the oldest because of the efforts of the founding members, but we are the largest because of the efforts of our current members. You should be proud of the fact that you make us the best organization of our type by far.

It looks like this will be a “special “ year for all of us with regard to our businesses. As the sales and profit numbers begin to roll in for the 2008 holiday season and fiscal year, they seem to bring only disappointing news. This means companies will have to react accordingly. I am a firm believer that a down economy is a great opportunity to strengthen yourself and your company.

MHSNJ provides you with an opportunity to help strengthen your knowledge by coming out and seeing other operations like we will see this month with newegg. You will see some great applications of automation to help make newegg compete in a very tough electronics market. I think we have to resist the natural urge to hunker down and not waste time away from our day to day business activities. We have to realize that the several hours we take to learn about how others achieve their goals will actually save us time and maybe make us better at what we do.

We are just finalizing the remaining tours and programs for the rest of the year. I think you will really like what we have to offer, and hope you will agree that it will be time well spent. Since we have taken the newsletter to an electronic format we will be in touch with you more often during each month with more helpful information. We started this month with an article about the legal rights of distributors with their relationship with manufacturers. We hope you will find this informative.I look forward to seeing you at the newegg tour.

We especially look forward to Geoff Sisko’s presentation on the 2008 Warehouse Survey at the dinner meeting following the tour.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dave Lodwig

MHSNJ President

January 2009 Newsletter

2009-01-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

Download this month's newsletter here.

DOWNLOAD LINK

Pay Your 2010 Program Year Dues Today

2008-12-22T20:29:00.005-05:00

Use the form below to pay your annual dues. New members may pay their initial dues and existing members can maintain their membership.

Thank you for your continued support of MHSNJ.

Happy Holidays from MHSNJ

2008-12-20T21:28:00.000-05:00

All of us at the Material Handling Society of New Jersey wish you a happy and safe holiday season.

We hope to see you in the New Year at one of our upcoming programs.

Membership Renewals

2008-12-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Material Handling Professionals,

By now you should have received your membership dues invoice in the mail. If you have not, then perhaps we do not have a correct address for you. Please contact the Material Handling Society at 732-477-5112 to update your current contact information.

Given the current economic issues that we have experienced over the past year, it is important to continue to network and stay connected with those individuals and corporations within our profession. With that said, the Society will be updating and distributing a revised Membership Directory in the first quarter of 2009. Only those paid members will be eligible to receive the updated directory.

I encourage everyone to stay current with your membership dues, so that we may continue to work (and stay) together as an industry.

In addition, if you or a colleague knows of anyone in our industry interested in joining The Material Handling Society, please encourage them to visit our website at www.mhsnj.com and sign up for membership. It will be a rewarding experience.

Best wishes for a happy and safe holiday and a New Year filled with peace and prosperity.

Allison Clancy

Membership Chair

Going Green

2008-12-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

In our continuing effort to be environmentally and fiscally responsible, your Board of Directors has voted to stop printing and mailing all future Newsletters. Since creating a "Newsletter" link on our website (www.mhsnj.com) enabling access to all the 2007/2008 program year issues and all future Newsletters, those members who prefer a printed copy to the electronic version can print a hard copy at their convenience. Members will be e-mailed whenever a new newsletter and tour announcement is posted. Members should communicate any changes to their e-mail addresses at info@mhsnj.com.

The elimination of the ink and paper due to printing will reduce our waste footprint and the elimination of printing and postal expense help us to contain administrative costs. We are here to serve the MHSNJ membership and welcome your feedback.

Membership

2008-12-12T02:14:00.002-05:00

Newsletter Archive

2008-12-12T01:55:00.010-05:00

Click on the month below to download the newsletter.

September 2010

May 2010

March 2010

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

September 2009

May 2009

March 2009

January 2009

November 2008

September 2008

June 2008

May 2008

March 2008

January 2008

November 2007

September 2007

Etiquette

2008-12-10T00:49:00.000-05:00

A Word About Tour Etiquette

MHSNJ warehouse operations tours are the nucleus of our program year and we are deeply indebted to the host companies that have so graciously opened their doors to our group. It is a privilege to be invited to visit a host company’s facility and to tour their operation.

As guests and as representatives of MHSNJ, it is imperative that all tour participants adhere to this code of conduct to insure an orderly, productive, and pleasant experience for all:

Business or business casual attire is acceptable. We are an organization of professionals and should dress the part.
Pre-registration by phone, fax, or mail is required. Those who have not pre-registered may be turned away. Without pre-registration, it is impossible to plan for the number of tour guides needed and seating at the catering facility.
Tour attendees are expected to arrive BEFORE tour commences (during the tour registration period as listed in the newsletter or on the website). In fairness to those who have arrived on time, our tour hosts, the catering staff, and dinner speakers, the program will begin promptly according to schedule. No admittance will be allowed after the program has begun.
Tour attendees are expected to remain in close proximity to their tour guide at all times. Courteous, attentive behavior is expected and deserved. Should you wander from your group, engage in distracting conversations, use cell phones, or otherwise disrupt the educational opportunity, you may be asked to leave. USE OF CELL PHONES AND/OR CAMERAS IS PROHIBITED.
Questions and comments to our tour hosts or speakers are to be of a positive nature and are to be focused on contributing to the educational experience of the entire group. Just as one would not criticize the décor of a neighbor’s home while seated at their dinner table, it is equally distasteful to publicly critique a host’s operation.
In an effort to foster a relaxed atmosphere for the exchange of information, overt selling activities are considered inappropriate at MHSNJ events. MHSNJ’s membership consists of operations practitioners as well as vendor representatives. Each of these segments is an integral part of the organization and they contribute greatly to the wealth of knowledge available to our members.
Networking, sharing of ideas and experiences, is encouraged. As part of MHSNJ’s primary goal of advancing the science and art of material handling through education, attendees at all MHSNJ events are encouraged to introduce themselves to those who are unfamiliar. Only by broadening our horizons can be meet our objectives.

About MHSNJ

2008-12-09T00:40:00.000-05:00

History
Originally established in 1949, the Material Handling Society is the oldest professional organization of it’s kind in New Jersey.

Members
There are over 300 active members in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.The Material Handling Society has been recognized as one of the leading professional organizations by New Jersey Business Magazine.

What is the Material Handling Society of New Jersey?
MHSNJ is a non- profit organization dedicated to supporting material handling professionals by providing an educational forum and fostering communication among New Jersey's manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution practitioners. MHSNJ will provide a vehicle through which its members gain a vision of the future regarding material handling principles, practices, systems, and technologies. With this increased awareness and knowledge, MHSNJ members shall be prepared to meet the challenges ahead and contribute to the productivity and efficiency of the organizations that employ them as material handling professionals.

What is Material Handling?
Material handling can be broadly defined as the science and art pertaining to the movement, storage, control, and protection of goods and materials throughout the process of manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution.

What is a typical MHSNJ meeting like?
A typical MHSNJ meeting will start off with a site tour of an interesting material handling operation followed by a dinner meeting with prominent guest speakers. These events are scheduled approximately six (6) times annually and are supplemented by special programs, seminars, and networking functions. It is the goal of the MHSNJ to expose its members to a variety of industries which utilize a broad spectrum of material handling technologies in an effort to expand both personal and professional horizons.

Who should join and why?
Membership in the MHSNJ is open to all individuals involved in the operation of manufacturing, warehousing, or distribution facilities as well as individuals associated with vendor organizations providing material handling equipment, systems, or solutions. As a result the MHSNJ has attracted members from nearly every sector of industry. From automotive and pharmaceuticals leaders to consumer distribution professionals, the MHSNJ's member roster includes individuals representing the area's most prestigious corporations. It is this diversity of experience and knowledge that facilitates the free exchange of ideas and effective interaction among our members.

What are my benefits as a member?
Just a few of the many benefits of joining the MHSNJ are :

The MHSNJ Newsletter which details upcoming events.
The opportunity to network with other professionals.
Site tours of enlightening material handling operations.
Prominent guest speakers addressing timely issues.
Programs designed to meet the educational demands of technical advancement in the industry.

Is the MHSNJ a good value?
Unlike many national professional organizations and societies, your $ 95.00 annual dues payment does not subsidize a large paid staff. Board members are elected by the membership and executive positions are appointed by the board. None of them are paid for their services, so you get more for your investment with the MHSNJ. The MHSNJ is truly a not-for-profit, volunteer organization.

Our Members

2008-12-08T00:21:00.000-05:00

Material Handling Society members are individuals involved in the operation of manufacturing, warehousing, or distribution facilities as well as individuals associated with vendor organizations providing material handling equipment, systems, or solutions. As a result the MHSNJ has attracted members from nearly every sector of industry. From chemical and pharmaceuticals leaders to consumer distribution professionals, the MHSNJ's member roster includes individuals representing the area's most prestigious corporations. It is this diversity of experience and knowledge that facilitates the free exchange of ideas and effective interaction among our members.

Our members are in good company. Here is a sampling of companies our past and present members are from:

MHSNJ Scholarship

2008-12-05T23:43:00.001-05:00

The Material Handling Society awards scholarships annually to college students pursuing studies in material handling related fields. Our annual MHSNJ Classic Golf Outing each June raises over $5,000 annually to be awarded to students from both Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Click here to view the companies and individuals who support our scholarship.

Past Programs

2008-12-04T11:00:00.004-05:00

Past Programs

June 9, 2010
Tour: MHSNJ Classic - Annual Scholarship Fundraiser
Hackettstown, NJ

May 12, 2010
January 20, 2010
Tour: Newark Refrigerated Warehouse
Newark, NJ

December 2, 2009
Tour: CVS Distribution Center
Lumberton, NJ

October 21, 2009
Tour: Loehmann's Distribution Center
Rutherford, NJ

March 24, 2010
Tour: Hyundai Parts Distribution Center
Cranbury, NJ

June 3, 2009
MHSNJ Golf Classic
Minebrook Golf Club
Hackettstown, NJ

May 19, 2009
Tour: The Prudential Center - Newark, NJ
Topic: Operations at "The Rock"
Speakers:

Charles Leone, Jr. - Director of Operations - The Prudential Center
Tim Dougherty - Engineer - The Prudential Center

March 24, 2009
Tour: Volkswagen/Audi Distribution Center - Cranbury, NJ
Topic: Proposed Labor Legislation
Speaker: Jeffrey J. Corradino/Partner in the Law Practice of Jackson Lewis, LLP

January 21, 2009
Tour: newegg.com Distribution Center - Edison, NJ
Topic: DC Operations Survey Results
Speaker: Geoff Sisko, Transystems

November 19, 2008
Tour: decisionpoint systems Mobile Solution Center - South Plainfield, NJ

September 25, 2008
Speaker: Dr. John Coyle, Penn State University

July 10, 2008
Minor League Baseball in Trenton

June 4, 2008
MHSNJ Golf Classic

May 14, 2008
Tour: Panattoni i-Port 12 - Carteret, NJ
Topic: Brownfield Redevelopment

March 19, 2008
Tour: East Coast Warehouse - Elizabeth, NJ

January 16, 2008
Tour: Baker and Taylor - Bridgwater, NJ

November 28, 2007
Tour: Burlington Coat Factory
Topic: Warehouse Controls

October 17, 2007
Tour: Maher Terminals - Elizabeth, NJ
Topic: Current Issues Facing Port Operations

September 21, 2007
Spirit of New Jersey Networking Cruise - Weehawken, NJ

July 30, 2007
Minor League Baseball - Lakewood, NJ

June 6, 2007
MHSNJ Classic - Hackettstown, NJ

May 16, 2007
Tour: Conair DC - East Windsor, NJ
Topic: Design and Executing A New Conveyor System
Speakers:

Lawrence Shemesh, OPSdesign
Ben Albence, Conair

March 21, 2007
Tour: Liz Claiborne DC - North Bergen, NJ
Topic: Motivating Your Workforce
Speaker: Dan Raucci, TEM Associates

January 31, 2007
Tour: Distribution Solutions, Inc. - Newark, NJ
Topic: Labor Study on New Jersey Port
Speaker: Stephen Martin, Lee & Associates

December 6, 2006
Tour: W.W. Grainger, Inc. - Robbinsville, NJ
Topic: Facility Design at Grainger
Speaker: Ed Klimek, KSS Architecture

October 25, 2006
Tour: Aeropostale - South River, NJ
Topic: Retail Effect on Distribution
Speakers:

Sean Whitehouse, Kurt Salmon Associates
Brian O’Donnell, Liz Claiborne
Michael Wohlwend, Manhattan Associates

September 21, 2006
Spirit of New Jersey Networking Cruise - Hoboken, NJ
Joint Program with WERC and CSCMP

Board of Directors

2008-12-02T11:00:00.019-05:00

MHSNJ Board of Directors

Officers
____________________________________

President
Fred Gerstler
New Pak, Inc.
908-754-8900
fgerstler@newpak.com

Executive Vice President
Allison Clancy
Raymond of New Jersey
908-624-9570
allison.clancy@core-group-llc.com

Vice President
Anne Strauss-Wieder
A. Strauss-Wieder, Inc.
908-654-5144
asw@as-w.com

Secretary
Steve O'Reilly
Lifetime Brands
609-373-1881
Steve.O'Reilly@lifetimebrands.com

Treasurer
Karl Metz
PTL Systems, Inc.
732-889-9282
kmetz@ptl-systems.com

Directors

________________________________________

Donald Cronin
Alternative Technologies
908-876-1771
dcronin@alternativetec.com

Jonathan Frankfort
MMS Medical Supply Company
jonathan.frankfort@mmsmedical.com

Michale Gary
LTM Services, Inc.
631-443-1666 x 611
mgary@ltmservices.com

Rick Geiger
New Jersey Department of Labor
609-984-2537
richard.geiger@dol.state.nj.us

Mindy Lissner
CB Richard Ellis
732-509-2831
Mindy.Lissner@cbre.com

Dave Lodwig
Conveyco
610-346-8979
dlodwig@conveyco.com

Tom Panettiere
Victory Packaging
908-338-7128
tpanettiere@vicktorypackaging.com

Peter Roessle
Raymond of New Jersey
908-624-9570
peter@raymond-nj.com

Jeff Seibert
TGW-Ermanco
215-794-9511
Jeff.Seibert@tgw-ermanco.com

John Yacka
Bed Bath & Beyond
908-688-0888
john.yacka@bedbath.com

Welcome

2008-12-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the website of the Material Handling Society of New Jersey. MHSNJ is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting material handling professionals by providing an educational forum and fostering communication among New Jersey's manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution practitioners. MHSNJ will provide a vehicle through which its members gain a vision of the future regarding material handling principles, practices, systems, and technologies. With this increased awareness and knowledge, MHSNJ members shall be prepared to meet the challenges ahead and contribute to the productivity and efficiency of the organizations that employ them as material handling professionals.