FALL 2023

56 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S

56 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK Chris Donnell Chris Donnell is the National Sales Director for Scanwell Logistics International (CHI) Inc., specializing in Supply Chain Management, Inventory Control, Logistics Sales and Management. Chris excels at selling the “Solution” to advanced program analysis and implementation. A highly ambitious and effective team leader who thrives on the challenges of this industry, Chris currently oversees a National Sales and Partnership Program consisting of more than 100 Sales executives who focus primarily on SCM and Logistics development in most vertical markets. Contact Chris at 847-228-6789 or email: chrisdonnell@scanwell.com. ALL IS QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT For years - literally, years - each article I wrote consisted of gloom and doom highlighting the trials and tribulations of a pandemic and its impact on the world. We’ve come so far since then. We have seen multiple industries ravaged by congestion, high costs and work stoppages evolve into calmness. I am knocking on wood here. The transportation industry, much like most industries as well as our economy, is in a state of transition and redevelopment. For the past year, international trade volumes tumbled. This was due in large part to companies throughout the globe sitting on large inventories and sales being suppressed by growing inflation. Buyers simply stopped buying. Despite being deeply involved in the transportation industry for the past 30 years, we went through the best and worst of times within 5 short years. Fast forward to today and things are starting to trend upwards in most business sectors. Buying has been on the rise, our economy seems to have somewhat stabilized, and companies are talking about growth again. In 2022 we saw the inflation rate surpass 9% whereas today that level is hovering around 3%, the lowest since 2021. I will go through each sector in greater detail to provide you with information you should be aware of. I know this much to be true: At the end of the day, the transportation industry loves chaos. CONTRIBUTOR ARTICLE Ocean Transportation (Import/Export) The past year has been a bumpy road for the ocean carriers. Import volumes dropped nearly 45% from the Pacific Rim alone, yet each month there were indications of growth that never seemed to materialize. Ocean carriers had to come up with some unique ideas to remain profitable, and in the middle of all of this, they were being investigated by the FMC and DOT for questionable business practices during the pandemic. Export volumes remained flat-lined as many export containers were left idle due to the ports continued struggle with congestion and the fact that ocean carriers simply weren’t moving enough containers (whether empty of full) back to the origin where they were needed. The agricultural industry was decimated due to these delays and thousands of loads never made it to the final destination before they were deemed unsalvageable. Today, the export market is booming, with most ports returning back to pre-pandemic throughput levels. Exports saw a significant bump in volume from 1.2% growth to almost 6% year over year. As for Imports, we’ve seen a see-saw effect over the past 12 months. Volumes retracted, buying stopped, and ocean carriers were left with empty vessels and no cargo to fill them. They thought reducing rates at breakneck speeds would entice buying to resume and volumes to rebound. CONTINUED ON PAGE 140

THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK 57 UNICORP ELECTRONIC HARDWARE 291 Cleveland St, Orange, New Jersey 07050 TEL 1-800-526-1389 FAX 973 674-3803 EMAIL sales@unicorpinc.com WEB www.unicorpinc.com UNICORP IS AN AUTHORIZED ROTOR CLIP ROTOREXPRESS ® Unicorp Electronic Hardware is proud to announce that we are now selling retaining rings, wave springs, and hose clamps through our Electro Hardware affiliate division, as an official Rotorclip Master Distributor & Rotorexpress® partner. Electro Hardware is the first Rotorexpress® partner on the East Coast of the United States. Unicorp Electronic Hardware also offers custom designed products. Parts can be manufactured to blueprints and we can modify all standard products to meet your specifications. Unicorp can manufacture any type of CNC and automatic screw machine part. Additionally, Unicorp provides custom services for complete technical support that can lead to cost-savings and design improvement. We offer the largest range of material options and finishes in the industry. The Unicorp product lines consist of: Standoffs & Spacers, Male-Female Standoffs, Male-Male Standoffs, Jackscrews, Swage Standoffs, Captive Screws and BUSINESS FOCUS ARTICLE PARTNER Retainers, Insulating Shoulder & Flat Washers, NAS/ MS Hardware, Shoulder Screws, Plastic Circuit Board Supports, Nylon Fasteners, Dowel Pins, Thumbscrews & Thumbnuts, Self-Clinching Fasteners, Cable Ties, 24 styles of Handles, Fixed, Folding, Rack- Panel & Ferrules, & Retaining Rings. Since 1971, Unicorp has been a socially and environmentally responsible leading manufacturer of American standard and metric precision electronic hardware, fasteners and handles. We pride ourselves on our dedication to customer satisfaction and our commitment to support the needs of our distributors. Unicorp offers top quality products, fast delivery, excellent pricing, technical assistance, and manufacturer to customer print specifications. We are known throughout the industry as the “oddball king” because we offer the widest variety of diameters, lengths, and finishes in our numerous product lines. UNICORP ELECTRONIC HARDWARE