Gail Short - a freelance writer in Birmingham, Alabama

These days, many warehouses and distribution centers are under the gun to boost efficiency and productivity and ship products and materials faster than ever.
In the e-commerce industry alone, a recent survey by the global consulting firm Capgemini Research Foundation reported that 55% of consumers polled said they would choose a brand or retailer over its competitor if it offered a faster delivery service.
​
That said, a white paper titled “Warehouses of the Future,” published by the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU), says warehouses are becoming places “not just to store stuff,” but places integrated into supply chain processes. The paper goes on to say that, consequently, warehouses today are looking to technological advances to cut the cost of labor, boost productivity and speed up the flow of goods. Read the article here. 

Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “Nothing endures but change.”
The German automaker Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) in Tuscaloosa County, and its parent company, Daimler AG, are moving forward with a host of changes for the decade to come.
Last November, al.com, the Associated Press and other news organizations reported that Daimler planned to shed at least 10,000 jobs from it 300,000-worker pool worldwide by the end of 2022, including reducing management by 10 percent.
Daimler said the cost-cutting measure would save the company approximately $1.5 billion, freeing up its cash flow to implement its fully electric and hybrid vehicle programs. ​ Read the article here.

Aaron Moncrief, a pastor from Oak Park, Ga., was shooting fireworks at a summer youth camp in 2018 when he noticed an unexploded mortar on the ground. As he attempted to discard the tube, it erupted.

“The firework mortar misfired,” says Moncrief, “and I took a direct hit to my left eye.” The force of the blast shattered the bones in his face and ruptured his left eye. A rescue crew loaded him onto emergency air transport, which flew him to Birmingham.

Once there, ENT surgeons at UAB Medical Center worked to repair his facial fractures. Then a surgical team at the UAB Callahan Eye Hospital made an effort to repair his eye.

​“It’s always worth trying to repair a ruptured eye when possible,” says Sarah Jacobs, MD., ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeon at UAB., “even when the injuries seem devastating, because there are many traumas that the eye can potentially recover from.”
Read the article here (Page 10).