“We have seen that disruptions to supply chains caused by natural disasters — earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions — and from criminal and terrorist networks seeking to exploit the system or use it as a means of attack can adversely impact global economic growth and productivity,” Obama said in a letter dated Jan. 23 and released by the White House today.

“As a nation, we must address the challenges posed by these threats and strengthen our national and international policies accordingly.” See Bloomberg for full story

Bryan Q. Eshelman has been promoted to Executive Vice President – Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective immediately. Eshelman joined Charming Shoppes in 2010 as Senior Vice President – Operations, with responsibility for technology, logistics, technical design and quality assurance.

As Chief Supply Chain Officer, he will retain responsibility for the aforementioned functions and assume the additional responsibility for the Company’s global direct sourcing operations, including, its buying offices in Hong Kong, China, and India, strategic sourcing across all product categories and brands, vendor compliance, and international trade and customs compliance.

In his expanded role, Eshelman is charged with accelerating the expansion and penetration of the Company’s vertical model and leveraging its supply chain to its fullest across all brands. Since joining Charming Shoppes, he has led a number of key initiatives relating to Charming Shoppes’ IT systems transformation and multi-faceted supply chain strategies. Eshelman continues to report directly to Anthony M. Romano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charming Shoppes, Inc.

The Company also announced that Donna Isralsky has joined Charming Shoppes as Senior Vice President – Strategic Sourcing, reporting to Eshelman. Isralsky will be responsible for numerous strategic initiatives, supporting the expansion and penetration of the Company’s vertical model, and managing relationships with key suppliers. She has extensive experience in retail sourcing across all product categories, having spent her career as a senior sourcing executive and business leader at Williams-Sonoma, Reebok, and Target/Mervyns.

Commenting on Eshelman’s promotion, Anthony M. Romano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Charming Shoppes, Inc. stated, “I am very pleased to announce Bryan’s well-deserved promotion. During his tenure at Charming Shoppes, he has driven dramatic improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations and is working on a number of strategic initiatives that will help us maximize results and drive profitability.”

On Isralsky’s appointment, Eshelman said, “We are very happy that Donna has chosen to join Charming Shoppes. She brings a wealth of experience in retail sourcing and will help us to maximize our sourcing capabilities in a number of strategic growth areas.”

Charming Shoppes Inc

“As a leading provider of transportation and logistics solutions, our stakeholders expect us to be stewards of real-world efficiency and sustainability,” stated Ryder Chairman and CEO Greg Swienton. “We take this expectation seriously and will continue our commitment to achieving results the right way, and delivering on our promises with character and accountability.”

Ryder’s Corporate Sustainability Report is available online at www.ryder.com in the “About Us” section. Highlights in the report include:

Governance, Ethics & Compliance:

– Achieving recognition from GovernanceMetrics International as one of The 20 Most Responsible Companies.

– Completing more than 12,000 online compliance training lessons with employees around the world.

Environment:

– Implementing a first-of-its-kind heavy duty natural gas vehicle project for commercial rental and lease fleets in Southern California.

– Reducing energy and water consumption across U.S. and Canada operations.

Safety & Security:

– Launching a Sleep Apnea Wellness program to reduce the effects of fatigue among affected professional truck drivers at Ryder.

– Completing certification as a Third Party Logistics Provider (3PL) in the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program for logistics operations in Asia.

People & Community:

– Making a $1 million commitment to become a member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program.

– Redesigning the Company’s Leadership Competency Model and linking hiring, performance management, and professional development to four key leadership behaviors: character, judgment, relationships, and results.

About Ryder

Ryder is a FORTUNE 500(R) commercial transportation, logistics and supply chain management solutions company. Ryder’s stock R +0.02% is a component of the Dow Jones Transportation Average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Inbound Logistics magazine has recognized Ryder as a top third party logistics provider and included Ryder in its 2011 and 2010 “Green Partners” listing. Ryder has also been ranked two years in a row as one of the top 250 U.S. companies in the Newsweek Green Rankings. In addition, Security Magazine has named Ryder one of the top companies for security practices in the transportation, logistics, supply chain, and warehousing sector. Ryder is a proud member of the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, supporting national and local disaster preparedness and response efforts. For more information, visit www.ryder.com and follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements and information included in this news release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on our current plans and expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements should be evaluated with consideration given to the many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including those risks set forth in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors or to assess the impact of such risks on our business. Accordingly, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE: Ryder System, Inc.

Ryder System, Inc.
Cindy Haas, 305-500-4526
Cindy_Haas@Ryder.com
or
Marilu Del Toro, 305-500-3161
Marilu_DelToro@Ryder.com

Hicks’ unparalleled expertise in sales and marketing strategy and supply chain management has been honed through a breadth of strategic positions. Recently, Hicks was the Vice President of Worldwide Services Sales and Marketing for Lenovo Computers and was responsible for long-term growth strategies and overall sales performance of the division. Prior to Lenovo, Hicks was a Vice President at Capgemini Consulting and led the West Supply Chain Practice, where he advised clients on how to optimize and virtualize their supply chains. He has also held key roles with Deloitte, Dell, Frito Lay and UPS.

Jay Bhatt, president and chief executive officer, Progress Software said: “Business leaders need real visibility to mitigate risks and take quick, decisive actions, and the supply chain presents an enormous opportunity to realize these benefits. Hicks’ expertise and leadership will help Progress customers deploy supply chain technologies that enable them to become more operationally responsive and build market share.”

Hicks earned his bachelor’s degree in Operations Management from Auburn University and his master’s of business administration from Emory University.

About Progress Software Corporation

Progress Software Corporation PRGS +1.42% is an independent enterprise software company that enables businesses to be operationally responsive to changing conditions and customer interactions as they occur — to capitalize on new opportunities, drive greater efficiencies and reduce risk. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of best-in-class enterprise software spanning event-driven visibility and real-time response, open integration, data access and integration, and application development and deployment — all supporting on-premises and SaaS/Cloud deployments. Progress maximizes the benefits of operational responsiveness while minimizing IT complexity and total cost of ownership. Progress can be reached at www.progress.com or +1-781-280-4000 .

Progress and Progress Software are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Any other names contained herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Progress Software Corporation

Progress Software
Colleen Sheehan, +1 781-280-4362
csheehanatprogress.com
or
LEWIS PR
Kim Karelis, +1 617-226-8844
progresssoftware@lewispr.com
@ProgressSW

Copyright Business Wire 2011

“We urge Congress to exercise their power to step in to keep the flow of goods moving and avert an avoidable economic catastrophe. Such a significant interruption of supply chains at this critical time would have a broad and dramatic effect, while interfering with retailers’ ability to provide customers with the items they seek during the holidays and beyond,” said RILA President Sandy Kennedy.

Retailers rely on an efficient rail transportation system to move products to distribution facilities and stores every day of the year. Freight rail is a crucial to the movement of retail goods and any disruptions in that link would be destructive to the retail industry’s ability to deliver their goods in a “just in time” fashion.

“A national railroad shutdown would force retailers to shift the delivery of their goods to trucks, increasing costs, time of delivery and congestion on our nations already crowded roadways,” added Kennedy.

In letters to House and Senate Leaders, RILA urged “we strongly encourage Congress to preemptively impose the terms recommended by the Obama Administration Presidential Emergency Board to avoid the potential disastrous negative impact.”

RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.
###

Food safety encompasses the origin, processing and packaging of food so that consumers don’t get sick from the food they buy. Increased food production, growing market demand and faster delivery are just three of the many challenges companies face in trying to keep food safe all along the food supply chain.

RFID increasingly provides the most effective means to solve these challenges and to ensure compliance with recently enacted legislation designed to protect consumers.

The MIT Enterprise Forum is bringing together key experts for a panel discussion of the major issues, technologies, and business cases surrounding the RFID-enabled food chain. Come and hear for yourself how RFID is making food safer and food-borne illness easier to trace.

Moderator: John Greaves, President and CEO, SSI

John Greaves has been actively involved in AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture) including RFID for many years. His pioneering work in the area of global logistics, inventory management and the returnable transport Items sector with both active and passive RFID has led to the significant adoptions occurring in supply chains, health care and security.??He was the founding chair of the US RFID standards group, led the European Spectrum Initiative, was the leader of the GTAG program for EAN.UCC, and developed — among many significant RFID implementations worldwide — the one-tag-per-pallet UHF solution with CHEP.

Click here to register for this event!

On September 12, 2011, staff proposed additional modifications to the regulatory text in the Second Notice of Public Availability of Modified Text and Additional Documents and Information (Second 15-Day Change Notice). These modifications addressed comments ARB staff received in the first 15-day Change Notice and are the result of additional staff analysis and stakeholder engagement. The public comment period for the 2nd 15-Day Change Notice ended September 27, 2011.

On October 20, 2011, the Board adopted the final cap-and-trade regulation. As part of finalizing the regulation, the Board considered the related environmental analysis (i.e. functional equivalent document) and written responses to environmental comments. The Board also approved the adaptive management plan. The final regulation must be filed with the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) by October 28, 2011.

The final rulemaking package will include the Final Statement of Reasons (FSOR). In the FSOR, staff will respond to comments received on the record during the initial 45-day comment period, comments presented at the December 16, 2010 Board hearing both orally and in writing, comments received during the first 15-day Change Notice and the second 15-day Change Notice. The Administrative Procedure Act only requires that staff respond to changes that are noticed. Once final, those documents will be posted on the rulemaking web page.”

See the California Environmental Protection Agency: Air Resources Board website for more details and resources.

“We applaud President Obama for formally initiating the widely anticipated process to approve the three pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. This action allows Congress to finally consider and approve the country’s topmost trade agenda items later this month. A proactive trade agenda, including these important FTAs, will create new economic opportunities, promote U.S. exports, and sustain and grow well-paying U.S. jobs that rely on trade. RILA looks forward to bipartisan support in Congress for all three trade agreements, as well as renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences and Trade Adjustment Assistance.”

“American merchants and consumers will benefit from a robust and proactive trade agenda, including the implementation of these agreements, which can foster U.S. economic growth and job creation. Once the pending FTAs are ratified, RILA urges policymakers to devote more attention to other job-creating trade items, such as the ongoing Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

“We thank Congress and the Administration for their continued bipartisan support for the trade agenda, and we look forward to working on next steps in a swift and successful approval process for the FTAs.”

RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

###

The SCPro™ program is a rigorous, three-level certification that offers global supply chain management professionals a way to demonstrate a broad range of industry skills and mastery of end-to-end supply chain functions.

“We are extremely excited to unveil CSCMP’s groundbreaking certification program at our annual conference,” said Rick Blasgen, CSCMP president and chief executive officer. “Our members overwhelmingly asked us to develop a comprehensive certification that diligently measured and accurately reflected an individual’s skills and knowledge across the entire supply chain.”

The program’s three levels are as follows:

• Level One: Cornerstones of Supply Chain Management
SCPro™ Level One covers the entire end-to-end supply chain with a focus on building customer relationships. This level is open to candidates who have either a bachelor’s degree or four years of relevant experience.

• Level Two: Analysis and Application of Supply Chain Challenges
This level tests a candidate’s ability to thoughtfully analyze real world case studies and formulate supply chain solutions which improve the supply chain in the short and long term.

• Level Three: Implementation of Supply Chain Transformation
The highest SCPro™ designation requires an unprecedented use of practical application, and marks the candidate as a leader who is not only valuable within his or her organization, but also of value to the profession.

“The SCPro™ certification will enable professionals to demonstrate to their employers that they are the kind of leaders who will positively impact their organizations’ bottom lines,” said Judy Schieve, manager of certification programs. “When a candidate completes all three levels of the program, he or she will also have a portfolio of work to augment his professional experience.”

The supply chain management profession has evolved dramatically over the past few decades, added Blasgen. “Today’s supply chain requires multidisciplinary capabilities, demonstrable and quantifiable success, and continuous study of the field. CSCMP’s SCPro™ certification provides professionals with an exceptional program that will help them demonstrate 21st century supply chain management skills and expertise.”

About CSCMP

Founded in 1963, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals is the leading worldwide professional association dedicated to education, research, and the advancement of the supply chain management profession. With nearly 9,000 members globally, representing business, government, and academia from 63 countries, CSCMP members are the leading practitioners and authorities in the fields of logistics and supply chain management.
For more information, please contact:

Madeleine Miller-Holodnicki, ABC
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
333 East Butterfield Road, Suite 140
Lombard, Illinois 60148-5617 USA
mholodnicki@cscmp.org

Previously, William Rooney held a number of senior management positions with Sea-Land Service for over a span of 25 years in the U.S. and Europe. He has also held senior management positions with GT Nexus and CMA-CGM. Paolo Montrone, North America Senior Vice President Seafreight, said, “We are very pleased to welcome William Rooney to lead our new strategic Transpacific efforts in the U.S. His comprehensive knowledge of the Transpacific trade will ensure Kuehne + Nagel continues to expand our seafreight solutions, ensuring that we are consistently meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers.” #

About Kuehne + Nagel

With more than 60,000 employees at 900 locations in over 100 countries, the Kuehne + Nagel Group is one of the world’s leading logistics companies. Its strong market position lies in the seafreight, airfreight, contract logistics and overland businesses, with a clear focus on providing IT-based lead logistics solutions.
For further information, please visit www.kuehne-nagel.com