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How can we respectfully and with gratitude recognize and celebrate Native American Heritage Day and Native American Heritage Month? Simple answer: We can act in such a way that future generations will be thankful for what we have done to uplift the human spirit.

Some things we can do: Take note of where we are, what land we are on, and make ourselves aware of the Native Americans who lived on the land long before us. What is their name; what is their story; where did they live and how? What was their culture and what is their art?

Land

Quite possibly the land you’re on was occupied, managed, and maintained by Indigenous people and tribes. Land is sacred and important to all of us — whether we know it or not. Learn about the land you’re on. Honor the people who were there before you and respect the environment.

Art

It’s enjoyable to learn as much as you can by viewing Native American art. An Internet search can take you a number of artists and art galleries. An enjoyable website featuring contemporary artists can be found HERE. The Denver Art Museum was one of the first art museums in the U.S. to start collecting Indigenous art, and as a result, their collection is both extensive and enlightening. You can view some of their beautiful collection HERE.

Stories

Once again, an Internet search of YouTube can take you to a wealth of learning. One can find documentaries of the history, music, chants, dances, and stories posted by individual “You-Tubers.” There is so much to learn – how they lived, what they experienced, what life is like right now. This documentary, “The True Ancient Origins Of The Native Americans | 1491: Before Columbus | Timeline” is an excellent one. You can find it HERE.

History

If you’re ready to learn more you can visit the website of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. There you find a very thorough history of how the holiday came to be, who was involved, when Native Americans became U.S. citizens and much more. It is an interesting picture of our culture as we slowly began to make changes and grow in our humanity. The first paragraph reads as follows:

“For almost one hundred years, Americans both Indian and non-Indian have urged that there be permanently designated by the nation a special place on the calendar to honor the contributions, achievements, sacrifices, and cultural and historical legacy of the original inhabitants of what is now the United States and their descendants: the American Indian and Alaska Native people.” You can read the full article HERE.

Proclamation

Another website with lots of information is Whitehouse.Gov. Here you can read A Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, 2022.

“During National Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate Indigenous peoples past and present and rededicate ourselves to honoring Tribal sovereignty, promoting Tribal self-determination, and upholding the United States’ solemn trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations.

“America has not always delivered on its promise of equal dignity and respect for Native Americans. For centuries, broken treaties, dispossession of ancestral lands, and policies of assimilation and termination sought to decimate Native populations and their ways of life.  But despite this painful history, Indigenous peoples, their governments, and their communities have persevered and flourished. As teachers and scholars, scientists and doctors, writers and artists, business leaders and elected officials, heroes in uniform, and so much more, they have made immeasurable contributions to our country’s progress.”

The above paragraphs set the tone for the proclamation which you can read HERE.

We hope that all of our readers will enjoy watching, viewing, listening, learning on this Native American Heritage Day and Month!

Photo Credit: Andrew James

Happy Thanksgiving to the AMS Corporate family, clients and friends. We’ll begin this greeting with a statement on Thanksgiving from history.com.  

“Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving 2022 occurs on Thursday, November 24. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.” Read the full post Here.

Nowadays on Thanksgiving we are well aware of the painful history that American colonists and pioneers share with the Indigenous Peoples of the US. We can be grateful that our culture has evolved as we listen, become aware, show respect for, and honor the historical and present-day experience of Native Americans. With awareness come efforts to repair and restore with the goal of making the world a better place for all of us.

Culture is Created

Culture is created by the people and inspired by the leaders. A business example of evolving culture is the B Corporation, which encourages a corporate family environment, dedicated to integrity as the bottom line in every aspect of the business. For example, in the B-Corp spirit AMS Fulfillment is carrying on a 15-yr tradition of feeding families in need as described in this post. It’s inspiring.

Thanksgiving marks a harvest festival that has been celebrated by many peoples far back into history. Thousands of years ago what were the people thankful for? As we are today… they celebrated an abundance of food and family and friends.

In 2022 we do find ourselves living in a time of change, fear and insecurity. But we also can see tremendous good in the world. This Thanksgiving we have many things to be thankful for, not the least of which is a very good meal with family and friends. For final thoughts we have turned to AMS CEO, Jay Catlin.

Jay’s Thanksgiving Greetings

“For Thanksgiving, it’s natural to “fall back” and reflect on your family, and I am so grateful and thankful for my wife and kids.  My household nest is emptying out as my two amazing children make their way through college, but our family dynamic is a happy one as the kids look to spend time at home when they can and my marriage is stronger than ever… and some of my thanks for this goes out to AMS Fulfillment, as we always stressed the importance of Balance at the workplace, where we give the company our best efforts but respect the fact that life shouldn’t be overly focused on the workplace.  My employees (and I) have lives to embrace outside of work, and I believe that the family dynamic I am enjoying today was made possible in part by our family-like culture at AMS.”

May your Thanksgiving day be full of love and hope and trust, wonderful food, enjoyable conversation and everything good. Wishing all of us a Happy Holiday Season!

In our monthly Green Team series we talk about the various efforts AMS is making to reduce our negative impact on the environment. For example, we purchase recyclable products and do careful recycling. We take steps in lighting in warehouses and efforts to reduce the energy usage across the board. We educate employees on AMS waste life cycle in new hire onboarding for proper waste disposal on site, and we are in the process to become Carbon Neutral Certified. There are many different areas in which we are working on being as “Green” as is possible. One of those areas is the subject for this month – Vanpool!! 

AMS Vanpools

Vanpools allow groups of people to share the ride similar to a carpool, but on a larger scale. The key concept is that people share the ride from home or one or more common meeting locations and travel together to work and back. AMS employees have embraced the vanpool idea as there are some significant benefits. One benefit to the employees is that the van can use the HOV lane and get to work faster; another is that the van is on a fixed schedule; and there is a financial benefit as well – riders save not only on gasoline but auto insurance. Vanpools have a lower operating and capital cost than most transit vehicles in the United States and when people utilize a vanpool there is a reduction in emissions as well. 

In the AMS vanpools, vehicles are provided by Enterprise. The AMS program is operated at a low cost to employees, depending on the price of gas and number of riders. Metro subsidizes $600 each month for vanpooling, lowering the cost even more.

The benefit to a “Green” AMS is called Carbon Offsets.

What are carbon offsets?

According to the Carbon Offset Guide, “A carbon offset broadly refers to a reduction in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions – or an increase in carbon storage (e.g., through land restoration or the planting of trees) – that is used to compensate for emissions that occur elsewhere.

The key concept is that offset credits are used to convey a net climate benefit from one entity to another. Because GHGs mix globally in the atmosphere, it does not matter where exactly they are reduced. From a climate change perspective, the effects are the same if an organization: (a) ceases an emission-causing activity; or (b) enables an equivalent emission-reducing activity somewhere else in the world. Carbon offsets are intended to make it easier and more cost-effective for organizations to pursue the second option.”

AMS’ first reportable carbon offset program is our Vanpool program, over 5 years of C02 reductions. We are happy to report our 3rd quarter impacts, this is equivalent to carbon sequestered by:

534 tree seedlings grown for 10 years
38.2 acres of U.S. forests in one year
.218 acres of U.S. forests preserved from conversion to cropland in on year.

Thanks and appreciation for all of the AMS employees who have decided to vanpool. We hope it is serving you well!!

We talk about a company’s culture having significance to the clients, the workforce, and the community… and it does! Culture matters! For clients, doing business with a caring culture is a big plus. Employees feel fortunate to work within a caring culture. And every year when giving thanks is in the air, the community has a caring culture to be thankful for.

This year we have asked one of our heroes, Betty-Lou Wiseman, to share her stories of building the AMS culture. Betty-Lou is President of AMS West. For years she and her husband Ken (retired CEO) enjoyed a very special relationship with the community. They were joined by Jay Catlin (current CEO) and other volunteers over the years. The employees of AMS were inspired and the Thanksgiving program became an established part of the AMS culture.

In the paragraphs below Betty-Lou tells us a bit of the history, how it started, and how giving to the community became a tradition at AMS.

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15 years ago, AMS started working with the Youth Activity League in Val Verdes to help at risk youth get jobs at AMS.  We started by interviewing 12 students (16), we coached them on how to write a resume, how to dress and be confident in their interview. We hired over 10 students and continued working with Deputy Rooney from the YAL program to keep the tradition going. 

This led AMS into really understanding this small community over the hill and how we could help. We started by working with the YAL leadership in a Thanksgiving donation program. They would give us a list of those in need of a full Thanksgiving dinner and we started promoting within AMS by building a grid and putting a value to each of the items and then a full dinner. Our employees could donate a bag of peas or entire turkey dinner. This really made it, so everyone felt comfortable participating in the program showing every bit counts. 

Our first delivery of the dinners was eye opening. Ken, Jay and I met Deputy Rooney in Val Verdes and some of our families agreed to let us drop the meal off at their home. This is where we really saw that this community needed any help we could give. The tradition has continued over the years and with the help of Erica and Sam, it has become a smooth process. 

The best part is the truck rolling up, handing a box with Turkey, potatoes, stuffing, peas, rolls, pie, and drinks, and seeing the happiness we have provided. Sometimes tears of thanks all around. It is amazing when our employees bring their children to give and pass on an amazing tradition.

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What a beautiful story. Stories like this become a treasured part of a company’s culture. It feels good to be able to meet and fill the need of families, and so beautiful for our children to see it happening. A caring culture is something we are Thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving AMS Family!

Every year prior to peak season, fulfillment companies pay attention to shipping carriers as they announce their holiday surcharges and shipping deadlines for both domestic and international.   

Ecommerce Magazine wrote “Typically, online order shippers like U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, and DHLeCom have added a Peak Demand surcharge to fees in the holiday season. Those charges initially applied to packages being shipped after the Thanksgiving holiday and stopped before the New Year’s Day holiday. With shoppers buying online gifts earlier, surcharges have also started earlier too. Now they often apply as early as the beginning of October for some e-commerce shippers.”  

Surcharges Rise

The larger the shipper, the higher the surcharges are during the Peak season. With the UPS/FedEx Duopoly, levies could go up to $7 per package depending on the volume shipped and service type. With this in mind, retailers may need to review marketing efforts such as “Free Shipping” in an effort to understand how the additional fees will affect margins. 

The Impact on eCommerce

E-commerce sales skyrocketed during covid and haven’t slowed down. In 2022, shoppers are returning back to the storefronts. However, according to Ware2Go, approximately 81% of shoppers are planning on buying at least some of their holiday gifts online this holiday season. So it becomes all the more important to fully understand the additional costs and their impact on your bottom line during this holiday season. 

To add to the confusion with the Duopoly, what used to be called Peak Season/Holiday Surcharges, has been changed in wording to Peak/Demand Surcharge. This will apply surcharges differently depending on the time of year, however, the higher surcharge fees are typically charged during the holiday season from October to January.   

When Do Peak Season Surcharges End?

Carriers are now applying Peak/Demand surcharges long after peak season. They have extended surcharges into the new year to include the “return season“.   

Lastly, don’t be confused as there’s a difference in the annual General Rate Increases (GRI) and Peak Demand Surcharges. Traditionally GRI’s are actually fixed rate increases and applied at the beginning of each year and by all carriers. They stay in place until a review of freight charges is done for the following GRI year. They can range anywhere from 4-12% depending on the carrier.  

Leveraging a 3PL

How can outsourcing order fulfillment help reduce carrier surcharges?

Due to the package volume that 3PLs ship annually, they are able to negotiate lower shipping rates. In addition to receiving better rates, advanced 3PLs use technology to “rate shop” carriers. Rate shopping will not only include the legacy carriers but smaller regional carriers. By rate shopping, a 3PL can find a lower rate that has an equivalent shipping time as a legacy carrier.

AMS Fulfillment leverages rate shopping technology to ensure that our clients receive the best possible rate for the shortest shipping time available – thereby saving our clients money and time.

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About the Author: John Bevacqua is the creator of the “Freight Freak” monthly blog, and former VP of Logistics at AMS Fulfillment. He currently serves, in semi-retirement, as Logistics Advisor.

In order to serve the apparel industry, a 3PL needs to master the different setups and services required for the market. Apparel fulfillment includes fulfilling orders to department store retailers, boutiques, and everything in between. This means B2B and B2C capabilities in large volumes, with quick turnaround times, seasonality, and retail’s unique value-added requirements.

Challenges that are unique to the apparel industry include complicated inventory, special packaging, and returns.

Complicated Inventory

Fashion trends and tastes change quickly, and a fulfillment company must be flexible and responsive to new directions. With thousands of SKUs on the line, clothing fulfillment companies must handle very large numbers of SKUs and SKU change-outs. The company must have a warehouse management system (WMS) that can accommodate all these SKUs.

This means specialized warehouse setups that facilitate size-run picking in B2B and efficient size-specific inventory set-ups for dedicated B2C fulfillment environments. The intricacies and seasonality of the fashion industry mean expertly handling constant SKU changes, high SKU counts, spikes in SKU counts, and short SKU lifecycles.

Special Packaging

Packaging is among the biggest challenges in this industry and quality control is especially important in packaging. Also, in the high-end B2C market, presentation is vital. These items must be stored securely and packed safely with the utmost care.

Apparel fulfillment packaging includes tagging, custom bagging, and special packaging or tags that display the branding that the customer wishes to see. Quality inspections of the products and packaging must make sure the customers receive only the best.

Apparel Returns

Returns are an unfortunate reality and must be handled by a dedicated returns management team. The fulfillment company will receive and inspect the return with a complete once-over so the manufacturer does not lose any revenue opportunities. For items that can be refurbished, the returns team does a quality inspection and then they re-fold and re-bag the inventory to be put back.

AMS Fulfillment is highly experienced in the apparel industry. Our clients rely upon us to accurately pick, pack, and ship large volumes – all while meeting customer deadlines and adhering to rigid retail routing guidelines. Our omnichannel capabilities include multiple online stores with thousands of SKUs to brick-and-mortar stores including department stores. Whether our clients sell baby clothes, sportswear, or professional attire, we have what it takes to keep logistics on track and better serve our clients. 

Every year, when time comes around to November 11th, our minds turn to the many veterans who have served in the US Armed Forces, those who are still serving, and all the men and women in our history who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice. Our annual message is written to recognize and appreciate those in the AMS workforce who are veterans. We salute you.

The History of Veterans Day

We’ll take a moment to go over the history of this federal holiday and how it came to be. This day marks the formal end of world war I. It was on the 11th hour of the 11th month on the 11th day that the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At first it was called Armistice Day and it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

The total number of military and civilian casualties in World War I, was around 40 million. Over 60 million people died in World War II. And of course, more wars followed – Korea, Viet Nam and more. Sadly we still have soldiers at war. While veterans day honors those that have died, it even more honors those veterans that are with us, and all of the men and women currently serving.

Business Helping Veterans

In one of our past messages we talked about what AMS is doing to help those veterans who sacrificed health and wellbeing along with other unanticipated challenges. 

As an employer we are aware of employment issues that veterans face after discharge from service. We look for ways to help those who are returning to civilian life, making veterans an important part of our workforce development programs. With the assistance of partners in the community, we hire and train veterans, persons who are homeless, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with criminal justice involvement.

Reports indicate that around 10% of homeless people are veterans. And we all know that many veterans suffer service-related disabilities. One of the biggest challenges faced by service agencies is helping homeless and vulnerable veterans find and keep good jobs. This is where a company’s employment practices and workforce development can come into play. And we are proud to have a long history of hiring veterans in need. 

Commemorations

Back to history.com for a moment: On June 4, 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the “recurring anniversary of [November 11, 1918] should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations,” and that the president should issue an annual proclamation calling for the observance of Armistice Day (name changed to Veterans). 

It’s written in the resolution – this holiday should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.

Let’s commemorate it that way – exercise good will, give thanks for life and with mutual understanding, perpetuate peace.

The Poppies of Flanders Fields

Finally, let’s find out how the poppies that veterans wear in their lapels became the symbol for Veterans Day. (from Wikipedia)

“From 1914 to 1918, Flanders Fields was a major battle theatre on the Western Front during the First World War. A million soldiers from more than 50 different countries were wounded, missing or killed in action here. Entire cities and villages were destroyed, their population scattered across Europe and beyond.

“The war created prime conditions for poppies to flourish in Flanders and north-west France (and Gallipoli). Continual bombardment disturbed the soil and brought the seeds to the surface. They were fertilized by nitrogen in the explosives and lime from the shattered rubble of the buildings.”

Today Flanders Field is the largest military cemetery of the Commonwealth in continental Europe. Almost 12,000 soldiers are buried there.

Here is a YouTube video and recitation of the famous poem, In Flanders Fields by John McCrae (May 1915)

Each month, in our B Corp series, we feature B Corporations that are doing outstanding work in their communities. If there is an emerging issue of interest to B Corporations we will bring that issue to our readers as well.

AMS Fulfillment is proud to be a B Corporation. When we speak about our focus on environmental issues and the decisions we are making to reduce our negative impact on the environment, this is not false or exaggerated or deceptive information. We are proud of all that the AMS Green Team has been able to do to reduce our footprint.

What is Greenwashing?

Greenwashing is a term becoming more familiar and of more of concern to the public. A quick google search tells us “Greenwashing is an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products are environmentally friendly or have a greater positive environmental impact than what is true.”

Recently B Lab produced an excellent podcast about greenwashing that seeks to answer the following questions: 1) What is the difference between green marketing and greenwashing? 2) How have businesses and the advertising sector misled consumers about their environmental responsibility? 3) How can these same players combat greenwashing? 4) How can consumer awareness combat greenwashing?

Here below you will find text of statements given by Maria Correa, Head of Marketing and Communications at B Lab Europe; Luke Purdy, Director of Social Impact and Group Account Director at Widen + Kennedy; and Sharoni Rosenberg Amszynowski, author of WTF is Purpose and Executive Director at the PwC Chile Foundation.

B Lab Forces for Good Podcast: How Can Business Combat Greenwashing?

Maria Correa: There’s lots of different ways that greenwashing can manifest itself. Sometimes it’s if a product is using nature cues or vague, unfounded words like eco-friendly or green or sustainable or good for the planet, for example. Another way that greenwashing might manifest itself is if a product or if a company is talking about one specific line of products or one initiative that isn’t representative of the majority of what the company does. So, for example, if there’s a capsule collection that’s quote-unquote “more sustainable,” yet the majority of the company’s products are manufactured in an unethical way that might also be greenwashing. We want to incentivize these companies to rethink the way that they do business.

Greenwashing is pervasive. The European Commission did a study where they looked at over 300 different company websites and their claims about environmental practices. They found that 42% of those claims were exaggerated, false, or deceptive. And they found that 37% used vague terms like “conscious,” “eco-friendly,” and “sustainable.”

Luke Purdy: It really does start internally in just making sure that your own company goals, objectives, and values are lining up with what you’re preaching and ultimately being a good partner to your clients and making sure you’re growing their business in a sustainable way. Is there room to move from messaging to action? And this is really important because there’s a lot of brands who are doing interesting things out in the world. But to be completely honest, a commitment doesn’t quite make you special today. You need to really show a plan of how you’re going to get there. So often we ask our clients, what do you want to achieve? What’s the most important thing for your business? And once we both are on the same page with the business objectives and the shared goals, we can then build a plan out of how to reach that. And there’s a lot of different pathways to get there. And so we can come with ideas and creative solutions that are more sustainably minded, that still achieve their goals.

Having genuine purpose as a company is also a way to combat greenwashing. But finding purpose isn’t easy. Sometimes companies can go wrong when they’re trying to find it. And that’s where greenwashing or “purpose” washing can occur.

Sharoni Rosenberg Amszynowski: They need to show that they care for more than the maximization of profits and invest in that. And it’s not just the words, but sometimes you have to make difficult decisions where you sacrifice some of the income for other metrics. (B Corp Certification) gives you like a very good diagnosis over who you are and how you can you move forward. Then if you get the certification, it also pushes you to move forward. So if you are a big company, what are companies doing? First, do you have a sustainability department, someone that coordinates through the areas and could do a mapping of what are your weaknesses and strengths? That’s the first step. Do you do, like, sustainability reports? Because if you do, you have to do an exercise that goes like the material analysis where you see what are the important issues depending on your industry and the specific characteristics of the company.

Readers can listen to the full Podcast HERE.

STEM is an acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Discussion of STEM-related programs has become a priority because too few college students are pursuing degrees in these fields, and there is a shortage. It is also of concern that this is a field where women and girls are very underrepresented.  

We understand that in years past the culture considered engineering, math, science and technology career paths for men. STEM professionals can explore diverse fields like aeronautics and biochemistry, science, mathematics, engineering, research, and technology. In the past and unfortunately still today the workforce in these fields is dominated by men. 

Are Women Interested in STEM Careers?

Do women and girls have less interest in science, math and so on, or are girls intentionally tracked away those careers, and offered limited access and opportunity? Some have put forth the myth of a math brain, saying young boys are more naturally math-minded. An article at Catalyst.org argues the opposite – that tracking is the reality. 

“Girls and women are systematically tracked away from science and math throughout their education, limiting their access, preparation and opportunities to go into these fields as adults.” 

According to the article “Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college. The gender gaps are particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future, like computer science and engineering.” 

Not Good News for the STEM Workforce

This is not good news for women, or for the culture, and one must ask how are girls and women intentionally being tracked away? Is it true that these fields are viewed as masculine, with teachers and parents underestimating the capabilities of girls in early education, even as early as preschool? 

Some believe that the higher percentage of men in leadership positions leads to women being excluded in hiring, with men preferring male co-workers. The article states that engineering was overwhelmingly considered to be the biggest culprit, with 76 percent of respondents naming it as ‘a man’s world’.  

Another possibility is that girls have fewer role models to inspire their interest in these fields. Growing up they have seen limited examples of female scientists and engineers on television, in movies and in books. Since women clearly are in the minority, and with past cultural conditioning being a reality. that is likely.

STEM Education Anxiety 

Now we come to the theory of Math Anxiety. The aforementioned article states that teachers, who are predominantly women, have math anxiety and they pass this onto girls. The writer states “…. they often grade girls harder for the same work, and assume girls need to work harder to achieve the same level as boys.” This is a bold presumption. 

Still the statistics continue to tell the story of girls and women being disenfranchised in STEM careers. Only 21% of engineering majors and 19% of computer science majors are women. 

We are fortunate to be able to interview a role model, Shannon Crader, Software Development Manager at AMS Fulfillment. Shannon has lived through the experience of education, training and working in a STEM field.  

Thank you Shannon for sharing your thoughts. We would love to hear your viewpoint and perhaps your insight into how we can change this model which has left women and girls out of these higher-paying and beneficial fields. 

“I can’t say that there is such a thing as Math Anxiety or that women have it. Not all STEM careers require high levels of math. It all depends on the application and industry that the individual finds themselves.

I think there are two factors at play in the world. One: there seems to me to be a general societal belief that women don’t want to work in STEM related fields and so they are not encouraged to participate in the classes or material. And two, for a woman to work in a male-dominated industry can be difficult and so women may try to protect others by pointing out the trials that they will experience if they continue forward, in essence discouraging the pursuit of STEM fields.

More attention is being placed on women in STEM these days with wonderful articles like yours highlighting the plight. Women in STEM positions are also reaching out to younger generations and showing them the way through. There is hope!

AMS Fulfillment is a B Corporation; one of very few in the industry. The company has a long history of focusing on environmental issues, led by an active and committed “Green Team,” and as a B Corp the environment is a stakeholder in AMS decisions. We believe we’re all responsible for the environment and we all need to be advancing forward with new ideas.

With this background, one can understand how we are excited and pleased to see this news: Ikea, Unilever, A.P. Moller – Maersk, JSW Steel Limited and GeoPost/DPDgroup have pledged to phase out their highest polluting freight vehicles.

According to an article in Supply Chain Drive, “Medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for about 4% of all vehicles on the world’s roads, but they account for 40% of all road transport emissions and one-third of total transport fuel use.” We are delighted to see that the above-mentioned multinational companies have pledged to transition to zero-emissions vehicles by 2040.

Shipper initiative targets zero emission trucking fleets by 2040

By Colin Campbell for Supply Chain Drive

Ikea, Unilever and Maersk are among the founding members of a push to phase out the heaviest, most polluting freight vehicles.

Five multinational companies have committed to transition their medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets in OECD markets, China and India to zero-emissions vehicles by 2040, the environmental nonprofit Climate Group announced last week.

Ikea, Unilever, A.P. Moller – Maersk, JSW Steel Limited and GeoPost/DPDgroup have signed onto EV100+, a pledge to phase out their highest polluting vehicles, as the effort’s corporate founding members. Medium- and heavy-duty trucks account for about 4% of all vehicles on the world’s roads, but they account for 40% of all road transport emissions and one-third of total transport fuel use, according to the announcement.

Gas-powered trucks over 7.5 metric tons “represent the final frontier of zero-emission road transportation, and EV100+ will tackle the heaviest, most polluting vehicles across the world,” Sandra Roling, director of transport at Climate Group, said in a statement.

Medium- and heavy-duty trucks produced more than 5% of all global CO2 emissions in 2019, a percentage projected to rise to 11% by 2050 if companies do not take action to decarbonize their fleets, according to the Climate Group.

Heavy-duty road transportation must decarbonize to comply with the Paris Agreement, and the EV100+ founding members are driving demand from manufacturers and supporting governments in implementing policies encouraging EV adoption, the nonprofit said.

What founding members say about the pledge

Statements from executives of EV100+’s five founding companies underscore their understanding of their supply chains’ contributions to CO2 emissions and represents a public commitment to addressing them.

Collaboration across the transportation industry with confidence and clarity is key to accelerating zero-emission truck deployments, Elisabeth Munck af Rosenschöld, Ikea supply chain operations manager, said in a statement.

“The electrification of transport plays a big role in phasing out fossil fuels in the IKEA supply chain,” she said. “We are joining EV100+ to magnify the movement toward sustainable transportation. It is urgent and doable.”

Logistics accounts for 15% of Unilever’s total carbon footprint, making it a focal point in the CPG giant’s push for net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2039, Michelle Grose, vice president, Global Logistics and Fulfilment, said in a statement.

Read the full article HERE.

Last year in October we reported on Lost Time Injuries (LTIs). AMS has a record to be proud of and we know this is from the training and attention given to safety. Before we look at our record during the past year, we can review what Lost Time Injuries are.

According to Safeopedia, a lost time injury is an injury sustained on the job by an employee that results in the loss of productive work time. An injury is considered an LTI only when the injured worker: 1) Is unable to perform regular job duties; 2) Takes time off for recovery, and 3) Is assigned modified work duties while recovering.

The reason LTIs are so significant is that they are key indicators of the effectiveness of the company’s safety program. According to Matthew Warholy, AMS Security & Safety Supervisor, the Lost Time Injury rate is very low at AMS due to the O.S.H.A. safety training courses.

Matthew said, “A large portion of our employees that have been through the course are now empowered to look out for and report any safety issues. We can’t do it alone. The employees are our eyes in the warehouses. We have been able to curtail a large portion of accidents and injuries with simple preventative maintenance.”

See something Say something!

AMS is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment by protecting employees from workplace injury and disease when reasonably possible to do so. Our safety motto, “See Something, Say Something,” plays a huge role in keeping AMS safe. We encourage employees to report any and all types of accidents and injuries, including “near misses.” This provides our Safety Team with an opportunity to identify hazards or weaknesses in our risk management program and correct them to prevent future incidents.  

In March of 2022 AMS began offering OSHA training in Spanish as well as English. With this change, no employees are left out of the loop. Matthew said, “We want everyone empowered to speak up and help us keep the warehouse safe. With our peak season looming, our workforce increases significantly. We will be holding OSHA walks and training. Safety is of the highest regard in our warehouses.”

In 2022, 59 incidents were reported, 3 of which were lost time injuries. That is Safety Success! Nine months with no LTIs at all! AMS Fulfillment is very proud of its safety record, which is in the top percentile for warehouses in the US and has been for some time.

The B Corporation Culture is a Safety Culture. AMS is proud to be a B Corp.

Congratulations ALL!

Thank you for your exemplary performance during the month of September: Veronica L., Kelechi U., Cody F., Angelica V., Maria L., Anton J., Rachel P. and Gloria G.

In the fulfillment industry, employees directly serve the company’s clients, making their efforts vital to the growth and success of the business. At AMS Fulfillment we appreciate and value our employees, and we respect and invest in them.

The following nominations demonstrate that the individual being recognized has gone above and beyond and deserves Special Thanks! All winners will receive an Employee of the Month Certificate & T-Shirt!

Veronica L., Procurement Specialist (08/20/2018)
HQ Admin

I would like to nominate Veronica for Employee of the Month because… She has a big job managing all the purchasing for the company and she does it with a smile! She is a great team player helping manage the front desk when needed and is always willing to help in any way that she can. She is a valuable member of the Green Team and takes this committee to heart. We are very lucky to have Veronica in our company and want her to know she is appreciated!

Kelechi U., Operations Supervisor (11/15/2021)
HQ Warehouse

I would like to nominate Kelechi for Employee of the Month because… He has been a great asset to the team in his time here at AMS. We have gained so much knowledge and good intel from him that allows us to succeed in the business. He looks out for the business by assuring we do our best and work our best. When all corners get busy, he has no issue allowing his members to help out and when they are gone, he has no problem getting his hands dirty and get the job done. Returns has never looked so organized and maintained. Kelechi is a great team player and has lots of knowledge and a good relationship with everyone. Has done and extraordinary job managing his team. He has a calm demeanor and a great personality. He treats everyone with respect and always is willing to help everyone to get the job done.

Cody F., Operations Associate II (11/10/2021)
WIT

I would like to nominate Cody for Employee of the Month because…  He is reliable and has a strong work ethic. He plays a crucial role in our team and the company’s success. From pulling pallets for big orders to helping us with whatever work we have, he is one we can rely on. Cody’s dedication and hard work he brings to work every day.  He completes every task that is assigned to him. He has become a great asset to this department. Keep up the great work Cody!

Angelica V., General Warehouse I (01/27/2022)
WIL

I would like to nominate Angelica for Employee of the Month because… She is an OUTSTANDING employee that shows motivation, energy, creativity, and determination to accomplish every task thrown her way. She always has a great attitude towards all employees and is determined to accomplish daily goals. Angelica leads an assembly team of one of the bigger clients and she with her team do an amazing great job with this client. Her work ethic speaks for itself. She is very dependable, she has perfect attendance, always willing to go the extra mile. She is truly dedicated to her position.

Maria L., Operations Associate II (10/20/2021)
LIV

I would like to nominate Maria for Employee of the Month because… She always stays on task, and meets set productivity goals. She has a great attendance record as well. Maria is always willing to help out in other departments and gets good feedback on performance. She is quick at learning new processes and does everything requested with a great attitude which is why I’m sure she does great in other areas besides VAS. It is a pleasure to have her on our team.

Anton J., Inventory Receiving Specialist (06/15/2020)
Newark

I would like to nominate Anton for Employee of the Month because… He always takes initiative in receiving to get tasks done. He communicates well with others and to management to make sure nothing gets missed. If trucks come in at lunch time, he will unload the truck first and then take lunch. He does a great job of driving the receiving team to get tasks accomplished daily. I am very proud to have Anton on my team!

Rachel P., Operations Associate I (03/31/2022)
New Holland

I would like to nominate Rachel for Employee of the Month because… She has been a wonderful asset to the company since she started with us. Rachel always works with a sense of urgency and takes pride in everything she does. She is always willing to help others with challenges or questions if they have any. She is always staying late to clean up and make sure the departments are clean for the next crew when they come in. I look forward to continuing to see Rachel grow with us.

Gloria G., Operations Associate I (03/28/2021)
New Castle

I would like to nominate Gloria for Employee of the Month because… Miss Gloria is reliable and works tirelessly on any task given to her with a positive teamwork driven energy and attitude; in any department and/or building for that matter. Consistently. She has been trained and works in every department for all Clients in our facility when asked without question. Also lending her support to Newark Building in various clients. I had to fight to get her back from Mr. Collins! She is valued and appreciated GREATLY. She’s the true definition of an A+ player. We need more like Miss Gloria on our Team; as she is a model Employee.  Her hard work and dedication should be recognized.

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To all of our Honorees, please know that whatever role you play, you are the reason for our success. Congratulations and Thank You!