Lincolnshire, Ill. — Zebra Technologies Corporation, a global leader in digitizing and automating frontline workflows, has helped Rack Room Shoes to operate with greater efficiency, leveraging Zebra’s Workcloud Task Management software and mobile computing solutions. For a century, Rack Room Shoes, with more than 500 stores across 36 states, has been committed to offering high-quality, brand-name footwear at competitive prices while ensuring exceptional customer service. To maintain its commitment, the retailer needed to streamline its operations and overcome communication bottlenecks so its store associates could be more productive and accelerate …
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— By Sarah J. Carter — Colder weather is the time to plan for the return of migrating birds next spring. [EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the November 2024 magazine issue.] The seasons have changed, the autumn foliage is starting to brown and crisp early mornings greet you as you walk out the door. Every year, with the change of seasons, we make little adjustments, switching from iced coffee to a warm cup of cocoa, exchanging T-shirts for sweaters and jackets. Just as we make these minor changes …
West Concord, Mass. — Divert, Inc., a sustainable solutions company on a mission to solve the wasted food crisis and advance a circular economy, has expanded its executive leadership team with the appointment of four new strategic hires: Andrew Johnston as vice president of industrials, Derek Spillane as vice president of IT, Frenchie Audette as vice president of food service, and Lee DeVasier as vice president of transportation and supply chain. Johnston and Audette will spearhead strategy and revenue growth with the company’s industrials and food service customers. Spillane will …
— By Jay Fiske — Connected equipment lays the foundation. Happy New Year! Brick-and-mortar retailers are starting 2025 with the wind at their backs. According to worldwide commercial real estate services and investment company CBRE, average monthly foot traffic in top retail districts could surpass pre-pandemic levels by late this year. But whether getting more customers in the door will elevate stores’ top and bottom lines remains an open question. To capitalize on this foot traffic, facility managers must help their stores provide a great experience while controlling costs. Balancing …
Los Angeles — ChowNow, a leader in online ordering and delivery for local restaurants, has appointed Kanika Soni as its new chief executive officer. Soni brings over 20 years of experience in the consumer tech sector with a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. As the new CEO, Soni will be responsible for developing and executing strategic initiatives to accelerate growth for ChowNow in this rapidly-changing market for online restaurant delivery platforms while ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction for restaurants and diners alike. Most recently, Soni served as chief …
Bowling Green, Ohio — Specialty chemical and equipment manufacturer Betco® Corporation has entered into a binding acquisition agreement for key environmental management intellectual property and clients from BiOWiSH Technologies, Inc., serving the hydrocarbon remediation, odor control, waste management, surface and wastewater treatment industries. This acquisition, pending customary closing conditions and adjustments, marks Betco’s third in the bioaugmentation space under its wholly owned subsidiary, EnviroZyme®. As a world leader in microbial biotechnology, EnviroZyme specializes in end-to-end manufacturing of sustainable solutions for diverse environmental, water and waste treatment applications. Headquartered in Cincinnati, …
— By Tony Atti, Ph.D. — How omnichannel can unlock and accelerate growth in the grocery sector — and can save retailers billions of dollars. In recent years, the promise of omnichannel for grocers loomed on the horizon — a concept that felt like a future problem, not necessarily a problem that demanded immediate attention. The pandemic changed all of that and forced the need for a functioning omnichannel front and center, placing that need squarely on the shoulders of logistics managers. Major grocers answered. In fact, online grocery orders …
Bridgeview, Ill. — In a historic moment for the paving industry, Rose Paving has merged with Atlantic Southern Paving (ASP) to create one of the largest self-performing paving companies in the United States. Rose Paving and ASP combine complementary geographic footprints and together create an expansive nationwide network with an unrivaled reach. The businesses are known for consistent, longstanding relationships while offering both national and regional expertise, and the combination will ensure new standards of quality and service in the paving industry. Both companies have been built through an unwavering …
— By Marc Mascarello — How retailers can maintain optimal airflow and air quality by using non-metal diffusers to enhance the efficiency of their HVAC system. A crucial yet often overlooked component of any HVAC system is the diffuser, which is responsible for dispersing conditioned air throughout a space. Even so, over the past 75 years, innovation in HVAC diffuser design has been minimal. Historically, the focus has been on manufacturing ease and profitability rather than enhancing functionality and visual appeal. Metal diffusers, while inexpensive and straightforward to mass-produce, tend …
Minneapolis — Alissa Partee, chief people officer (CPO) at Restaurant Technologies, has transitioned into a new role as the company’s chief operations officer (COO). In her previous role, Partee led the human resources team at Restaurant Technologies and joined the company as CPO in 2020. During her tenure, the company grew from 1,000 employees to over 1,500 nationwide. In addition to her role as CPO over the last year, Partee led the implementation of a new 9-person operations excellence team — a team that she will continue to lead in …