In this edition of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner remembers key innovations, inventions, and firsts that took place between August 30th and September 3rd. In our main story, she tells the wild but true story behind the discovery of the Slinky and the journey that it started for one family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We’ll also hear about the founder of the first African-American owned magazine, the introduction of the ATM, and mark a few business history birthdays.
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November 19, 2025
Analysis of the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index – Q3 2025
In this episode of Supply Chain Now, hosts Scott Luton and Kim Reuter welcome Bobby Holland, Vice President/Director of Freight Business Analytics at U.S. Bank, and Heather Shilt, Director, Global Logistics at Fortive, to unpack Q3 2025 findings from the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index, one of the industry’s most referenced trucking indicators, informed by tens of billions in transactions. The panel explores why volumes are down even as costs rise, how tariffs and manufacturing softness are reshaping regional performance, and where rate pressure and capacity tightness are showing up first. Together, they dig into nine key takeaways from the national and regional views (West, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast): most significant sequential gains in the West in four years, persistent softness in the Southwest, and mixed signals elsewhere as consumer demand, housing starts, and labor dynamics tug the market in different directions. From shipper playbooks (carrier-mix depth, lane-level cost vigilance, and alternate modes) to practical watch-outs for Q4 and early 2026, this data-driven conversation equips operators to trend, plan, and pressure-test their assumptions in a volatile environment. This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Kim Reuter, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. Additional Links…
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January 28, 2025
Inteligencia Artificial: Más allá de la nube
Conoce el lado físico de la inteligencia artificial; todo lo que tiene que ver con la infraestructura física y energía requerida para soportar consultas y aplicaciones de ella en múltiples industrias. Sergio Villalobos, reconocido profesionista en Cadena de Suministro con más de 20 años de experiencia en empresas como DB Schenker, Nike y Google, nos acompaña en este episodio para compartir su expertise en IA. Sergio nos habla de todo lo que se debe tomar en cuenta para construir los centros de datos capaces de correr los modelos de inteligencia artificial que hoy en día mueven al mundo. Dónde, cuándo y de qué capacidad, son algunas de las decisiones que se toman al momento de ir creciendo la red y suministro de centros de datos para satisfacer la creciente demanda de inteligencia artificial en nuestras vidas.