SMC³’s Summer Meeting Focuses on Transportation Industry Consolidation
Peachtree City, GA - April 29, 2004—SMC³, a leading provider of Technology Tools for Transportation®, today announced that its 49th Annual Summer Meeting will be take place June 16-18 at the Williamsburg Marriott in Williamsburg, Va. The meeting will focus on the driving forces behind transportation industry consolidation and provide shipper, carrier, logistics and technology professionals with information they can use to adapt and evolve through industry change.
This meeting is the first part of a two-part program designed to analyze industry consolidation. The 2005 SMC³ Winter Meeting will focus on the future as seen by leading transportation experts.
The three-day Summer Meeting, “The Big Squeeze: Understanding Transportation Industry Consolidation,” will feature presentations on the how consolidation appears today, including mergers, acquisitions and service integration.
“Members of the transportation industry will have the opportunity to take an intense look at industry consolidation,” said Jack E. Middleton, president and CEO of SMC³. “This program will provide attendees essential information for developing future business strategies.”
Industry experts will present sessions that explore the underlying factors driving consolidation, examine carrier integration strategies and analyze consolidation’s effect on industry capacity, rates and service. Presenters will also review the impact of legislation that affects the transportation industry and forecast the effect that the 2004 Presidential Election will have on energy and the economy.
Keynote Speaker Robert Stevenson will draw on more than 20 years of extensive corporate and entrepreneurial experience to show attendees how to effectively harness the three C’s of change – coping, controlling and capitalizing. Stevenson is an internationally recognized speaker and author of the highly successful book, “How to Soar Like an Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys.”
Thursday’s education sessions will focus on laying a foundation for meeting attendees’ understanding of industry consolidation. Theodore R. Scherck, president and CEO, The Colography Group Inc., will present analytical information on the movement of freight by modes of transportation as well as insight on the underlying factors driving the shift of freight between modes.
The next session will focus on carrier integration. Transportation firms are expanding beyond the traditional boundaries of their product line by including businesses with separate but complementary operating plans. This session will explore the trend and how it relates to consolidation in the transportation industry.
Lee A. Clair, senior partner at Norbridge Inc., will present information on consolidation’s effect on capacity, rates and service. His session will outline the effects of consolidation in the transportation industry from the customer and provider perspectives, focusing on negotiating power, service and profitability.
The meeting’s legislative, energy, economic and political updates will tie together the geopolitical factors of the 2004 election, giving participants an outlook on the underlying dynamics that will affect their business’ bottom lines.
Nationally-recognized transportation attorney John R. Bagileo, principal, The Law Firm of John R. Bagileo, will present updates on the latest regulatory initiatives and legislative actions, and how they will impact the transportation industry.
Energy expert Michael J. Economides, professor, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, will discuss the latest trends and concerns of various sources of energy. His comments will cover the cost, supply and geopolitical factors of energy and how they relate to the economy and ultimately consumer prices and corporate profits.
Renowned economic forecaster Donald Ratajczak will predict how economic trends, energy costs and political factors will affect profit margins and consumer spending habits. Acclaimed political analyst Larry J. Sabato, Robert Kent Gooch Professor of Politics, University of Virginia, will provide an analysis of the 2004 presidential candidates, and how election outcomes will influence the transportation industry.
The SMC³ Summer Meeting is offered to attendees as part of SMC³’s commitment to the industry and is open to both members and non-members. In addition to the tremendous opportunity for networking with the nation’s transportation industry leaders, attendees are encouraged to bring their families along to enjoy special activities and Virginia’s Historic Triangle.
For more information on SMC³ and its 49th Annual Summer Meeting, please visit www.smc3.com/2004SummerMeeting/home.htm, phone 800-845-8090 or e-mail info@smc3.com. SMC³’s 50th Annual Winter Meeting, which concludes SMC³’s industry consolidation educational program, will take place January 25-26, 2005 in Atlanta.
###
About SMC³
SMC³ is a leading nationwide provider of technology tools for transportation. SMC³ enables its customers to achieve greater success in the marketplace by supplying advanced technology tools, superior data management services and smart processes that ensure the accurate and timely availability of pricing information throughout the transportation community.
SMC³ presently serves more than 5,000 customers throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, and is committed to remaining at the forefront of technology and pricing intelligence through a dedicated staff and partnerships in the industry. The company is headquartered in Peachtree City, Ga., and has a satellite office in Louisville, Ky.
Company keywords: Technology, Transportation, LTL, Pricing.