MHI - The Industry That Makes Supply Chains Work

Search For A Solution

• Member Company Directory
• Industry Group Directory

LATEST UPDATES FROM MHI

• News & Media

  Continental Appoints Ashok Vedanayagam as Head of Commercial Specialty Tires Americas

  October 28, 2026

  Continental Tire

  Ashok Vedanayagam appointed Head of Commercial Specialty Tires Americas Responsible for Continental's Earthmoving, Material Handling, and Port Operations tire businesses across North and South America Ashok brings over two decades of international experience in sales and marketing in both consumer and commercial segmentsFort Mill, S.C., October 20, 2026 – Continental has announced the appointment of Ashok Vedanayagam as Head of Commercial Specialty Tires Americas, reinforcing the company’s commitment to continued growth and customer focus across its specialty tire businesses. Vedanayagam assumes responsibility for Continental’s Earthmoving, Material Handling, and Port Operations tire segments throughout North and South America.In this leadership role, Vedanayagam will oversee all areas of the CST business across the region, supporting Continental’s efforts to deliver innovative tire solutions and exceptional value to customers operating in demanding material handling, earthmoving, and port environments.Vedanayagam brings more than two decades of experience having held a variety of leadership positions across both the Commercial Truck Tire and Passenger and Light Truck Tire businesses, where he has successfully driven growth, strengthened customer partnerships, and advanced market-focused strategies across multiple regions.“Ashok’s extensive experience in sales, marketing, and international business leadership makes him exceptionally well qualified for this role,” said Renato Sarzano, Senior Vice President, Commercial Tires Americas, Continental. “His proven ability to build strong customer relationships, develop high-performing teams, and deliver results across both consumer and commercial markets will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our Commercial Specialty Tires business throughout the Americas.”This appointment underscores Continental’s commitment to serving customers in the Americas with innovative products, industry expertise, and a strong focus on operational excellence.Continental is a leading tire manufacturer and industry specialist. Founded in 1871, the company generated sales of €19.7 billion in 2025 and currently employs around 76,000 people in 54 countries and markets.Tire solutions from the Tires group sector make mobility safer and smarter. Its premium portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services for fleets and tire retailers. Continental has been delivering top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2025, the Tires group sector generated sales of €13.8 billion. Continental’s Tires group sector currently employs around 53,000 people worldwide and has 19 production and 16 development sites.ContactMike KozlowskiMarketing & Communications Manager1-704-496-0893Mike.Kozlowski@conti-na.comAllison ZoraHead of Brand Communication and Public RelationsBusiness Area Replacement - The Americas+1 839-214-3295Allison.zora@continental.com

  

• News & Media

  KUKA México Opens New Learning Facility in Monterrey

  October 28, 2026

  Kuka Robotics Corporation

  Monterrey, México, Oct. 20, 2026 – KUKA México has announced the grand opening of its Innovation and Technology Development Center in Monterrey, México. The new 500-square-meter facility expands the company’s presence in Northern Mexico and supports industrial applications across automotive, intralogistics, electronics and metalworking, including material handling, welding and mobile robotics solutions.Located within the Center for Innovation, Research and Technology Development (CIIDIT) at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) in the Parque de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PIIT), the new learning facility provides access to automation technologies, training, technical support and hands-on demonstrations.During the grand opening event, KUKA showcased educational cells from its KUKA College training program, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for smart intralogistics demonstrations and industrial robots for MIG welding. These technologies provide manufacturers with opportunities to explore robotics, programming, safe operation and real-world manufacturing applications in a controlled environment.Additionally, the facility expands KUKA México’s training capabilities through its collaboration with UANL. KUKA México currently trains approximately 550 engineers per year, and the company expects to double that capacity through its new location. The facility will serve as a hub for KUKA’s Industrial Robot College and Mobile Robot College programs, helping customers, partners, technicians, engineers and students develop the skills needed to successfully implement automation technologies.“Opening this new facility marks an important step in KUKA México’s continued growth,” says Christopher Hernandez Moya, Managing Director of KUKA México. “By establishing a stronger presence in Northern Mexico, we are working more closely with our customers, partners and educational institutions to expand robotic automation training. At the same time, we are providing greater access to KUKA technologies, services and technical expertise. We are excited to continue supporting the development of automation and manufacturing talent in the region.”Since establishing its presence in Mexico in 1996, KUKA has grown from its roots in the automotive industry to support a broad range of sectors, including electronics, consumer goods, metalworking, food and beverage, logistics, healthcare and plastics. As the company celebrates 30 years in Mexico, it continues to strengthen relationships with certified integrators, educational institutions, industry associations, and government organizations across the country.About KUKA KUKA is an international automation group with sales of around EUR 3.7 billion and approximately 15,000 employees. As one of the world's leading suppliers of intelligent, resource-saving automation solutions, KUKA offers industrial robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) including controllers, software, and cloud-based digital services, as well as fully networked production systems for various industries – primarily for markets such as automotive with a focus on e-mobility & battery, electronics, metal & plastic, consumer goods, food, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare. The company is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany.

  

• News & Media

  Truck Parking Club Secures Growth Investment From Argentum Capital Partners

  October 27, 2026

  Truck Parking Club

  Investment will accelerate expansion of the 7,200-location network to address truck parking shortages and meet growing fleet demandRINGGOLD, Ga., Oct. 20, 2026 — Truck Parking Club, the nationʼs largest marketplace for instantly reservable truck and trailer parking and storage, today announced a growth investment from Argentum Capital Partners, a New York-based growth equity firm. The investment will accelerate network expansion and fund the technology and teams that help fleets incorporate parking and storage into their daily operations.Truck parking supply isn't keeping pace with demand: 98% of drivers report trouble finding safe parking1, spending an average of 56 minutes per day to secure a space, resulting in lost driving time of ~ $6,800 annually and 79% of truck stop operators have no plans to add spaces, according to the Federal Highway Administration. In three and a half years, Truck Parking Club has grown to more than 7,200 locations and helped park hundreds of thousands of trucks and trailers. Drivers at 94 of the top 100 trucking companies have booked through the platform, and fleets are increasingly using the network to meet parking and storage needs across their operations.“Too often, drivers are left to solve parking on their own, giving up drive time or stopping somewhere they shouldnʼt,ˮ said Evan Shelley, co-founder and CEO of Truck Parking Club. “Parking is fleet infrastructure, and it should be planned like it. We give fleets a way to do that across their operations, so every driver has a safe, legal place to stop. With Argentumʼs investment, weʼll add more locations and bring the network to more fleets.ˮTruck Parking Club will use the fresh investment to expand dedicated teams working with warehouses, trucking companies, self-storage operators, and hotel owners to turn suitable unused space into truck and trailer parking. The company will also invest in its technology and expand its work directly with fleets to match the networkʼs capacity to their operating needs. Beyond driver parking, the network helps fleets secure truck and trailer storage and drop yard space across multiple locations without sourcing each site independently. Fleets can find locations that meet their equipment, capacity and amenity requirements, and list unused space in their own yards to generate revenue.“Truck parking is one of truckingʼs most challenging and expensive problems, and Truck Parking Club solves it by operating the ideal marketplace that unlocks additional supply of previously underutilized industrial properties and makes them available to the entire universe of truck drivers through a frictionless booking experience,ˮ said Daniel Raynor, Managing Partner and co-founder of Argentum, who will join the Companyʼs board in connection with the investment. “Individual drivers have embraced it, and now fleets are building it into their core business processes. We are excited to back Evan and his outstanding team to support Truck Parking Clubʼs rapid growth. Argentumʼs investment continues our focus on making investments in mission critical solutions serving essential industries and leverages our significant experience in transportation and logistics.ˮAbout Truck Parking Club Truck Parking Club is a network of instantly reservable hourly, daily, weekly and monthly truck and trailer parking locations throughout the US. Truck Parking Club helps connect truckers to truck parking locations throughout the US via truckparkingclub.com and our mobile app. Our network is made up of property owners that have locations adequate for truck parking to list on the platform: this includes warehouses, trucking companies, truck repair shops, tow truck companies, storage companies, CDL schools, trailer leasing companies, real estate investors, truck stops, truck parking operators and more! About Argentum Argentum Capital Partners is a New York-based growth equity firm that helps scale bootstrapped, capital efficient B2B business services and tech-enabled solutions companies. The firm provides capital to accelerate growth, fund acquisitions, and generate shareholder liquidity. Over its 30 year history, Argentum has invested in over 100 companies, supported more than 200 add-on acquisitions, and been named to Incʼs list of Top Founder Friendly Investors for six consecutive years. Argentum fills the growing gap between venture capital funds and later stage PE firms by targeting capital-efficient companies that are not seeking a change in control. Learn more at argentumgroup.com.Contact Reed LoustalotChief Marketing Officerreed@truckparkingclub.com423-275-4999

  

• News & Media

  KUKA Simplifies Industrial Image Processing with AI-Powered Vision Software

  October 26, 2026

  KUKA Robotics Corporation

  SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich., Oct. 19, 2026 – KUKA Robotics has released its new iiQKA.AI Vision, an AI-powered software designed to fully integrate into the KUKA ecosystem for simple, fast commissioning. The solution is particularly valuable for integrators and users with limited vision experience who want to efficiently integrate industrial vision into their automation solutions, without complex additional systems or high upfront costs.The intelligent software supports both 2D and 3D vision and enables typical applications such as bin picking, assembly, quality control, and depalletizing. With intuitive drag-and-drop configuration, users can quickly implement productive vision applications without specialized knowledge.For low-latency AI inference and secure, local data processing, the KUKA iiQKA.AI Vision’s image processing runs as edge computing directly in the controller on the KUKA AI Extension Platform, an integrated computing unit based on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin module. The system’s sufficient computing power supports demanding vision AI tasks without the added complexity that often comes with industrial image processing. No cloud connection, other external systems, or additional infrastructure is required.All data processing takes place locally within the system and images are processed and stored on-board. As a result, users benefit from high data security and independence from network connections. This not only reduces integration effort but also can help lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) over time and simplify the system architecture. Cameras and other compatible components are available directly from KUKA and are tailored to typical industrial requirements.To support end-to-end workflow, the application is configured entirely in KUKA’s iiQWorks system via a standalone vision application with a graphical user interface. Drag-and-drop functionality, pre-built templates for typical applications and guided workflows support users from setup through commissioning, helping them implement vision applications efficiently. Robust image processing ensures process reliability with precise 2D and 3D object recognition, automatic orientation detection, and gripper point calculation. It works reliably even with varying components and changing lighting conditions. Seamless integration with iiQWorks and the robot controller creates a unified system from engineering through operation, offering a consistent workflow from configuration to deployment as well as centralized management and monitoring via the web interface.For object recognition in robust processes, the AI algorithms used in iiQKA.AI Vision precisely distinguish objects from the background and automatically calculate suitable gripper points. Precise positioning and gripper information are calculated based on image data or point clouds and transmitted directly to the robot, resulting in seamless, stable processes from detection to execution and consistently high image quality.With iiQKA.AI Vision, KUKA offers an efficient, ready-to-use image processing solution that significantly simplifies the transition to industrial vision applications and increases productivity.To learn more, please visit KUKA’s website.About KUKA KUKA is an international automation group with sales of around EUR 3.7 billion and approximately 15,000 employees. As one of the world's leading suppliers of intelligent, resource-saving automation solutions, KUKA offers industrial robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) including controllers, software, and cloud-based digital services, as well as fully networked production systems for various industries – primarily for markets such as automotive with a focus on e-mobility & battery, electronics, metal & plastic, consumer goods, food, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare. The company is headquartered in Augsburg, Germany.

  

MHI UPCOMING EVENTS

View all events

MHI & WERC Industry Hangouts

Ontario, Canada

August 20, 2026

Join us for an Industry Hangout at The Port House Social Bar &  Kitchen in Burlington, Ontario - where great conversations meet good times.

Hosted by MHI and WERC, this Industry Hangout is your chance to connect with fellow supply chain professionals in a fun, energetic atmosphere. Enjoy delicious food and drinks while expanding your network ! 

More Information

Register Now

MHI Annual Conference 2026

Palm Springs, CA

Sep 27-30, 2026

The MHI Annual Conference is an interactive thought leadership event for manufacturing, material handling and supply chain professionals that focuses on the technology innovation taking place across the supply chain industry—and the associated workforce challenges highlighted in the MHI Annual Industry Report.

Register Now

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH MHI

Learn about MHI exclusive member benefits.