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Welcome to this week’s Supply Chain Radar, where Ikea brings logistics in-house, tariffs test fashion’s patience, and a $100K visa fee puts innovation on trial.
Ingka Group, Ikea’s parent company, snapped up AI platform Locus to supercharge routing and delivery, marking a bold move toward total supply chain control. Meanwhile, U.S. fashion brands are dodging tariffs by diversifying overseas, not reshoring—and America’s new visa policy risks exporting its own tech talent.
Scroll on for platforms, policies, and pivots reshaping retail.
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In an era of unpredictable shocks, AI is becoming the ultimate early-warning system for global supply chains. Semantic Visions’ platform maps supplier networks down to raw materials, scanning millions of native-language data points daily to spot disruptions before they spread. When flooding hit a key aluminum source, it alerted automakers weeks ahead of competitors—a glimpse of AI’s proactive potential.
Discover how predictive intelligence is reshaping supply-chain resilience.
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C3 Hive is transforming trucking yards from chaos zones into synchronized ecosystems. Acting as the “connective tissue” between TMS, WMS, and YMS platforms, it eliminates the phone tag that once ruled the dock. With automation, live ETAs, and geofenced updates, companies see 90% fewer calls within weeks and detention times vanish. Drivers get predictability—yards get peace.
See how C3 Hive makes collaboration more action than talk.
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Blank Sailing Surge, Spot Rates Sink
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Ocean carriers are trimming capacity hard: blank sailings between weeks 38–42 jumped 60% post-Golden Week, and Shanghai–Europe spot rates have plunged 45% in ten weeks. With a 30% orderbook threatening overcapacity, margins have hit 18-month lows. Expect more rate resets before year-end.
Chart how carriers are cutting supply to stay afloat.
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Montgomery Transport, a Birmingham-based flatbed carrier backed by private equity, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy—leaving 1,000 employees, including 600 drivers, suddenly out of work. The shutdown hit without warning, stranding drivers nationwide and halting loads mid-route. Lawsuits, failed sale talks, and collapsing credit terms sealed the fate of the once 600-truck fleet.
What’s your take: Is the crunch just beginning?
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Tariffs Can’t Switch It Together
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Despite higher tariffs and trade uncertainty, fashion brands aren’t flocking back to U.S. factories. Only 17% plan to source more “Made in the USA” apparel this year, per the USFIA Benchmarking Study. Most are diversifying across Asia and Latin America instead, citing weak domestic infrastructure, labor shortages, and high costs. As experts note, tariffs punish—but they don’t rebuild.
Read why reshoring remains fashion’s unfinished business.
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Double the Logistics, Double the Fun
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Two of Europe’s biggest logistics shows — Logistica Next and ICT&Logistiek — are merging into one annual mega-event at Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Nov. 4–6. Expect 300+ exhibitors, 200 speakers, and a full buffet of AI, robotics, automation, and zero-emission logistics. Exhibition Manager Corien den Ouden says it best: “What was groundbreaking last year is standard today.” Buckle up — the future’s moving fast.
See what’s next at the Netherlands’ logistics playground.
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Visa Fees, Innovation Freeze
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A new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas has the U.S. tech and logistics sectors questioning their future talent pipeline. Once a gateway for global engineers, developers, and scientists, the H-1B program now risks becoming a pay-to-play system. Experts warn the move could push skilled workers—and innovation itself—abroad to friendlier markets like Germany, Canada, and China.
Read why America’s talent engine may be running on empty.
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That’s the share of Ikea’s global retail sales now coming from online orders, up 11% since 2019 — and a big reason Ingka Group just acquired AI logistics firm Locus. The deal brings routing, tracking, and fulfillment tech in-house, ending Ikea’s reliance on third parties. For the Swedish retail giant, it’s another step toward owning every delivery, from flat-pack to front door.
Read how AI is furnishing Ikea’s digital future.
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Operation Sideswipe Drags On
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Justice keeps idling in the Louisiana staged accident scam. Sentences for key figures — lawyer Danny Keating and crash organizer Damian Labeaud — were delayed again, despite guilty pleas dating back to 2021. Court filings reveal Labeaud is cooperating as prosecutors prepare for a March 2 trial targeting several attorneys accused of orchestrating collisions for insurance payouts. Over 60 defendants have been charged—none yet tried.
Follow the long road to justice in Operation Sideswipe.
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Here’s the scoop on the SCR Egg-O-Meter: It’s a brand-new rating tool that checks out what the media said about business and supply chain execs in the past 30 days and scores them based on the tonality of mentions from a natural language processing algorithm.
The “Egg-o-Meter” is like a quirky kitchen gadget for measuring how well a supply chain leader can cook up success. It cracks open key traits—like adaptability, collaboration, and innovation—and scrambles them into a perfect leadership recipe. The goal? To avoid being a hard-boiled traditionalist or a runny risk-taker. It’s all about being the ideal sunny-side-up mix to lead teams through the ever-changing heat of the supply chain kitchen!
Learn more about the meter here.
Ernest Nicolas, HP – 78.85%
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| Ernest Nicolas, HP’s Chief Enterprise Operations Officer, has emerged as one of the most influential figures reshaping modern supply chain strategy. Since joining HP’s executive team, Nicolas has led a sweeping transformation aimed at localizing production, improving operational predictability, and elevating the customer experience. Under his leadership, HP has shifted from a heavily globalized model to a more distributed one—expanding manufacturing in the U.S., Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia while building new infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
At HP’s Amplify Conference, Nicolas revealed that the company’s supply chain predictability score surged from 50% in 2023 to 93% in 2025, a testament to his focus on precision and data-driven decision-making. He has also embedded customer-centricity into HP’s logistics systems, designing tools that track orders by SKU, location, and market in real time—ensuring faster, more transparent delivery.
Beyond performance metrics, Nicolas has played a key role in stabilizing HP’s operations amid political and economic volatility. Following Donald Trump’s reelection, he assumed expanded oversight of IT and cybersecurity as HP consolidated procurement authority in North America to mitigate tariff risks and strengthen flexibility. Analysts now view him as a potential successor to CEO Enrique Lores, reflecting his strategic importance.
Recognized by Supply Chain Digital as one of the world’s Top 10 Influential Supply Chain Leaders, Nicolas continues to set a benchmark for resilience and innovation. His approach—balancing efficiency, adaptability, and customer focus—has positioned HP’s supply chain as a competitive advantage in an era defined by geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change.
Check out past Egg-O-Meter mentions and past newsletters here.
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