Apr 14, 2021

Morris and Modig sign exclusive partnership Four Morris Group distribution companies to represent Sweden-based Modig Machine Tool exclusively in their U.S. regions. Four of the  Morris Group  distribution companies signed an agreement to become the exclusive representative for  Modig Machine Tool  of Virserum, Sweden, in the regions they represent. The companies include The Robert E. Morris Co., Morris Great Lakes, Morris South, and Morris Midwest. “We’re excited to represent Modig in many of the markets we serve under the Morris brand,” states Brad Morris, President and CEO of Morris Group Inc. “Our customers look to us for advanced machining solutions to increase their productivity and gain a competitive advantage. Modig’s unique range of machine tools are an ideal complement to our current product offering and will help us expand our ability to meet our customer’s needs.” Modig’s machining solutions are engineered with a focus toward reducing customer production times on their most challenging parts, while maintaining accuracy. The  Modig  product range includes Inverted Machining Centers available with 5-axis, single spindle or mill-turn configurations, Universal Machining Centers for bar or extrusion components, and high-speed Vertical Gantry Mills. “This new partnership will help Modig interact more within the U.S. market. Morris gives the customers the best of both worlds: the depth and resources of a large company and a local supplier's service.”, stated Keith Lopez, president North America, Modig Machine Tool. “By offering services such as application technology, service and maintenance of machine tools, and financing, Morris helps their customers do more with less which is an approach we share. Working together, Modig and Morris can offer the best solutions and deliver the highest customer service.” Isuzu North America, Gatik to develop fully autonomous trucks The collaboration between the two companies will accelerate the commercialization of autonomous delivery fleets while contributing to a safer and more sustainable logistics community. Anaheim, California – Isuzu North America Corporation and Gatik have agreed to collaborate on a project to develop and evaluate fully autonomous medium-duty trucks. Isuzu is a market leader in Low Cab Forward (LCF) trucks in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Gatik is the industry leader in automating on-road transportation networks for B2B middle-mile logistics. This collaboration is an industry first in the medium-duty category and will accelerate the commercialization of autonomous delivery fleets while contributing to a safer and more sustainable logistics community in the future. The collaboration will integrate Gatik’s autonomous driving technology into several Isuzu medium-duty N-Series trucks to produce SAE Level 4 delivery vehicles with redundant systems. The first vehicles will be deployed this year thanks to the cooperative efforts of Gatik’s and Isuzu’s engineering teams. “By bringing these two teams together, we can create segment-changing technology while positioning Gatik to safely commercialize autonomous delivery technology at scale,” said Gatik’s CEO and Co-Founder Gautam Narang. “Isuzu N-Series trucks have been best-sellers in their class in the combined U.S.-Canadian market for 35 consecutive years, making them an ideal fit for our solution. We are excited to combine our industry-leading expertise and bring a long-term, sustainable solution to the supply chain.” “As customer requirements for the medium-duty product evolve at an increasingly rapid pace, having the ability to collaborate with Gatik, an industry leader in autonomous technology is very exciting for our team,” said Takashi Sadaoka, President and CEO of Isuzu North America Corporation. Rapidly increasing e-commerce sales and a well-documented driver shortage have caused businesses to struggle to meet the expectations of on-demand goods movement. This effort will combine Gatik’s autonomous driving software and operational expertise with Isuzu’s award-winning truck platform to address these critical industry pain points, ensuring retailers can maintain capacity, lower operating costs, and keep delivery times short. Houston, Texas – Grundfos , a global leader in pumps and  water solutions, announced the establishment of its new global Mobility Team, a dedicated group of business experts to support the green evolution of the automotive and transportation industry. Spearheaded by Senior Sales Director Peter Kiaer, the Mobility Team will serve Grundfos’ global customers across automotive, train, airplane and ship manufacturers, helping them to improve their water and energy footprint. The team consists of specialists with extensive experience providing optimized water and pump solutions to the automotive and transportation industry. The establishment of Grundfos’ Mobility Team comes at a critical time amidst growing concerns of climate change and environmental preservation. Governments and public across the globe are making a stronger push on sustainability. To respond to these trends, automotive manufacturers have also accelerated their investment in green production and processes, and are increasingly looking to the developments in electric vehicles as a new opportunity. It is estimated that producing a car uses over 39,000 gallons (148 cubic meters) of water1, and generates a significant amount of wastewater. At the same time, transportation use accounted for a quarter of the world’s global CO2 emissions in 2016. 2 Such significant water use and CO2 emissions present automotive manufacturers with an opportunity to have a deep impact on the environment by rethinking the way they use energy and water. “The automotive and transportation industry is undergoing a profound green transition and sustainability is a strategic priority for all manufacturers today,” said Kiaer. “With water and pump solutions being a crucial part of industrial processes, Grundfos has a unique role to play across the automotive value chain. Our solutions can help customers optimise water use, mitigate impact of manufacturing waste, and improve energy and operational efficiency. With the launch of the Grundfos Mobility Team, we are better placed than ever to help our customers achieve greener production practices alongside our network of distributors and dealers.”   “As a business with sustainability at the core of everything we do, we are energised by the opportunity to work with more partners to bring far-reaching benefits on the environment,” said Humphrey Lau, Senior Vice President, Industry Sales. “The launch of a dedicated Grundfos Mobility Team is very much in line with our business philosophy to drive sustainability, by continuously pushing boundaries of possibilities in energy efficiency and water conservation.”  As more companies embrace Industry 4.0 to increase productivity and reduce costs, Grundfos is ramping up efforts to develop more intelligent and integrated water and pump solutions to help its customers navigate the transition and set themselves apart from competition. Launched in 2017, Grundfos iSolutions, pump systems and water technology with solutions that look beyond individual components and optimise the entire system, have enabled many customers across different industries to reach a new level of performance. Through advanced sensors, the Grundfos Machine Health solution can provide 24/7 monitoring and in-depth insights at the machine level to prevent downtime and optimize operation. Grundfos’ Mobility Team will look to prioritise automotive industries in Japan, China, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States as part of the initial launch, with aims to continue to grow the team and portfolio to better serve the needs of the global automotive and transportation industry. Detroit, Michigan – General Motors President Mark Reuss today announced Chevrolet will introduce a Silverado electric pickup truck that will be built at the company’s Factory ZERO assembly plant in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan. The Chevrolet Silverado electric full-size pickup is designed from the ground up to be an EV, harnessing the best of the Ultium Platform and Silverado’s proven capability. The electric Silverado will offer customers a GM-estimated range of more than 400 miles on a full charge. Retail and fleet versions will offer customers a variety of options and are expected to be in high demand. Today’s announcement affirms Chevrolet’s commitment to build on the brand’s 100 years of truck expertise and leadership, while transitioning to an all-electric future in the light-vehicle space.