Intermountain Medical drones may allow a new path forward for distributors

Electric drones are becoming an increasingly viable option for distributors as technology is improving to allow accurate cost-effective delivery. Intermountain Healthcare is becoming a pioneer of this new drone technology to deliver medications throughout the Salt Lake Valley. The Zipline drones used are able to deliver 40 lb packages within a 50-mile radius of the, now under construction, South Jordan flight center. The drones are accurate enough to deliver on most people's driveways and the second-generation drones include swappable batteries that allow for continuous operation. These improvements in the technology could allow for faster reactions to consumers who expect quick deliveries while giving distributors an opportunity to cut out emissions and traffic.

For more information on the Intermountain Medical project you can click the source link below.

Rising Gas Prices and what that means for Businesses and Consumers

Since sanctions from the United Nations on Russia were set, the average price of Diesel in the United States has risen from an average of $3.97 a month ago to $5.10 which is a dramatic 22% monthly rise and a 39% rise over the past year. This, in turn, affects not only the individual but also logistics companies. 

Logistics for small and large companies were already facing quite the challenge with the lasting impacts that the pandemic had. As companies looked to move forward from the pandemic, war with Russia will again test companies’ ability to pivot and make an adjustment based on what is most cost-effective. One potential means will come from options that do not burn as much fuel such as rail usage and updating systems to maximize energy efficiency such as renovating old HVAC, building idle-free trucking stations, and switching to electric dock equipment.

While transitioning to energy and cost-saving measures, it can be expected that we will see inflated costs for consumers continuing especially as the US is not the only country experiencing this rise in energy. The European Union was getting 25% of their oil from Russia and is now seeing fuel prices rising over 50% which is significant as half of the costs incurred for logistics are from transportation and shipping.

Whether it is being domestically shipped via roadways, put in a container and sent to the US on a container vessel, or flown in via cargo ships, the prices of fuel and goods are on the rise worldwide and trending upwards for the near future. 

Significant industrial growth in Salt Lake County

The results of an IPG square foot per person (SF/person) industrial study found significant growth in Salt Lake County to 118 SF/person even as flex and retail space shrinks.

Salt Lake County is set to see a 6% increase of industrial SF/person this year with a record 10 million SF set to be delivered. From 2012 to 2017, industrial SF/person remained steady until, in 2018, a 1.9% rise broke the trend. For the next 3 years, the growth per person rose by an average of 2% but the market has remained underwhelmed so far as vacancies lowered to 2% within that time period. Utah's industrial supply as a whole also saw gains over the past years but the rapid growth of the state has kept the average statewide SF/person increases surprisingly conservative even with 2021's significant construction deliveries in Salt Lake County.

There is evidence of multiple reasons that Salt Lake County has been growing so quickly; increased centralization for shipping to Utah consumers, the change from retail to online fulfillment, companies switching from just-in-time to just-in-case shipping strategies, re-shoring of manufacturing from overseas, and increases in inland port shipping through Utah facilities to exterior states. These contributing factors could all be responsible for increased industrial SF per person.

The future of hydrogen receives multi-state attention

The western states are stepping up to the plate to create a new energy option for residents and companies driving throughout the west. State governors in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming are creating a plan to invest federal funding to build statewide facilities for hydrogen vehicles in the future.

With oil possibly looking at negative long-term effects due to sanctions against Russia, there is a growing focus on energy independence. The growth of hydrogen, solar, wind, and other fuel sources noted in the report could help to take advantage of untapped energy from our own backyard giving us newfound independence. While this plan wouldn't immediately take effect, it could lessen the effects of future conflicts and shipping problems greatly. As a multi-state approach, the plan could encourage shipping companies to take advantage of long-haul hydrogen sooner as infrastructure will be more widely available.

The states will now need to show plans to successfully create viable infrastructure for vehicles before any funding can be distributed but this could be a major step for hydrogen fuel throughout the western states.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/02/25/colorado-wyoming-utah-new-mexico-hydrogen-hub/7201645808630/