Editor's Note: Is There a “Better Normal” Ahead?
The global pandemic has brought into focus the rise of e-commerce, including in the food and beverage industry, and the importance of the life sciences sector, while also redefining workforce.
Q4 2020
COVID-19 accelerated the rise in e-commerce. In the U.S., online shopping increased by 30 percent in the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, presenting real estate and labor challenges ahead. With consumers expecting faster deliveries, supply chain decision-makers are looking deeper into urban and suburban areas to set up “last-mile” facilities.
E-commerce has also surged in the food and beverage industry, with the coronavirus pandemic changing how we shop for food — and even where we eat. With people avoiding dining out, more food is being bought for cooking at home, and consumers are ordering it remotely and having it shipped so they won’t even need to venture into the grocery store.
And, needless to say, COVID-19 has brought the life sciences sector to the forefront. Recent geopolitical and economic trends have caused concern about overseas production of pharmaceuticals. In fact, a presidential Executive Order signed in August aims to accelerate the development of “essential medicines” domestically.
Also included in this issue is our annual Workforce supplement, in which we look at how the workforce will be defined in a post-pandemic world, as well as how industry can find and retain the skilled workforce it needs now and into the future.
This has been a year like no other. We will continue to bring you insightful articles in 2021 to meet the needs of growing your company as we look ahead to what some are now calling not just a “new normal,” but a “better normal.”
Project Announcements
Kimberly-Clark Expands Aiken County, South Carolina, Distribution Operations
05/04/2025
Aerowerks Plans Gaffney, South Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
Sweden-Based Troax Group Plans Portland, Tennessee, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
Kimberly-Clark Corporation Plans Warren, Ohio, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
Denmark-Based Novonesis Expands Salem, Virginia, Production Operations
05/04/2025
Polyvlies USA Expands Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
05/04/2025
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