Purchasing Updates

The latest news, views, and announcements from the Purchasing Department

Vendor Update

Nefco (#30351) officially acquired Unistrut Midwest, effective December 20th, 2024. Unistrut Midwest is based in Cincinnati, OH, with three additional locations in Detroit, MI, Columbus, OH, and New Jersey. The acquisition of Unistrut Midwest nearly triples NEFCO’s value-added service capabilities. Further, it entrenches NEFCO as the leading provider of MEP (Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing) support & suspension products and solutions, particularly in its specialty SHARP® product offering and related SHARP® value-added services such as engineering, pre-fabrication, and kitting & assembly. SHARP® is NEFCO’s trademarked specialty product offering for the MEP trades, encompassing strut channel & fittings, hardware & fasteners, concrete anchoring products, threaded rods, and pipe hangers & supports.

Ports Series

International shipments involve transporting goods across borders, typically by sea. The process includes several stages: customs clearance, transportation, and delivery to the final destination. Ports play a crucial role in this process as they are goods' entry and exit points.

The choice of port can significantly impact the lead time of shipments. Factors such as port congestion, efficiency of customs procedures, and the availability of transportation infrastructure can either speed up or delay the movement of goods. Therefore, having at least a brief understanding of the ports is essential. Welcome to the port series.

Port of Savannah

When we receive shipments from overseas at our Buford, GA (ATL) warehouse, most enter the United States through the Port of Savannah. The Port of Savannah, one of the fastest-growing ports in the United States, has also faced challenges, though it has fared better in managing congestion. The port has experienced an uptick in cargo volume as shippers increasingly diversify away from West Coast ports to avoid disruptions. This surge in traffic has put pressure on Savannah’s infrastructure, particularly its capacity to handle larger vessels and increased container loads.

To mitigate these challenges, the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) has undertaken aggressive expansion projects, including constructing new container yards and deepening the Savannah River to accommodate larger ships. The GPA’s focus on efficiency has helped reduce dwell times and keep cargo moving, positioning the port as a reliable alternative to its West Coast counterparts. In May 2024 alone, it handled 490,330 TEUs*, a 22% increase over May 2023. For the calendar year through May, the port processed 2.2 million TEUs, up 12.7% from the same period in 2023.

*TEUs = twenty-foot equivalent units - an exact unit of measurement used to determine cargo capacity for container ships and terminals (https://www.freightright.com/kb/teu).

Tips

Atlantic Gasket's website has a great Elastomer Tool for comparing and contrasting various types of rubber from which their gaskets are made. Examples include nitrile rubber (NBR), butyl, EPDM, neoprene, and more. The site allows you to select two rubber types and see how each holds up to a long list of environments, chemicals, and more. Give it a try by clicking the link above. Atlantic Gasket can help our customers with services, including slitting, die-cutting, waterjet-cutting, knife-cutting, and molding.