Kevin Lawton

Tours, ribbon-cuttings, system walkthroughs, and conversations with people on the floor take precedence over product announcements alone. The operation, equipment, and people give a vendor story credibility that a demo cannot.

In the Toyota post, Kevin Lawton describes visiting Toyota Material Handling North America's campus in Columbus, Indiana, for a ribbon-cutting at a factory making electric counterbalance forklifts.

• Demand for electric forklifts had grown enough to expand production beyond The Raymond Corporation's factory in Greene, New York.
• The post highlights production lines, a culture of continuous improvement, and automation, including an AutoStore system for parts distribution from Toyota Automated Logistics and AGVs for moving heavy items.

The same approach appears in a preview of a return visit to HJI Supply Chain Solutions, where Kevin Lawton plans to see automation and WMS integration in operation, not just hear about the project.

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A launch or system selection tells part of the story; returning a year later shows whether the technology was implemented, how it was integrated, and what changed in the operation. The focus is on continuity over one-time case studies.

The HJI Supply Chain Solutions post previews a return visit to Louisville.

• The first visit covered HJI's move to a new WMS, SnapFulfil by Synergy, after its legacy system made automation difficult.
• One year later, HJI has automation from Cartesian Kinetics Inc.
• The follow-up will examine SnapFulfil's SnapControl integration and the Carte+ implementation.
• Kevin Lawton invites readers to register for an in-person session on November 12.

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Vendor events are most useful when they identify the capabilities logistics decision-makers themselves single out, not just those the vendor wants to promote.

The ShipHero Horizon 2026 recap covers a hands-on event at the LVK Las Vegas warehouse.

• The post says the feature that most excited 3PL owners was interacting with ShipHero's WMS through familiar LLMs such as Claude or ChatGPT.
• It also covers updates to pick-to-light and picking options using conveyors, case sealers, and automated print-and-apply machines.
• Kevin Lawton interviews Rick Smolen of ShipHero and several 3PL operators.
• The post also reports Aaron Rubin's stated goal: 3PL owners should not have to log in to their WMS and should be able to work through Claude or ChatGPT instead.

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Warehousing After Dark is presented as a community asset, with monthly virtual sessions and in-person events. The posts treat the social format as part of how the industry learns and does business.

The two-year anniversary post describes Warehousing After Dark with Nathan Chaney and Supply Chain Social Club, including a Dallas event at Reunion Tower with EPG Ehrhardt Partner Group and monthly virtual editions.

• Kevin Lawton says the series was created as a space for warehouse industry people to connect and reports that it has led to vendor partnerships, business opportunities, and friendships.
• The post also links to an elevated Warehousing After Dark event in DFW during IntraLogisteX.
• Another post promotes a virtual session with Supply Chain Social Club, Nathan Chaney, Christopher Pride, and Truck Parking Club.
• A weekly rundown mentions a logistics party on the water with Breez Hub, where Kevin Lawton is MC, and breakfast with Traba.

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The posts give space to the need for logistics experience on technology teams and to teaching as a way to build future supply chain talent.

A weekly rundown notes that Kevin Lawton is starting an eleventh semester teaching at Rider University and looks forward to helping cultivate future supply chain talent. Another rundown introduces guest contributor Cecilia George, whose article argues that warehouse tech companies need people with logistics experience on their teams.

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The post explains what Warehousing After Dark is and why it matters beyond a single meetup.

Kevin Lawton marks two years of Warehousing After Dark, an event series run with Nathan Chaney and Supply Chain Social Club.

• The post describes monthly virtual sessions and in-person events, including one at Reunion Tower in Dallas with EPG Ehrhardt Partner Group.
• They say the series was created as a space for warehouse industry people to connect and has led to vendor partnerships, business opportunities, and friendships.

For brands planning a campaign

A vendor considering event sponsorship sees a format that combines hospitality, community, and repeated contact. The event puts a brand in front of warehouse operators in a social setting, not just during a product demo.

It shows what a firsthand facility visit adds to a warehouse story.

Lawton describes a visit to Toyota Material Handling North America's campus in Columbus, Indiana, including a ribbon-cutting for a factory making electric counterbalance forklifts.

• The post notes demand growth that pushed production beyond The Raymond Corporation's factory in Greene, New York.
• They highlight the production lines, the employee culture around continuous improvement, and automation: an AutoStore system for parts distribution from Toyota Automated Logistics and AGVs for moving heavy items.
• The post thanks Brett Wood and the TMHNA team.

For brands planning a campaign

An automation or material-handling vendor can use this kind of access to show equipment and processes in a real facility, with human context and named hosts. It builds credibility for campaigns that need proof, not just feature claims.

It shows what a return visit adds that a one-off case study cannot.

Lawton announces a sequel visit to HJI Supply Chain Solutions in Louisville.

• The first visit covered HJI's move to a new WMS, SnapFulfil by Synergy, after its legacy system made automation difficult.
• One year later, HJI has automation from Cartesian Kinetics Inc.
• The follow-up will examine SnapFulfil's SnapControl integration and the Carte+ implementation.
• Lawton invites readers to register for a November 12 in-person session in Louisville.

For brands planning a campaign

A WMS or automation vendor can use this as a model for a multi-stage story: problem, system change, implementation, and measurable operation. The invitation also turns the content into a live event where prospects can see the system.

Start here to see the event-recap format.

Lawton reports from ShipHero's Horizon 2026 event at the LVK Las Vegas warehouse, the fourth ShipHero event they've attended.

• The post says attendees could interact with ShipHero's WMS through familiar LLMs such as Claude or ChatGPT, a direction Aaron Rubin had described earlier.
• They also note updates to pick-to-light and picking options using conveyors, case sealers, and automated print-and-apply machines.
• They interview Rick Smolen of ShipHero and several 3PL operators, and mention receiving a 'Warehouses Are Sexy' trading card.

For brands planning a campaign

A warehouse software vendor can see how an event recap can spotlight one standout capability—here, LLM access to a WMS—while also showing adjacent hardware integrations. Interviews with named operators add peer proof.

It shows what a partnership could look like across podcasts, events, and articles.

Lawton lists a full week of The New Warehouse activity: a podcast with David Paratore of Berkshire Grey on physical AI in warehouses; a dinner in New York City with Matthew Hertz; breakfast with Traba; a logistics party on the water with Breez Hub, where they are MC; a podcast with Brett Wood of Toyota Material Handling North America; a guest article from Chris Thompson of FMH Conveyors on 'The First 100 Feet'; a virtual Warehousing After Dark with Supply Chain Social Club, YMX Logistics, and G&P; and a podcast on WMS takeaways from MODEX with Casey Winans of Fullstride.

For brands planning a campaign

A vendor can plan a multi-format partnership around one message: a podcast interview, contributed article, event presence, or live event sponsorship. The rundown also shows Lawton as a host and MC, not just an interviewer.

The rundowns cover guests and topics across warehouse automation, WMS, returns, 3PL operations, and event takeaways. Examples include David Paratore of Berkshire Grey on physical AI, Brett Wood of Toyota Material Handling North America, Shauna Bowen of Radial and Kyle Bertin of Two Boxes on returns, Saurabh Gupta of GreyOrange on software foundations, and Casey Winans of Fullstride on WMS takeaways from MODEX and beyond.

A weekly post brings several formats together: podcast episodes, articles, events, and travel schedules, with guest names and links.

For brands planning a campaign

A vendor can use a podcast interview, guest article, or event mention to explain a WMS or automation product to logistics decision-makers. The recurring rundown offers repeat visibility, but pitches need a concrete operator angle, product update, or event tie-in.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5

One visits Toyota Material Handling North America's Columbus, Indiana factory for the ribbon-cutting of a plant making electric counterbalance forklifts.

• It shows the Toyota Production System in practice, a culture of continuous improvement, and automation including AutoStore for parts distribution and AGVs for heavy item movement with Toyota Automated Logistics.
• Another previews a return visit to HJI Supply Chain Solutions, showing a WMS transition to SnapFulfil by Synergy and automation with Cartesian Kinetics in operation, including SnapControl integration and Carte+ implementation.

Tour coverage moves from event announcement to on-site observation and follow-up visit, with specific equipment, system names, and operational context.

The Toyota post notes that electric forklift demand grew enough to prompt expansion beyond The Raymond Corporation's Greene, New York factory—a proof point for capacity and automation narratives.

For brands planning a campaign

A vendor can propose a hosted facility visit or an implementation follow-up.

• The format puts a product inside a working operation alongside named operators and systems.
• It suits automation and WMS vendors that can provide customer access and a real installation, not just a demo.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2

Posts cover the series' two-year anniversary, a Dallas event at Reunion Tower with EPG Ehrhardt Partner Group, monthly virtual editions, and in-person events tied to IntraLogisteX.

• The feed also features a logistics party on the water with Breez Hub, breakfast with Traba, and a Warehousing After Dark session with Truck Parking Club.
• The tone is social and community-oriented, rather than that of a standard webinar.

Event posts pair invitation links and partner thank-yous with post-event recaps featuring photo or video references.

The two-year anniversary post reports that the community has generated vendor partnerships and business opportunities.

For brands planning a campaign

A brand can sponsor, host, or participate in an event and earn visibility before, during, and after through event posts and recaps.

• The audience includes warehouse and logistics practitioners and vendors.
• The format suits brands seeking live access to operators and a host who can serve as MC, but requires an event budget and an experience worth attending.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

It describes a hands-on gathering at the LVK Las Vegas warehouse, WMS features, and attendee reactions.

• According to the post, the feature that most excited 3PL owners was the ability to interact with ShipHero's WMS through a favorite LLM, reflecting Aaron Rubin's stated goal of reducing the need to log in.
• The recap also covers pick-to-light updates and picking options using conveyors with case sealers and automated print-and-apply machines.
• It names multiple operators and vendors in attendance.

On-site event reporting with named attendees, quoted or paraphrased takeaways, and specific product features.

For brands planning a campaign

A WMS or automation vendor can earn feature-level coverage tied to operator takeaways.

• The post highlights features attendees said they were excited about, making a clear product update or operator proof point a strong pitch.
• The format suits a working feature or event better than a broad brand-awareness message.

Examples: Source 1

Posts examine how warehouse technology is implemented and what operators care about, including system integration and the people needed to run operations. A guest article argues that warehouse tech companies need people with logistics experience on their teams.

Cross-post topic map drawn from weekly rundowns, event recaps, and guest-article descriptions.

Some posts are scheduling-led announcements, so topic depth varies by item; the map shows the subject areas a brand can work within but not an exhaustive list of every episode.

For brands planning a campaign

A brand can fit its product into an existing theme—such as WMS and automation, returns, 3PL cost reduction, or logistics talent—instead of trying to establish a new category. The strongest pitch connects to an operator problem or implementation story already in the feed.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5

It also shows industry access through podcast guests, facility tours, vendor events, and a community series. The posts name companies and people across robotics, WMS, automation, 3PL fulfillment, and material handling.

Teaching and talent references appear in weekly rundowns rather than standalone posts.

For brands planning a campaign

A vendor can pair product content with an education or talent angle, such as a campus talk, workforce-development theme, or campaign linking technology adoption with operator skills. This suits brands seeking an association with practical logistics knowledge, not just product promotion.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5 · Source 6

They also show on-camera capture and references to video, live event execution, and relationships with named warehouse technology vendors and operators. The content centers on specific operations and events rather than general commentary.

Formats shown in the posts include event recaps, tours, rundowns, and podcast references.

For brands planning a campaign

For a warehouse technology vendor campaign, Kevin Lawton fits an interview-led or event-led approach built around a real operator, installation, or live event.

• The brand should provide a customer story, facility access, or event sponsorship.
• A product-only demo without operator context would be a weaker match for the formats shown in the posts.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4 · Source 5 · Source 6 · Source 7 · Source 8

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Samer Elshafei's post about seeing Navitas Systems' second-generation lithium battery line at MODEX covers similar ground to Kevin Lawton's forklift factory and automation walkthroughs: what the hardware must withstand in real operations and why buyers hesitated before adopting it.

Samer Elshafei's posts lean on personal career narratives and a wider range of topics, including blockchain and Web3 alongside motive power, in standalone written reflections. Kevin Lawton's output centers on a podcast, weekly rundown, and hosted live events, with guests and operators carrying much of the substance.

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Joshua Joseph's post on Taiichi Ohno and the Piggly Wiggly origin of just-in-time offers the same kind of teaching Kevin Lawton brings to facility visits: a concrete story about a real system, followed by an operational lesson readers can use. Both also cover physical AI and mixed fleets of automated equipment.

Joshua Joseph writes short, standalone explainers tied to conference speaking and industrial engineering practice, often ending with a direct question to the reader. Kevin Lawton takes a longer-form, media-led approach, built on interviews, on-site recaps, and recurring events rather than single explanatory posts.

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Miguel Pinilla's post on roughly $300 billion in capital expenditure from Amazon, Walmart, and UPS asks how to evaluate those investments—the same operator-facing question Kevin Lawton pursues when vendors explain cost reduction and system integration.

Miguel Pinilla's material is anchored in an authored book on warehouse technology and in building a manufacturing and material handling software company, giving it an analytical, founder-led voice. Kevin Lawton is a host and reporter who tours other companies' operations and relays what operators say, rather than writing from inside a product build.

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The MODEX post recounts the early objections lithium faced — "why lithium?" and "is it even safe?" — the vibration, temperature swings, drop cycles and multi-shift charging equipment has to survive, the runtime, uptime and total-cost-of-ownership arguments customers actually cared about, and the OEM approvals from Toyota, Crown, Hyster-Yale and Raymond that opened the market.

• That echoes the long adoption story Kevin Lawton tells about WMS migrations: skepticism turning into a standard, described by someone who was in the room.
• Elshafei is also a better choice when the vendor wants a voice tied to forklift fleets and energy rather than warehouse software.

Elshafei's posts focus on equipment and motive power, with almost no software, WMS or warehouse-execution detail.

• They show no podcast, filmed walkthrough or recurring event a vendor can plug into.
• Vendors building a campaign around system integration, data or a repeatable content calendar have fewer formats to work with.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2

The summer speaking recap names Automate Show, Robotics Summit & Expo, MODEX and IISE Annual and reports what those rooms were asking: how to manage fleets with different models and failure modes, whether software or hardware owns the factory of the future, and which decisions a person should never hand to a machine.

• The Ohno post shows the same teaching instinct, using one concrete story — a 1950 supermarket visit — to explain just-in-time production and where waste hides.
• Vendors arguing that autonomy has moved from a technology debate to an integration problem will find a closer fit here than in Lawton's operator-interview format.

Joseph's posts focus on conference stages and concepts.

• They show no customer site visit, system walkthrough or operator interview.
• A vendor with a named customer and a working installation should ask for examples of the before-and-after detail Lawton's follow-up format can provide.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2

One post works through roughly $300 billion in capital expenditure from Amazon, Walmart and UPS over five years and asks how to judge the return and justify a multi-year automation commitment to a board; it draws on the book The Warehouse Revolution, which the post says was published with Pete Devenyi and Jim Stollberg.

• The other post is written from inside a build: launching Arda's manufacturing and material handling system, winning best new product at launch, and hiring an engineer to own feature development with the founders.
• Vendors selling to founders or to a company weighing its first automation spend get both an analyst's and a builder's view of that decision.

The posts lean promotional — one recruits for the author's own company, the other points readers to a book and article — making the writing less independent than a reported operator story. Vendors seeking third-party editorial treatment of their own customer should ask for examples of that work.

Examples: Source 1 · Source 2