Press Releases

Menlo Worldwide Brings New York City's Coastal Storm Plan On Line

Logistics Specialist Partners with City's Office of Emergency Management to Establish Resource Center, Response Plan for Disaster Recovery

SAN MATEO, Calif., and NEW YORK - Oct. 17, 2007 -

Menlo Worldwide, LLC, the global logistics subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), today announced that it has been selected by the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to warehouse and manage a large stockpile of emergency supplies that would be used in the event of a hurricane. Under the program, Menlo also would manage the distribution of relief supplies to storm shelters throughout the City in response to a large coastal storm.

The program, contracted to Menlo Worldwide Government Services, was implemented under the direction of OEM as part of the City’s Coastal Storm Plan. The program’s centerpiece is a specialized warehouse facility which stores emergency supplies and serves as the central point for the dispatch of relief supplies to designated evacuation areas in the city’s five boroughs in the event of a hurricane. Menlo was hired by the OEM to design, staff, manage and operate the facility with logistics specialists and systems established for rapid response to emergencies.

Since last May, Menlo’s team has been working in close cooperation with New York City’s OEM staff to identify and configure a 50,000-square-foot facility to house the emergency supplies, and develop the response plan for relief operations. This plan includes the preparation and delivery of emergency supply shipments to assigned evacuation areas prior to a major hurricane making landfall.

Under the program, when the initial forecast of an approaching hurricane is received, Menlo initiates ramp-up plans, bringing in staff to process and stage shipments, and secure transportation resources in advance of deployment. As shipments begin to move to relief centers, Menlo monitors inventory draw-down and replacement needs, secures additional supplies from vendors, and manages the ongoing response process to ensure that relief centers are continuously supplied with goods until the emergency passes.

In the aftermath of a hurricane, Menlo then works with the OEM to replenish and restock supplies within the warehouse once the crisis has passed. Under the OEM program, the center is warehousing more than four million units of water, along with hundreds of thousands of “Meals Ready to Eat” or MREs, and other basic supplies such as first-aid kits, protein bars, personal care and comfort kits, diapers, baby formula, cots and blankets. 

Menlo won the OEM contract on the strength of its expertise in distribution operations, rapid-response logistics, a process-based solution approach and management systems. The company has also created similar disaster recovery programs for commercial businesses. Menlo differentiated its proposal through the ability to leverage its significant contractual relationships within the transportation industry as well as the resources of its sister company, less-than-truckload carrier Con-way Freight, which plays an integral role in the program providing dedicated local freight transportation services for moving emergency shipments from the response center to evacuation areas.

“We’re very proud to support the city of New York and the Office of Emergency Management in this critical project,” said Robert L. Bianco Jr., president, Menlo Worldwide. “Our resources and experience managing complex logistics assignments for commercial business provided an excellent foundation for the requirements of the OEM’s Hurricane Recovery initiative. We are pleased to have the project up and running on schedule.”

About Menlo Worldwide
Menlo Worldwide, LLC, is a global provider of logistics, transportation management and supply chain services with operations in North America and on five continents. As a third-party logistics provider, San Mateo, Calif.-based Menlo Worldwide’s services range from dedicated contract logistics to warehouse and distribution management, transportation management, supply chain re-engineering and other value-added services including packaging, kitting, order fulfillment and light assembly through a strategic network of multi-client and dedicated facilities. With more than 13 million square feet of dedicated warehouse space in North America, the Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, and industry-leading technologies, Menlo creates effective, integrated solutions for the transportation and distribution needs of leading businesses around the world.

Menlo Worldwide, LLC, is a subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), a $4.7 billion freight transportation and logistics company and FORTUNE magazine’s “Most Admired Company” in transportation and logistics for 2007. For more information please visit us on the web at www.menloworldwide.com.

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