Supply Chain

Toronto – September 18, 2026 -- Global Battery Materials Corp. (GBM) has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent with South Korean battery manufacturer LiBEST to evaluate and potentially commercially supply natural graphite, coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG), and other anode materials sourced and processed entirely outside China.

LOI targets defence, AI infrastructure and EV supply chains

The agreement covers materials intended for energy storage, defence, AI infrastructure and electric vehicle applications, and is designed to support qualification pathways for GBM's anode materials across allied-government and defence-related supply chains. The LOI builds on a prior Memorandum of Understanding between the two companies that established a framework for battery materials testing, anode product development and participation in government programs.

Chantilly, Va. – September 18, 2026 -- OnTrac, a U.S. alternative parcel carrier network, has appointed Josh Dinneen as Strategic Advisor to lead evaluation of joint ventures, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships aimed at new customer value creation in ecommerce logistics.

Dinneen returns to OnTrac after serving as Chief Commercial Officer from October 2020 to January 2025

He brings more than 23 years of experience in ecommerce transportation and logistics, including nearly 18 years at LaserShip in commercial development, supply chain solutions, sales, operations, and network strategy.

OnTrac's delivery network reaches over 70% of the U.S. population across 35 states and Washington, D.C.

The company, which has operated for more than 65 years, positions its network as critical infrastructure for retailers and shippers seeking faster delivery times, seven-day operations, and lower costs.

Irvine, Calif. – September 18, 2026 -- Reveel has launched Omnicarrier Decision Intelligence (ODI), an AI-native platform that lets shippers plan and manage multi-carrier networks at the package level in real time, eliminating reliance on blended averages or carrier-supplied numbers.

Most shippers operate blind on carrier costs, new data shows

According to Reveel's "State of Shipping 2026" report, 92% of shippers lack real-time visibility into carrier spend and performance, while 87% review carrier rates only during formal RFPs. That leaves surcharge interactions, dimensional weight thresholds, rebate triggers and volume tiers unexamined between negotiation cycles. Separately, 86% of shippers cannot model their own carrier networks, a gap Reveel says is critical as companies diversify away from single-carrier contracts.

Delray Beach, Fla. – September 18, 2026 -- The global pipette calibration services market is projected to more than double to USD 834.8 million by 2031 from USD 383.2 million in 2026, a 16.9% compound annual growth rate, according to MarketsandMarkets.

North America controls half of global demand as regulatory pressure mounts

North America held a 50.6% share of the pipette calibration services market in 2025, underpinned by dense pharmaceutical and biotechnology infrastructure, federal biomedical research funding, and strict laboratory equipment qualification requirements. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Eppendorf, and Sartorius operate significant service footprints across the region, supporting clinical labs, academic institutions, and drug manufacturers requiring traceable measurement accuracy.

Plano, Texas – September 18, 2026 -- Boeing and American Airlines have completed the first landing gear exchange for a 737 MAX aircraft, extending a decades-old spare-parts program to Boeing's newest single-aisle platform.

Boeing validates end-to-end gear swap process for the 737 MAX fleet

The exchange delivered a fully overhauled, Boeing-certified main and nose landing gear assembly with installation kits, excluding wheels, tires and brakes. The transaction tested the complete cycle -- technical overhaul, certification paperwork and delivery -- confirming the process can be applied consistently across the MAX fleet.

Plano, Texas – September 18, 2026 -- Ericsson and Nex-Tech Wireless have signed a four-year agreement to modernize approximately 85 percent of Nex-Tech Wireless' Radio Access Network across rural Kansas, deploying a cloud-native 5G Standalone Core and adding network hosting capabilities for other mobile operators.

Deal extends prior Ericsson-Nex-Tech partnership to cover RAN and Core

The agreement builds on an existing collaboration between the two companies and expands Nex-Tech Wireless' competitive position as a regional carrier serving more than 40 counties in central and western Kansas. The upgrade targets improved network performance, reliability, and continued subscriber growth in markets outside major metropolitan areas.

Alameda – September 18, 2026 -- Alveo Technologies has signed a distribution agreement with Alliance Global (AGBL) to deploy its on-farm avian influenza diagnostic across Africa, Central Asia and select Eastern Mediterranean countries, as global bird flu outbreaks have infected at least 633 million domestic birds worldwide, including more than 208 million in the U.S. alone.

Alveo Sense Poultry gains distribution rights across three continents

Under the deal, AGBL secures rights to distribute Alveo's palm-sized molecular diagnostic platform to farmers, integrators and public health officials throughout Africa, Central Asia and portions of the Eastern Mediterranean region. AGBL operates as a biomedical distribution group with offices in more than 17 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

San Jose, Calif. – September 18, 2026 -- GS Microelectronics U.S., Inc. (GSME) has officially joined TSMC's Open Innovation Platform (OIP) Value Chain Alliance (VCA) as a North American member partner, expanding its role in delivering full-lifecycle ASIC services from IP development through advanced packaging and testing.

GSME expands ASIC services across the full IC value chain

The partnership integrates GSME's design enablement tools with the broader OIP Ecosystem, covering front-end architecture, back-end physical design, wafer manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly and testing under a single execution framework.

Singapore – September 18, 2026 -- Canaan Inc. (NASDAQ: CAN) liquidated its entire Ethereum position and part of its bitcoin treasury in August 2026, generating approximately US$13.9 million in cash that funded the repurchase of 13.6 million American Depositary Shares.

Canaan exits ETH position entirely, trims BTC holdings to fund buybacks

The company sold all 3,952 ETH it held along with 54 BTC at average prices of roughly US$2,400 per ETH and US$79,000 per BTC. Canaan deployed US$5.4 million of the proceeds to repurchase the ADSs in late August, lifting total shares repurchased since the start of the year to approximately 16.4 million. At month-end, Canaan held 1,868 BTC.

Bentonville – – September 18, 2026 -- Traverse Group, a privately held retail group generating more than $1 billion in annual gross merchandise value, has launched ToyVerse, a new venture aimed at the global toy market. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company is already the largest toy supplier by dollar share into the Club channel worldwide, a position built largely on its management of the Pokémon trading card program.

Traverse Group leverages existing retail relationships with Walmart, Sam's Club, Target and Costco Global

Traverse Group, co-founded by JD Hayes and Clint Lazenby, has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for four consecutive years. Its existing infrastructure spans manufacturing, brand development, licensing, eCommerce, warehousing, fulfillment, logistics and supply chain execution, capabilities the company will now extend to its own toy brand rather than solely third-party programs.