There is never a shortage of issues to write about in logistics, especially today as technology, automation, and—here comes the big one—artificial intelligence (AI) work to reshape the industry landscape. But as I sat down to write this month’s Outbound column, I found myself less focused on those cutting-edge topics and more interested in exploring the spirit of innovation that makes logistics such an interesting industry to cover. After all, this is the July issue, and we are about to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday. There are so many things that make this a milestone worth celebrating—too many to name, really—but humming underneath it all is an entrepreneurial spirit that has helped build the largest and strongest economy in the world.
In logistics, that spirit is robust. And you need look no farther than the pages of this issue to see it. Our annual Rainmaker Awards celebrate the best of logistics ingenuity. And although not all of our winners are company founders or startup visionaries, they all embody the leadership qualities and work ethic that help their companies, and by extension the industry, grow and expand. The list includes researchers, engineers, technologists, administrators, and more—each one driven to succeed and contribute to the evolution of this vital American industry.
Of course, there are some entrepreneurs on our 2026 list, as is the case most years. Keith Moore is CEO of warehouse resource planning and optimization platform AutoScheduler.AI, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm he co-founded with his father six years ago. The company’s mission is straightforward: to help warehouses everywhere optimize operations and performance. Moore says founding the company is one of his proudest accomplishments and that introducing cutting-edge technology to an industry that hasn’t always been an early adopter of new tech—well, that’s a “fun” challenge.
There is also Steve Hopper, who started Inviscid Consulting in 2004 and has since helped more than 200 businesses reduce costs and boost service levels across their warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, and logistics operations. Hopper’s work with industry associations like MHI and WERC (the Warehousing Education and Research Council) has extended those achievements to the logistics industry at large. And his passion for mentoring young logistics professionals brings that work full circle.
If you haven’t read these profiles already, flip back to this month’s Rainmakers feature and learn about Moore, Hopper, and the six other standout industry professionals we honor this month.
The entrepreneurial spirit is alive in other companies featured in this month’s issue as well. Detroit-based drone technology startup Birdstop is making strides in security and surveillance, channeling its work with government and public safety entities into the logistics space—by helping to improve security in warehousing and transportation and fighting the accelerating rates of cargo theft plaguing the industry. We spoke to Birdstop software engineer Doug Muhlbauer about those efforts.
These are just a few examples of the pioneers that continue to move the industry forward.
And no doubt, that work will continue. Overall, entrepreneurship rose considerably during the Covid-19 years, and it continues that upward climb, according to “The State of American Business Data Center 2025” report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Nearly 5.4 million applications were filed to form new businesses in 2021, the highest recorded since the U.S. Census Bureau started tracking that data in 2004, the Chamber said. That surge continued through 2024, with the total number of new business applications coming in at 5.2 million. Government data show the numbers remained elevated in 2025 and through the first five months of this year as well.
So as you raise a glass to our founding fathers this summer, remember to toast the entrepreneurs who helped build the country as well—especially those who continue those efforts today.
