This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the founding of the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC). The organization will hold its 25^th annual conference from April 28 to May 1 in Chicago. Topics to be covered include employee retention, collaboration, value-added services, facility design and operations, management systems and new technologies. Many presentations will touch on the economy, while others will spotlight how to drive efficiencies, cut costs and increase profitability.

During the three-day event, participants will hear from more than 80 speakers and will have the opportunity to network with more than 1,000 of their peers. The conference will include breakout sessions in the following tracks: systems, people, facilities, processes, strategies, metrics, customer satisfaction, value-added services, transportation and equipment. Additionally, attendees can join roundtable discussions and attend facility tours and social events.

Providing practical information for the betterment of the warehousing industry and ideas for cutting costs and cycle times has been WERC's mission since it was formed in 1977. Jim Bierfeldt, 2002 annual conference chair and vice president of marketing and sales, USCO Logistics, believes this milestone anniversary demonstrates WERC's ability to change with the needs of the marketplace and stay relevant.

"WERC is the only professional industry focused exclusively on warehouse management. It provides practical how-to information to help members grow professionally," he says. "Today, in a difficult economic environment, tight inventory management and efficient product distribution are more critical than ever. Companies are relying on warehousing and distribution professionals to drive cost and service improvements."

It's hard to believe how much change has occurred since WERC was established, Bierfeldt says. One of the most significant changes, he believes, has been the use of intelligent computer systems to automate warehouses, which has dramatically increased the efficiency of warehouse operations.

As for the future, Bierfeldt forecasts that the way we view warehouses will change. Instead of being seen as stand-alone operations, more companies will be looking at warehouses in the context of their global supply chains. Companies will be concerned not only with where products should be kept, but also how they should be kept.

For more information about WERC and its annual conference, visit www.werc.org.