View of Air Canada wing above the clouds during flight.

Spring 2025 on the move: UgoWork’s field notes from the front lines of material handling

UgoWork team has been racking up insights at a string of events that have been shaping the conversation in material handling and forklift energy solutions. Here’s a look at what we’ve learned so far this spring.

ProMat 2025 | Chicago | Mar 17–20

ProMat 2025 opened the season in mid-March and lived up to its reputation as North America’s premier showcase for warehouse and logistics innovation. Walking the floor, three themes kept resurfacing: 

  1. The frustration of a lack of vendor support and training
  2. Battery analytics that finally make sense to the maintenance managers on the floor
  3. The growing impatience for more robust forklift batteries that just never quit. 

The takeaway? “Show me a forklift battery that pays for itself.” Read more about our experience at ProMat 2025 here.

Trade show floor at ProMat 2025 with 1,200 exhibitors and over 50,000 supply chain professionals in attendance.
Demonstration of a UgoWork lift truck battery at ProMat.

VTM Michigan | Pontiac | Apr 23–24

Fast-forward a month to VTM Michigan. Unlike sprawling trade shows, this B2B forum paired OEMs and tier suppliers through targeted meetings and technical presentations. One of the core focus areas was transport electrification and batteries—sparking conversations not just about battery chemistries and charge management, but also about how to support the technicians and maintenance crews keeping electric fleets running smoothly. Rather than a typical tech showcase, VTM Michigan felt like a focussed matchmaking hub for the electric drivetrain ecosystem.

FedEx Logistics Business Meetings | Memphis | Apr 22–25

Mid-April found part of the team in Memphis during FedEx’s Logistics Business Meetings. Some operations don’t just reflect where the industry is headed—they help define it. What stood out was the seamless integration of automation, AI, and human expertise. Precision isn’t a goal—it’s the baseline. A reminder that performance at scale is increasingly a question of orchestration, not just effort.

FedEx aircraft lined up on the tarmac at night.

MHEDA Convention | Tampa | Apr 26–30

The MHEDA Convention offered a strong mix of industry insights and personal development, with standout speakers throughout. Conversations often touched on the major forces reshaping our industry—from AI to data visibility, cybersecurity, and global trade dynamics. One of the recurring takeaways: users aren’t asking for more data—they’re asking for fewer, better signals, delivered clearly and when it matters.

MHEDA conference opening with stage lighting and full audience.

American Supply Chain Summit | Dallas | May 1–2

In Dallas, the focus was clear: driving performance through smarter operations. At the American Supply Chain Summit,  conversations circled around nearshoring, cost control, and tools that help teams do more with less. The message was consistent across sessions: efficiency is where impact begins.

Exhibitor booths and networking area at the American Supply Chain Summit.
Audience attending a keynote at the American Supply Chain Summit 2025.

We gathered road intel all spring—distilling what’s useful and discarding the buzz. From floor conversations to executive roundtables, each stop sharpened our understanding of what matters in forklift energy today. Still have questions? We’d love to hear them. Contact us today. Insights travel further when they don’t stay locked in one booth.

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