Oliver Goldsmith's The Deserted Village, published in 1770, is of a timeless quality. It is a 425-line lament for a disappearing rural world, where prosperous villages give way to larger estates, fewer farmers, and emigration. One passage even follows those leaving for the new colony of Georgia. Some of its lines remain familiar today. Its opening—"Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain"—is well known in Alabama, where the town of Auburn borrowed its name from Goldsmith's fictional village. It is a familiar theme, the collapse of the countryside that continues today on a global scale. China is the best current example, where an estimated 600 million people left their rural homes in less than 50 years, the largest such migr...
The industry has spent two years bracing for GLP-1 medications to hollow out demand, but the data so far tells a more interesting story. Roughly one in eight adults currently uses a GLP-1, and an additional 29 percent of non-users say they would consider it if it became more accessible and cost...
Wow – what a week for freight markets. Things are changing incredibly rapidly as escalations in the U.S.-Iran war and the Ukraine-Russia conflict reshape global shipping risks and approaches beyond simple rate and insurance cost adjustments. Too, the Panama Canal has shifted its stance on...
WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...
From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.