Richard Ole Wardwas a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in 1934 and 1935 with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. He batted and threw right-handed... (wikipedia)
There are so many ways by which materials handling technologies and processes serve that need.
Industry in general has come out of a period of recession. Businesses have accumulated cash and are now looking at where they can invest that money to get better returns.
If you have coordination everywhere but in the warehouse or factory, you haven't achieved very much.
Certainly, you get the educational value from what you see on the show floor, but it's what you learn off the show floor that delivers the deepest value.