18 WESTERN PALLET
•Historic lumber and core pricing.
•Shortages for major pallet poolers send ag sector scurrying for pallets.
•Severe labor shortages and skyrocketing labor rates.
•Distribution centers hold more pallet stock, release less onto open market.
•Sharp rise for pallet demand, sustained into 2022 (particularly for used pallets)
•Major consolidation trend in the recycled industry hits into high gear.
•Recyclers turn to combos and recycled lumber for material supply.
•More COVID strains and disruptions… Government Regulation Uncertainty!
•Severe nail, supply and transportation shortages.
•Historic inflation.
WPA Talks Automation
(Cont'd from Page 15.)
Reggie Kendall and his newest enterprise, Pallet Junction, an online pallet business, have joined the WPA. Pallet Junction says that it is easy for pallet decision-makers to locate new or recycled pallets, arrange local haul-offs, and more from its network of vetted pallet providers.
Kendall recently launched Pallet Junction after seeing an opportunity for a digital network in the pallet market. In visiting pallet yards across the country, Kendall came to understand that there are a lot of second and third-generation operators. And to a person, he found they had no interest in making a big investment in digital marketing. “They've got their clientele set already,” he said. Connecting to a digital network, however, provides ease of access to new business opportunities.
Matching customers and vendors in local markets across the country digitally is nothing new to Kendall. Working with Fortune 500 companies, he developed a reputation for acumen in sales leadership and sales processes. About eight years ago he launched We Got a Guy, a successful online network for finding contractors that now has over 153,000 members.
Having a trusted marketplace is critical to Pallet Junction, Kendall stated. The company has partnered with Trustap, a secure payment platform. It builds an element of trust by holding the payment in escrow until the physical transaction has been successfully completed.
He is grateful for the help of pallet business owners who continue to educate him on the finer nuances of the pallet business.
He encourages industry providers to connect with Pallet Junction to find out more about discounted pallet or transportation opportunities locally and nationally.
Pallet Junction Joins WPA
Wenniger stated that his company is increasingly integrating its equipment with software to provide daily production reports. One of the things that his company has come to appreciate is that the most important measure isn’t pallets recycled, but optimum lumber yield. By taking humans out of the decision-making process for board trimming on its Urban Sawmill, customers have enjoyed board foot yield increases as high as 30%.