Moving with Purpose:
What Does Preparedness Look Like in 2025?
Dear WPA members and friends,
Glenn
Glenn Meeks
Executive Vice President
Western Pallet Association
April 2025
What does preparedness look like in 2025? In this month’s WPA Magazine, it shows up in many forms—from disaster planning and smart insurance coverage to understanding regional export trends and embracing new technologies.
We begin with a timely recap of our recent Master Learning Group on disaster planning. Members shared real lessons from pallet fires, cyberattacks, and financial fraud. Their message was clear: when things go wrong, you’ll either have a plan—or a problem.
Brint Walker builds on that by outlining essential insurance coverages every pallet business should regularly review. Our Advocacy & Insights chair and columnist, Emily Clark, emphasizes the importance of working with suppliers who advocate for shared policy goals. While Kat Vasquez, our technology wizard, shows how companies that embrace AI, robotics, and energy breakthroughs aren’t just keeping up—they’re pulling ahead.
I also want to introduce Kevan Grinwis, the newest voice in the WPA Magazine. Kevan brings a fresh, people-first perspective to the publication—one that resonates with the real-world challenges we all face. His first column is about grit, relationships, and the quiet moments where you have to choose between pushing for the sale or simply asking, “Are you okay?”
On the data front, a new industry report reveals that U.S. pallet production surged during the pandemic, with softwood now dominating the market and automation reshaping operations. Meanwhile, our Pacific and Mountain states are leading the way in U.S. exports—from semiconductors to seafood—and the implications for pallet producers are just as varied.
Every one of these features & articles highlights a different way to prepare. Thank you to our members for continuing to make the WPA community one that moves with purpose, not just speed.