May 2026
methods.
“We’re getting the same board footage, but with far less labor,” explained Zack Miller of Millwood told Pallet Enterprise in a recent story.
That type of labor-saving improvement increasingly matters, especially where workforce availability continues to shape operational decisions.
Simplicity, Reliability and Maintainability Still Matter
One of the strongest recurring themes among successful pallet companies is that equipment must remain practical to operate and maintain.
Steve Gallucci, CEO of Palleton Inc., described a straightforward framework his company uses when evaluating machinery investments.
“When I look at any piece of equipment, I ask four questions,” Gallucci explained in a 2026 Pallet Enterprise article. “How easy is it to use? How easy is it to repair? Can I source parts locally? And does it actually increase my production efficiency?”
That philosophy reflects the realities facing many pallet operations. Downtime can erase productivity gains very quickly, especially when plants rely on equipment requiring specialized technicians or difficult-to-source parts.
“There are some very high-quality machines out there,” Gallucci acknowledged. “But if it breaks and I have to fly in a technician from another state, and the line is down, that’s a no-go for us.”
This practical mindset also appeared in Pennyrile Pallets’ recent automation upgrades. When the company replaced an aging nailing line with a Titan system from Pallet Machinery Group, the decision focused less on aggressive production growth and more on operational stability, flexibility, and usability.
“We didn’t want something that required three or four months of training,” Kenneth Kauffman commented to Pallet Enterprise. “This felt like a natural step forward without reinventing everything.”
That perspective may resonate with many mid-sized pallet operations. The best technology investment is not always the most sophisticated system. Often, it is the one employees can quickly understand, maintain, and integrate into existing workflows.
Lean Thinking Often Creates the Biggest Gains
Technology alone rarely solves operational inefficiencies. Some pallet companies invest heavily in automation while still struggling with poor layouts, excessive staging, unnecessary handling, or com- munication gaps between departments. In those situations, technology may simply automate waste instead of eliminating it.
Lean manufacturing principles continue to influence some of the industry’s most efficient operations because they focus on reducing unnecessary motion and improving process flow.
At Gruber Pallets in Minnesota, management built much of its improvement strategy around eliminating wasted movement and empowering employees to identify incremental process improvements.
That philosophy included minimizing stacking and unstacking, reducing forklift movement, and organizing production around smoother material flow.
“We want minimal touches,” Luke Gruber explained in the earlier article. “We want one-piece flow. We want fast switchovers.”
For many operations, the most valuable technology investment may not initially involve major automation at all. It may begin with reorganizing flow, improving visibility, simplifying movement, and reducing operator frustration.
Visibility and Data Are Becoming More Valuable
Another area gaining traction is operational visibility.
Historically, many pallet operations relied heavily on manual counts, handwritten production tracking, or verbal reporting. Increasingly, companies are implementing dashboards, barcode systems, AI vision tools, and telematics to improve accountability and decision-making.
At Gruber Pallets, AI vision systems were introduced to improve production visibility and workstation accountability. Management reported immediate productivity improvements once employees could see accurate, real-time production data.
Neopal in Texas offers a more advanced example of how visibility and automation can support highly engineered manufacturing systems. The company integrates machine monitoring, quality inspection systems, automated material handling, and production dashboards throughout its operation.
Still, Neopal’s approach reinforces an important point. Technology works best when paired with disciplined processes and clearly defined operational objectives.
“We define what we want to accomplish first,” Neopal owner Jeff Krug explained. “Then we find or build equipment to support those objectives.”
That may be one of the most important lessons for pallet companies evaluating future investments.
Avoid Buying Technology Too Early
Technology can create major gains, but timing matters.
Some companies invest in advanced automation before their processes are stable enough to support it. Others underestimate training requirements or fail to assign clear ownership for implementation and maintenance.
Successful adoption usually requires:
organized workflows,
employee buy-in,
reliable maintenance support,
and clear operational goals.
Incremental improvements are often easier to manage and carry less financial risk than oversized all-at-once automation projects.
Pennyrile Pallets demonstrated that approach through a series of measured upgrades rather than a complete operational overhaul. The company improved workflow, material handling, and flexibility while maintaining the culture and operational style that already worked well for its business.
Technology Should Fit the Operation
The pallet industry has always rewarded practical problem-solvers. That reality has not changed.
The best technology investments are often the ones that quietly remove friction from the workday:
a conveyor that reduces unnecessary movement,
a lift table that reduces fatigue,
a stacker that improves flow,
a saw that frees up labor,
or a dashboard that identifies downtime before it becomes a larger issue.
Technology does not need to be flashy to transform an operation.
For pallet manufacturers and recyclers evaluating future investments, the most important question may not be, “What is the newest technology?” but rather, “What problem are we trying to solve?”
Companies that answer that question honestly are often the ones making the smartest long-term technology decisions.