From Reaction
To Action: Planning and Purpose
Is Our xxx
Dear WPA members and friends,
Glenn
Glenn Meeks
Executive Vice President
Western Pallet Association
July 2025
Strategy is one of those familiar business buzzwords that can seem unattainable - something for large corporations with endless resources. In reality, it’s a practical tool that any small business can wield. It’s the difference between steering your business forward (ACTION) and drifting wherever the current happens to take you (REACTION)
The truth is the world isn’t getting simpler. A single disruption like a facility shutdown, regulatory shift, economic shock, or unexpected event can upend even the most stable operation. Companies that navigate through those challenges aren’t just the strongest or the fastest; they’re the ones that created a plan. Strategy is what turns those unpredictable challenges into something you can address, rather than fear.
The October issue of the WPA magazine takes a clear-eyed look at what that means for our industry. It explores how operators are using foresight to prepare for risk, how new technologies are shaping long-term planning, and how mindset, not luck, determines who comes out ahead.
You don’t need a 100-page plan to be strategic. You need a clear view of where you’re company is heading, a real understanding of the environment you operate in, and the discipline to make decisions that position your business as ready, not just for the next month, but for the next few years.
As we move into the final stretch of the year, our board and committees have been actively working on their strategic plans to address what’s ahead for the WPA. I encourage every member to carve out time to think beyond today’s workload. Strategy is an act of leadership. And it’s how even the smallest operation can play a much in a much bigger game.
October 2025