Zach Gilbert, PLA's Chief Commercial Officer, was recently featured in the article Pallets Keep Fresh Produce Moving in Produce Business magazine. An excerpt of the article appears below.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath hit the pallet market, much as it did all other products and services, bringing unprecedented swings in availability and price. "The difference," says Zach Gilbert, chief commercial officer of PLA, a wooden pallet producer, "was that pallets had previously been treated as a commodity and the pallet supply was taken for granted."
"When that was no longer the case, companies really felt the impact of unreliable providers on their operations, and discussions about pallets became less about getting the lowest price and more about stability and quality of supply."
Today, he adds, companies seek out suppliers who do more than just provide a product or service at a decent price. They want suppliers that can help them with big picture priorities like automation and sustainability.
"Our customers want to know what we're doing to make our business as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, and how that can benefit their business," Gilbert says. "Specific to sustainability, they want to be able to measure and report the benefits of the recycled pallets they're using and/or recycling, in a way that aligns with their company values."
Read the full article here.