Where manufacturing sits
| Place | What is made |
|---|---|
| Freeport Center | Consumer products, trailers, aerospace composites, food |
| West Jordan | Structural steel fabrication |
| Spanish Fork | Aluminium extrusion, metal fabrication, paper packaging |
| Ogden | Automotive safety, composites, medical |
What the production line needs
A line that wraps and stacks automatically depends on a pallet that is the same height and the same stiffness each time. A combo pallet, rebuilt with new decks on kept stringers, gives that consistency at a cost below all-new. Plants making heavy goods may prefer custom pallets.
The three decisions
- Size: the footprint your line and your customer expect.
- Spec: grade, new or not, block or stringer.
- Schedule: a weekly count and a day of the week.
What manufacturers ask
Can a stack of old pallets be sold back when a product changes? Yes, describe it as surplus. Does the stock need the IPPC mark? Only if the product leaves the country; the export guide sets out when. How is a recurring order described? With the four numbers on the truckload orders.
Wording a standing order
A manufacturer is better served by one clear paragraph than by many calls. State the footprint, the build, the grade, the count per delivery and the delivery rhythm. If the line is sensitive to pallet height, say so. If the line has a shutdown week, say when.
- Footprint and build: 48 x 40 block, for example.
- Grade: Grade A, or combo for even heights.
- Count per delivery and how often.
- Dock hours and who receives.
A shift in the product mix can change the pallet need, so tell the supplier when a new product is about to start.
Shutdowns, changeovers and seasons
Manufacturing weeks are uneven. A plant may close for a holiday week, shut a line for maintenance, or ramp up before a trade show. Pallet demand follows. Telling a supplier about the calendar, even roughly, lets them plan stock in advance rather than scrambling in the week you need it.
- Planned shutdowns and holiday weeks.
- Product launches that change pallet size.
- Quarter-end pushes.
- Seasonal peaks in your product.
Choosing between new and used
A line that needs one height and a stable footprint leans toward combo or new. A line with simple outbound loads can use sorted used. The cost difference, small per pallet, grows with weekly volume, which is why a plant should work out its annual count before it picks.