The recent Christmas shopping season has reminded me that nothing is free. Then I stopped and tried to make a list of things we can get without having to pay a penny. It was a short list. Air, sunshine, library books, phone book listings, birthday gifts, Christmas parades, 4th of July fireworks, opinions, dirty looks, etc.
Then I realized that the publisher of the Pallet Enterprise is offering the industry an opportunity for free promotion. That made me smile because I always like free stuff.
Industrial Reporting Inc., the publisher of this magazine, is launching a new Web site called MaterialsHandling.Net. This site is a buying guide and directory on pallets, packaging, reusable containers and related materials handling equipment. It includes information from independent experts to help buyers make smart pallet, packaging and unit load decisions.
So where’s the free lunch? Well, pallet companies can sign up for a free basic listing and be seen by thousands of potential customers. Basic listing includes contact information and a brief company description. The site is open to pallet companies that offer a wide variety of materials from wood to plastic to corrugated and metal.
If someone can make a pallet out of it, our staff will accommodate it on the new directory part of the site. Go to http://www.materialshandling.net/interestform.asp and complete the form.
The directory is called Packaging Marketplace, and it is still in its infancy. Please be patient with its progress. But we hope Packaging Marketplace will become the number one place that buyers go to find transport packaging and related materials handling solutions from a wide variety of suppliers.
The larger MaterialsHandling.Net goes way beyond just a directory. It has a number of editorial features that cannot be found elsewhere. MaterialsHandling.net specializes in the transport packaging and pallet sector of materials handling. Our mission is to provide the best information and buying resource on the planet. This portal covers: pallets, containers, slipsheets, unitizing equipment, RFID/tracking, management services, and related materials handling equipment.
Here are some new or planned features for the site:
• Quick Search Supplier Grid – Grid of information on leading suppliers designed to help find the right solution fast.
• Packaging Marketplace – Directory of leading transport packaging suppliers and services.
• Innovative Solutions – Use these case studies from top suppliers to find unique, proven ways to improve your materials handling.
• New Product Review – Find the latest new technology.
• ZIP Request for proposal – Connect with multiple suppliers and request information in one quick and easy process.
• News articles and feature stories about transport packaging and related materials handling equipment.
So maybe there is such a thing as a free lunch. Pallet companies should go and sign up today for a FREE listing. There are also opportunities for paid listing enhancements or other advertisements. You can find out more on the Web site.
Thinking about even more free opportunities, the Enterprise has covered hundreds of pallet and sawmill companies throughout the years in addition to lots of supplier articles. Many of these are available online. One free way to promote your company is to place a link from your site to any editorial from our sites that feature your company. It’s easy. Simply go to www.pallet enterprise.com and type your company name. See what comes up. Then you can place a link from your site to the content. IRI’s link policies can be found at http://www.pallet enterprise.com/linkpolicy.asp
If you want to link to an article that ran in the magazine but is not available online, call our office at 804/550-0323 or e-mail me at chaille@ireporting.com.
Our staff will put the article online if you agree to link to it. Companies can also purchase e-prints for placing on their Web sites. These e-prints are PDFs or HTML code that includes pictures. E-prints allow visitors to look at an article as it appeared in the magazine without leaving our site. E-prints give you more control over the content.
Speaking of articles, this issue has summaries of the best stories and features from the past year. You will find lots of good ideas and tips for making the most of your new year.
The news story of the year is the government raids of IFCO Systems and the issues surrounding the use of unauthorized immigrant workers. With the number of foreign workers in the industry increasing, the government’s response to the issue of immigrant workers has become a major concern for the future.
This is the annual Buyers’ Guide edition, which lists leading suppliers and is a handy reference to use throughout the year. Please make sure to use this resource and as always tell the supplier that you heard about them from the Pallet Enterprise.
With the holidays finally here, I am not the only one eating good these days. The Emerald Ash Borer is feasting on Ash trees in the Upper Midwest region of the country. The federal government has instituted a quarantine on Ash wood products, including pallets, for the entire states of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio as well as much of Michigan.
Find out more about the quarantine and how you can comply by reading the story on page 42. You will want to read this article even if you are not in a quarantine state because the restrictions apply to anyone shipping into or out of these areas. And that may include some of your customers.
From the entire staff of Pallet Enterprise, we hope that you have a prosperous and joyous 2007. Viva the free lunch revolution!
