Ritson, who started working in his grandfather’s business when he was very young, celebrates his 40th year anniversary in the industry this year. Cimino Box & Pallet is a pallet recycling company specializing in repairing used pallets for re-use and also builds pallets out of reclaimed lumber.
Pallet Enterprise: Tell me a little more about how you first got involved in the pallet business?
Ritson: I was working at Cimino Box for my grandfather when I was only 12-years old. I was basically stacking lumber, sweeping floors and even tearing pallets up because we used to do it the old-fashioned way with a crowbar and a sledgehammer. I took over in 1988 when he passed away, running the business for my grandmother and eventually bought her out. Other than being a paper boy part-time, this is all I’ve ever done.
Pallet Enterprise: How has your business evolved over the years in terms of what it does and the products it offers?
Ritson: When my grandfather started it, he was making boxes for the brewery back in the 40s, 50s and 60s. The pallet side of the business began to evolve maybe in the early 70s. I first started taking reclaimed lumber and building pallets. When I took over the business, I started getting more into the GMA market. My grandfather just had a 12-bed flat-bed truck, but I have built up our fleet with five tractors, 50 trailers, three full-time tractor-trailer drivers and two full-time box-truck drivers.
Pallet Enterprise: What do you like best about working in the pallet industry?
Ritson: The people I have met and the relationships I have developed over the years. I have worked with a lot of good people from suppliers to customers to the employees.
Pallet Enterprise: I understand your wife Laura works alongside you in the business and your children have been involved as well. Can you tell me a little more about this?
Ritson: Laura is the office manager. We have two other people in the office as well. I run the shop and the warehouse and the logistics, and she runs that side of the business. My daughter Elyse used to help out in the office some, and my son Nick has worked off and on for me. Both children are now grown and work in other fields. Elyse just graduated from the University College of Dublin with a master’s degree in International Public Health, and Nick works in radio in Florida.
Pallet Enterprise: How have customer expectations changed in recent years?
Ritson: Well customers definitely are a little more demanding. They want the product quicker – and want a lot of LTL loads – often they don’t want to tie up their docks with full loads. That is the biggest change I see in customer expectations.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned about business in the past 40 years?
Ritson: Being able to adapt to change: that you are only as good as your employees allow you to be, and if you surround yourself with good people and treat people with respect, your chance of being successful is much better.
