Entrepreneur Makes a Statement and Turns a Profit at the Same Time

When Charlotte Reeves first conceived of A-1 Pallet Company in 1991, she saw the company as a force for social change. Charlotte found herself focused on creating a business in Jackson’s inner city while many other companies were moving out of the area due to high crime and drug use.

            Charlotte said, “I was determined that I was going to stay in Jackson and try to make a difference there. That’s why we chose the downtown area. So many businesses had left, and therefore we were able to buy the abandoned property and restore it at a lower cost than in other locations.”

            Charlotte located the company in a historically depressed section of Jackson, choosing a central location so they could serve potential customers easily and also provide jobs to unemployed inner city residents.

            “We were able to get them off the streets, off welfare, and back into the work force,” Charlotte said. “We’ve tried to make a better life for them.”