Six years into his tenure, Harrison Dean describes iGPS as pairing a more disciplined approach with thoughtful, strategic expansion. The plastic pallet pooling company is working to choose the right partners, tighten internal controls and grow deliberately. iGPS aims to bring the same operational precision to its network that it builds into the dimensional accuracy of its Gen 6 pallets.
Based in Orlando, Florida, iGPS has operated under CEO Jeff Pepperworth since 2019. The company was purchased out of bankruptcy in 2013 by Los Angeles-based Balmoral Funds and other partners.
Harrison Dean, executive vice president of sales, said the company has refined how it selects customers, manages assets and delivers service. Today’s iGPS looks very different from its early years when it competed aggressively on price with wood pallet rental and expanded rapidly before running into troubles that led to its bankruptcy.
“We really just try to refine our precision and discipline as a business, not only on the asset management side, the pallet visibility and tracking and the inventory controls, but really making sure that we’re putting ourselves in the best position with the right customers and right partners,” he explained.
Growth remains important, but it must fit the model. “We obviously look for growth and are aggressive about growth, but it’s the right growth,” Dean said. That means iGPS will walk away from business that does not meet its operational standards. He declined to provide a ballpark number for the size of the iGPS pool but confirmed it is the nation’s largest plastic pallet pooler.
Bringing Manufacturing In-House
A major shift came in October 2021, when iGPS launched its own manufacturing operation in Dallas, Texas. Previously, pallets were produced externally. In-house and contract production operated in parallel until last year. Now all production is internal, which gives the company increased control over all aspects of the process. “We have ownership of the pallet itself, its production and volume needs, and also design,” Dean said.
Rather than pursuing radical redesigns, iGPS has focused on steady improvements. The current platform, Gen 6, is a unibody injection-molded pallet with reinforcement rods and a welded top sheet.
“We’re looking at weight, durability and sustainability as the pillars,” Dean said. The company believes lighter-weight plastic pallets offer fuel savings and reduce injury risk for material handlers. Design updates have included increasing fork entry height so thicker power jack tines can handle multiple pallets more easily. Certain components have also been simplified to reduce parts and improve durability.
Choosing the Right Customers
A pallet rental model depends on velocity. Idle pallets reduce profitability. Lost or misdirected pallets create further strain.
“It starts with the customer,” Dean said. “We are focused on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG); that’s the most important thing. When you’re running a pooling business, you really want velocity.”
Customers must follow reporting protocols, including notifying iGPS when pallets are transferred. “It’s incumbent upon the customer to send us their transfers so that we can keep an accurate inventory of their balance,” he explained.
Channel discipline also matters. iGPS avoids certain retail channels where pallets are difficult to recover in truckload quantities. “We’re very prescriptive about who they can send our pallets to,” Dean said. If a customer does not meet expectations, iGPS will exit the relationship. The goal is to protect asset velocity and maintain a healthier pool.
The Costco Moment and Industry Interest
In 2022, industry observers watched how Brambles would respond to Costco’s request to make plastic pallets available to vendors. In June of that year, Brambles announced it would not move forward, citing a failure to project a company 15% return on investment threshold. As the only national plastic pallet pooler focused on FMCG at scale, iGPS saw increased interest afterward. Dean does not describe it as a direct windfall. “We have seen a strong uptick in interest and business growth, but we consider it more a sign of industry momentum than the result of any particular shift with a retailer,” he said.
He pointed to broader investments in automation, sustainability and traceability. Those investments are influencing how companies evaluate pallets.
“We are hearing from companies that are being assessed high fees for pallets being returned due to damage or splintering, so the benefits of a more durable and uniformly constructed pallet are weighing on supply chain managers right now, especially in industries like food and beverage,” Dean acknowledged.
“Costco continues to prioritize plastic pallets due to their safety and sustainability benefits, so being an all-plastic company and the nation’s leading plastic pallet pooler certainly does not hurt from that perspective,” he added.
Plastic pallets cost more than wood, and Dean says most large shippers understand that at the outset. “Most large shippers are looking at the costs of the total system, and the economics of plastic aren’t new. Companies that are evaluating plastic have already baked the investment into their thinking,” he commented.
Instead of focusing solely on rental fees, customers evaluate system-wide performance.
“Success in the supply chain is all about taking small advantages and efficiencies and adding those up to big benefits when you scale up to thousands or millions of pallets and shipments,” Dean explained. In some cases, savings are measurable.
“While it depends on the company, we have seen customers saving $2 to $4 per pallet load after switching to plastic, when you factor in the savings of lower fuel consumption, less product damage, fewer worker injuries, and decreased equipment maintenance and facility cleanup costs,” he noted.
Adoption typically begins with pilot programs at specific facilities, followed by performance assessments and phased expansion. “It’s a data-driven process, and we are here to work with the customer to help them make those assessments and scale up their plastic pallet usage in ways that make sense for their business,” Dean said.
Automation and Quality Expectations
Automation is shaping pallet standards across the FMCG sector. Retailers are placing greater emphasis on pallet quality, and chargebacks related to damage have increased in some channels.
To support automation compatibility, iGPS provides on-site technical support. Tom Edwards, an automation specialist and a 16-year company veteran, visits facilities to ensure pallets move smoothly through conveyor systems and photo eyes.
“When we bring on a customer, he will go do a site visit to make sure that the pallet will move through,” Dean said, “for example if their photo eyes need to be adjusted.”
At company depots, iGPS also relies on automation for accurate pallet inspection and efficient handling. A vision system helps determine if a pallet is structurally damaged or whether it just has some superficial scuffing that does not impact performance.
Asset Recovery and Recycler Partnerships
Asset recovery remains critical. iGPS maintains a dedicated recovery team that monitors pallet flows and works with recyclers. “We engage with them to establish a relationship. We’ll put an agreement in front of them. There’ll be some sort of fee structure for handling, and we’ll set criteria,” Dean stated.
He describes wood pallet recyclers as practical partners. “They don’t really look at it as wood versus plastic and good versus bad. They say, ‘Look, it’s pallet, and it needs to be segregated over here to this color, this type,’” he said. As iGPS expands into new regions, it continues to seek recycler partners. Dean confirmed, “We tremendously value and appreciate our recycler partners, and look forward to expanding these relationships as we expand into new regions.”
Internally, iGPS operates 13 full-service depots along with more than 240 iDepot locations at retail partner sites. The iDepot model allows pallets to be inspected by the retailer before moving directly to the shipper, reducing transport steps. A retail compliance team works with stores to ensure proper sorting and damaged pallet segregation.
The full-service depots feature automated visual inspection and handling systems to ensure accurate and efficient sortation. In certain regions, the company also partners with third-party logistics providers to streamline returns.
Regarding tracking, each iGPS pallet contains an RFID tag. iGPS is also testing additional tracking technologies, including cellular devices that transmit periodic data. Dean views data visibility as an increasingly important differentiator.
“I think the more technology and data that you can capture, the more feedback we can provide to our customers that might help inform decisions they make about how the product is being transported,” he explained.
Dean believes that as customers gain access to more data, particularly around indirect costs that too often go uncalculated, the case for switching to iGPS becomes stronger. Better information, he argued, allows companies to see the full economic picture.
For wood pallet manufacturers and recyclers, the takeaway is straightforward. iGPS is not attempting to serve every segment. It is focusing on customers who value lighter pallet weight, reliable automation compatibility and data visibility. In both plastic and wood, long-term success follows when customers clearly understand and value what a provider brings to the table.
