The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA), the largest and most influential pallet association in North America, has announced a name change to be more representative of the membership and aligned with the Board’s strategic goals for the association. The association has decided to release all the details of the new name, logo and branding at its annual meeting held in Florida later this year.
The NWPCA has been working through a process to consider a name change over the 1.5 years including a membership survey, working with a consultant to investigate options and coordinating with various stakeholders and influencers within the association. The new name transition will take place in late March as all the details are announced to members and the public. The new name will be Woodpack Global. Some of the leading members of the association will explain the heritage, legacy and reasons for the evolution of the name at Annual Leadership Conference.
Brent McClendon, president and CEO of the NWPCA, described the process, “It was a membership-supported, board-led initiative to move the organization forward and evolve with a shorter, more memorable name that represents the entire industry and the association’s strategic position. The name change discussion coincided with a board-driven organizational restructuring that led to the hiring of six new staff members to increase our services to the industry in the United States.”
McClendon noted, “The NWPCA’s strategic plan has included to become the global thought leader for the pallet industry over the past twelve years.” This focus covers advocacy, research and training opportunities for the association and its members as it becomes increasingly global in membership and seeks more growth opportunities. Of course, the NWPCA has been expanding its customer base with its popular Pallet Design System™ (PDS) software across the globe over the last decade. The new name reflects the association’s global audience, as it has created a Latin American chapter in Central and South America and looks to greater work with allies in Europe and Asia.
During this name change process, the NWPCA conducted a membership survey and over 60% of respondent US members were in favor of a name change, and thirty percent open to the change. One reason is that including the word container in the name had led to some confusion within the market as well as in regulatory circles. McClendon explained, “When we talk to lawmakers, some were confused by the word container in our name. They would ask, ‘Does this mean shipping container?’ The new name focuses on wood packaging including pallets and containers. Ultimately, this new name and brand will increase our representation on really critical global issues for U.S. interests.”
Currently, the NWPCA has members in 43 countries, so it has already expanded globally even though, the majority of its board and leadership is located in the United States. McClendon explained that the NWPCA would continue to be U.S. focused in most of its policy and regulatory work. This name change was not taken lightly given that the words “national,” “pallet,” and “container” will no longer be used. The NWPCA hired a firm to look at various options including a global trademark IP search. These experts started with a list of over 1,000 names, helping the Board narrow the list down to six candidates including the final name. Why did the NWPCA Board eventually settle on Woodpack Global?
McClendon explained, “They liked that it starts with wood. And if you think about it, wood’s at the heart of everything we do. It’s our moral compass. If you look at name change initiatives in the past with the association, they fell apart because people left the word wood out. Secondly, pack stands for packaging including pallets and containers, and it also symbolizes a community that fights for each other, like a PACK. Third, global ties into our larger mission as a global thought leader. Also, supply chains have become truly global. That’s why we retained the tagline ‘Pallets Move the World,’ and will continue to use this slogan in some.”
When asked about how other international associations or trade partners have responded to the news, McClendon clarified that at the point of the interview, about half of the global partner associations or groups had been contacted. Others are ongoing. McClendon said that its global association partners have been largely supportive of the name change.
Will Woodpack Global continue to represent the interests of the American pallet sector? McClendon clarified, “Our board has 18 members, 14 are in the United States. We have more budget and staff focused on U.S. issues than we ever have before. The board will continue to operate on consensus. In reality, it operates on unanimity as I can’t recall the last motion that was approved by all those in the room. The board has made it clear that even as we grow globally, our value proposition needs to continue to improve for U.S. companies” He added about any potential regulatory conflicts, “Our Board of Directors’ role is to serve as a unifying voice and identify solutions that highlight the benefits of wooden transport packaging and position it as the solution of choice for securing and transporting unit loads globally.”
McClendon admitted, “Change is uncomfortable, even though the companies are evolving. One of the things I learned early in my association career was if your association is not changing at the pace of your industry, that rate of change of your industry, then your association was on the path to irrelevance. I’ve clearly heard that message from our Executive Committee and our Board of Directors this year.”
McClendon and his staff are looking to add value through this entire process. He noted, “We will continue to offer a strong value proposition to our members. The good news is that dues prices are not going up as part of this rebrand…We’re doing this to better represent the industry going forward.”
The NWPCA looked at many different names. Some were confusing. Others were too long or didn’t create a memorable brand. Some didn’t clarify a key confusion point with regulators, partners or potential members. This name gives plenty of room for growth, global influence as well as marketing opportunities. The rebrand will include a new logo, and McClendon said this new logo takes into consideration the heritage and legacy of the globe on the pallet icon.
The NWPCA has considered a number of name change initiatives throughout the years. Why make this change now? McClendon pointed out, “The industry has become more global over the last five to 10 years. Your customers are more global. The industry is more global. The issues are global.” For more information on this upcoming name change, visit https://woodpackglobal.org.
