Your website should be more than an afterthought. It provides the first impression for many potential new customers. It is the public face of your operation and can either boost or hinder sales.
As younger and younger people take key positions at pallet using companies, your website and your online marketing and social media presence are becoming more important every year.
Continuing the tradition of recognizing top websites in the industry, the staff of Pallet Enterprise magazine is releasing our picks for the 2025 Pallet Industry Website Awards. A major focus this year is the marketing language and overall impression that various websites present. Similar to what our team did last year, we focused on finding some of the best examples of key attributes or functionality, such as videos, blogs or career/job resources. We did not use a strict judging scale applied to all websites and categories as we did in the past. Some aspects of the winners may be below our typical standard if the website knocks one particular area out of the park.
The Pallet Enterprise staff has scoured the web looking for the best examples of top websites. This year we looked at over 200 websites in our analysis.
Companies that were in the top five rankings or were honorable mentions last year are not eligible for recognition this year. This award is for pallet manufacturers, recyclers, pallet management companies or brokers located in the United States. The winners are recognized in this article and will be authorized to promote this recognition in their print and online communications.
We only judged elements that are visible to the public and did not include aspects of a website that require passwords or credentials to access. Our analysis focuses on the company website and not their social media presence or email/text marketing.
If you haven’t been thinking about your website in a while, one key reason to consider upgrading it is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by companies in their purchasing practices. AI software and bots search the Internet looking for keywords and connections as they scout out potential suppliers. Not having the right keywords or issues covered on your website may lead to you getting missed. What you write and present online will be all that AI agents or bots see in some cases. And it certainly is the best place for you to control the narrative and put your best foot forward. If you want to get left out as AI does more for your customers, than just ignore your website. But if you want to shape what goes into the AI discussion, your website and social media outreach are a great way to make sure your message doesn’t get lost in all the noise.
What Turns a Good Website into a Great Website?
A good website starts with the right focus and attention to the desired audience. Too many people focus their website on themselves and what they have to sell or what they want to say. Everyone does the same thing in many cases. But a website that focuses on the customer and tackles the right keywords and issues is sure to get noticed by the people who actually matter – new and existing customers.
You should begin with a good understanding of your customers and the keywords they will use in their searches. These keywords cover geographic ranges, product types, specialty services, common pallet problems, etc. These keywords should be used in your homepage, product pages, articles/blogs, online resources, web page text, image names, page names and other elements. Some companies create blogs to market to prospective customers who are searching on specific terms, such as mold-free pallets, block pallets, ISPM-15 compliance, pallet design, pallet quality, automation-ready pallets, etc.
Most good webmasters encourage clients to start with customer profiles that will guide their process. These profiles should be shared with everyone on the team developing the website. You may have multiple audiences. For example, many pallet companies create a customer-focused section as well as an employee-focused section or recruitment section for attracting new talent and labor.
Regular updates help to ensure that your website ranks higher. It also shows that you are putting effort into communicating with those who won’t pick up the phone and call or send an email.
Top Five Website Award Winners and Honorable Mentions for 2025
The top websites are presented in alphabetical order. Also, we didn’t search every pallet company’s website. But we strived to view as many as possible. If you want to be included in the future, email chaille@ireporting.com.
After the top five winners, we selected a number of websites to receive an honorable mention recognition for doing some key aspects of online marketing very well. All of these winners provide some lessons for any pallet company looking to update its website and improve its outreach online.
Top Five Award Winners
Berry Pallets
Berry Pallets recently redesigned its website, and the messaging is clear from the new company video to the storyline on each page, the company is built on “Hard Work, Dedication and Quality.” A good company video can really help tell your story and set a company apart. This is one of the best company videos our team has seen this year hitting on key customer needs such as food-grade pallets, pallet quality, competitive pricing, lean operation and much more. The website has good product pages focused on customer needs along with Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of each page. One of the things a good website does is explain what make you different from all the rest and this re-design does a great job presenting that message.
FCA Packaging
The core message for the FCA website is clear – FCA solves complex packaging problems. Many pictures of complex packaging situations combined with marketing text focused on unique packaging challenges makes the FCA website stand out in the category of specialty packaging. This website shows more than tells in its approach. And it does a good job presenting the testing and design capabilities of FCA. The messaging is consistent and professional. The website captures the widespread experience and creativity of the company.
River States Pallets
(Formerly General Pallets)
Earlier this year, General Pallets and Southland Manufacturing announced a rebrand of the combined companies as River States Pallets. The campaign included a press release, a new logo, a new website, new social media accounts and more. This is a good example of how to conduct a rebrand and how a new name can lay the groundwork for a larger vision for the future. The text on the homepage was particularly custom-centric focusing on customization, pallet quality audits, lead times, 99% on-time delivery and more. Homepage also explains key benefits of working with the company and explores benefits for various sectors. Does your website address customer pain points? If it doesn’t, you may be losing out on sales. See how River States delivers a message that hits home with many pallet buyers.
Hay Creek Pallet
Hay Creek Pallet is about people. That’s clear from the company video to the careers page and the images and messaging on the website. If you want to use your website to boost recruitment, Hay Creek is one of the best examples I have seen of a people-first approach. Company president, Tom Gardner, said in the company video, “Everybody is welcome, nobody is perfect, everything is possible.” That sure sounds like the kind of place where most people would want to work. The vision statement focuses on people too. It is, “Committed to a caring culture for everyone, while becoming one of the top places to work in Wisconsin.” The careers page includes an application form and a company video.
Rose Pallet
The Rose Pallet website had one of the best blogs we found as well as some of the most customer-centric language. The first thing you see on the homepage is, “We want to solve your pallet problems.” That’s a message that every pallet buyer wants to hear. The website backs up the claim by offering solutions and ideas in its blog as well as other pages on its website.
The design is professional yet personable showcasing the women-owned structure of the business. Content you publish is important because it contains keywords and articles that position your business as solution provider. Check out the Rose Pallet website to see how its team has nailed this part of their message.
Honorable Mentions
Avid Pallet
The Avid Pallet website offers a language selector prominently displayed on the top right of the web page. Given the increasing importance of Spanish speakers in the workforce, this feature makes navigating the website easier for non-English speakers. A “Request a Quote” button is prominently displayed on the upper right of main pages. This ensures that visitors see the main call to action goal of the website. Are you making it easy for customers to contact you?
Blackberry Pallet
Blackberry Pallet had one of the best pallet-related blogs we found. Topics include international regulations, selecting the right pallet, sustainability and pallets, the true cost of cheap pallets, and why vertical integration matters at your pallet supplier. The design features black and white images and video, which makes it stand out from other industry websites. While you don’t necessarily have to post a blog, offering updates on your website keeps it fresh and can help with your search engine rankings as well as attract attention when a potential customer searches on specific terms or needs.
Kamps Pallets
As one of the largest pallet companies in the country, Kamps has some unique stories to tell. One way the company gets across its key benefits is with case studies. These highlight specific topics and benefits of working with Kamps. Notice that you can describe the case without naming specific clients. The website also has a news section with company news as well as articles on important topics. Kamps’ website contains videos as well as environmental statistics and a yearly sustainability report. The green and white color scheme reinforces the environmental benefits of wood packaging, especially recycling.
Remmey
Remmey – The Pallet Company recently overhauled its website, and it developed one of the best sustainability pages our team found. This web page includes a wood waste/carbon calculator, information on the pallet EPD, statistics on Pennsylvania forests and ecology, description of the company’s environmental approaches and more.
United Pacific Pallet
United Pacific’s website has one of the best sections dedicated to specific industries and their needs. This is another way to create a potential connection with a potential new customer and show that you understand their business. The specific industry pages provide solutions, pictures of products and content explaining the key variables to consider for each market. The industries include: agriculture, manufacturing, industrial, building materials, mining and packaging. This approach showcases expertise and customer-centric approach.
