Christopher Pletcher is the new CEO and owner of First Alliance Logistics Management (FALM), a pallet management and brokerage company, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. FALM just completed a business transition to new ownership this year, and Pletcher previously was an executive in the metal coatings, industrial testing, and bulk chemicals sectors.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What from your job experience will be most helpful as you guide FALM into the future?
Pletcher: My experience in the chemical industry will help me to get up to speed quickly in understanding how the industrial markets move, and global complex supply chains operate. I used to lead both distributor and direct customer relationships across the US for a host of large-scale end-use industrial applications. What I learned from that role is that while it’s important to understand the customer, the more impactful relationship is with the vendor who is making the product. FALM is going to focus on deepening our relationships with our vendors across the country.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What are your early perceptions of the U.S. pallet market?
Pletcher: The pallet industry has been very welcoming to me as I’ve sought to get to know our vendors and customers. There seem to be a lot of pragmatic and savvy businesspeople in this industry with solid values and a strong work ethic. It’s a fragmented market with many family-led businesses, which help to create a supportive environment.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: With new leadership, how is the organization’s strategy or approach changing?
Pletcher: From the outset, we are focusing on our culture—defining values such as professionalism, integrity, and excellence to inform how we conduct ourselves as individuals and as a company. We emphasize responsiveness to our clients and vendors, and we’re specifically looking to expand our partnerships with like-minded organizations. Our clients often have multiple high-volume locations and are looking for a single point of contact to have their pallets specified, sourced, and delivered—all with excellent service. We need a strong network of high-caliber vendors to support these clients.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: With new ownership, what role do the former owners play? Are they still part of your network? Do they still get preferential treatment when it comes to brokered accounts?
Pletcher: FALM is continuing to honor the original business’s heritage and maintains connections with its former investors. Our aim is to define preferred vendors in each region of the country in order to deepen our service network. Existing FALM network vendors will be a part of this consideration within a more structured partnership program.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: Is FALM looking for more business partners? If so, what are you looking for? Who should a company contact if they want to be considered for brokered accounts?
Pletcher: We are growth-minded, ambitious, and driven—and we’re actively looking for others in the industry who share our values and outlook. If you’d like to work with us, please reach out to sales@falm.com or to me directly, and we’ll be back in touch with you quickly.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: How is FALM positioned to help pallet users in the future? What makes FALM stand out from other brokers?
Pletcher: At FALM, we’re investing in deepening our expertise as service providers in the industry. Our sales team is participating in regular PDS training, and we are emphasizing on-site visits to clients to diagnose their unique pallet requirements. We actively pursue new and custom builds and strive to help pallet users get exactly the right pallet for their needs.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: How have pallet user demands changed over the last few years?
Pletcher: Pallet users are growing more sophisticated and informed over the years, wanting an ever-increasing amount of data and reporting for all areas of the supply chain. At FALM, we actively work alongside our key clients to define and generate custom reports using our proprietary software to provide valuable insights into their supply chain. FALM’s longstanding experience (30 years) in the industry, investment in data and reporting software, and deep national network all allow us to meet the client’s expectations for specifications, delivery, cost management, and reporting.
