Wilson Pallet in Sullivan, Illinois, has been in business since 2005. The company is owned and operated by Matt Schlabach and his three brothers and their father. The company manufactures specialty pallets, crates and skids, supplying customers in the Midwest and beyond.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the best piece of business advice that you have ever received?
Schlabach: There are two sides to every business deal: the physiological side and the financial side. Always seek to win the financial side for there is no bank that will cash an ego check.
Pallet Enterprise: Have you recently started pursuing any new markets/product lines?
Schlabach: Yes. Through our client inquiries and demands we have expanded our new lumber marketing as well as getting into some corrugated markets.
Pallet Enterprise: How do you decide whether or not to try a new idea in your company?
Schlabach: We have a weekly board of directors meeting where we discuss how a new idea aligns with our vision, mission and our core values. Then, of course, we discuss whether we have the proper resources, and what is the return on investment.
Pallet Enterprise: What is one thing you do at your company that is different from other pallet companies?
Schlabach: We value our employees’ ideas and feedback highly. Human resources schedules bi-monthly one-on-one meetings with each employee.
Pallet Enterprise: What is one of the hardest business decisions you have ever made?
Schlabach: Deciding to let a few pallet customers go during a very busy season for the sake of our employees and their families.
Pallet Enterprise: What is one of the best decisions you have ever made?
Schlabach: We hired a business adviser to help conduct our yearly SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and help set new goals.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about customer service?
Schlabach: Always respond promptly even if you have bad news.
Pallet Enterprise: What performance indicators do you track to measure how your company is doing?
Schlabach: We rely heavily on our managers’ and employees’ feedback. Do we have raging fans? We also monitor our sales versus man hours.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most important thing you do each day?
Schlabach: Pray for God’s divine influence, His guidance, and His protecting hand over everyone – before leaving the house each morning. We always start our morning meetings with someone sharing something positive.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the biggest challenge your company is currently facing?
Schlabach: Downward pressure from customers on pricing and truck availability.
