Chip Dauber is director of facilities and operations for Ongweoweh Corp,
a Native American-owned pallet and packaging management company headquartered in Ithaca, New York.
Pallet Enterprise: How long have you been with Ongweoweh Corp? How has your company become much more than just a broker?
Dauber: I started with Ongweoweh in 1999. There were eight of us at the time. We are now 65-plus employees at our home offices in Ithaca, New York. The company’s solutions encompass single source procurement, unit load optimization, recycling services, asset recovery and pooling, along with custom reporting. Its products include new wood pallets, crates, skids and top frames; recycled wood pallets; pallets made from plastics, composites and other materials; and distribution packaging materials ranging from corner boards to stretch film.
Pallet Enterprise: What is one thing that you do at your company that sets you apart from other pallet and packaging companies?
Dauber: What sets us apart from many other pallet management companies is our ISO 9001:2015 Certification and the portfolio of services we provide to our vendors and customers. For instance, we share our Native Trax Transport & Logistics Department in efforts to find economical freight solutions; 7GEN Waste Logistics is designed for our customers to take full advantage of their waste credits; and our Asset Recovery and Pooling Department concentrates on capturing and returning pallets for reuse.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most important aspect you’ve learned about customer service?
Dauber: While this may seem counter intuitive, I have learned that the customer is not always correct in understanding their issues and our challenge is to educate them. We work to ensure customers know more to address issues that we can’t control.
Pallet Enterprise: In recent years, has your company pursued any new markets or product lines?
Dauber: Our core customers have driven us to find global solutions in new markets for Ongweoweh, which include Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. For example, we worked with our mill partners in designing specific-use crates and consolidating pallet SKU for our customers in Puerto Rico.
