Jeff Lewis is CEO of Atlanta Pallets & Services, a new and used pallet company headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. It also manufactures new machine-built pallets at its manufacturing plant in Shady Dale, Georgia.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the best part about working in the pallet industry right now?
Lewis: It is a very exciting and challenging time to be in the wood pallet industry. Customers are much more educated about pallets and expect that same level of knowledge from us. In the old days, we sold what we had, and customers generally accepted it. Today, they want a better understanding of what we are doing and expect service levels unheard of in ‘the old days.’ The best pallet companies understand this and are thriving in this environment.
Pallet Enterprise: How has the need/demand for pallets evolved since you’ve been in the business?
Lewis: There has been quite a change in customer expectations and demand in the 23 years that I have been involved in the industry. Customers are much more educated about pallet performance and capacity information. Most of our current customers are very aware of the Pallet Design System™ (PDS) and its capabilities. They use that knowledge to better make decisions about what to buy. They also manage their inventories much tighter than they did early in my career. Today ‘just in time’ deliveries are standard, forcing pallet companies to carry inventory and predict customer needs. This requires a high degree of flexibility on the part of the pallet provider as we try to keep up with the changing needs of our customers.
Pallet Enterprise: Has your company recently started pursuing any new markets or product lines? If so, please describe.
Lewis: Our company began as a recycling company in 1997, and then migrated into manufacturing new pallets. Today, over half of our sales come from new pallets, both machine-made and hand-built. We also break down scrap pallets and use the reclaimed materials to manufacture new pallets. As to our newest venture, we used to throw away broken pallet parts that are unusable for making new pallets. We have added a grinder, and now we will be grinding up wood waste and selling it on the biomass market.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned about customer service?
Lewis: I am constantly reminded how closely we need to work with our customers. Our customers are all in very competitive industries, and the pressure is on them to be innovative. Sustainability is huge these days. It is so important that we stay in close contact with them so that we can anticipate their evolving needs and adapt to them. Clearly the service aspect of our business, things such as inventory management, overseas shipping regulations, scrap removal, and sustainability are as important as the quality of our pallets. Anyone can build pallets, but customer service is what sets leaders apart.
Pallet Enterprise: How do you encourage and inspire your workers?
Lewis: In this time of dire worker shortages nationwide, we are reminded that our employees are our most important asset. Since we began our business 23 years ago, we have always sought to treat our employees as valued family members—knowing them and their families, their goals and aspirations, making them feel a part of the future of our enterprise.
We are fortunate to have a fine, dedicated group of managers, that work tirelessly to make our employees feel part of our team. We have had almost no turnover in our management group in the last 20 years. This sense of continuity helps foster the team/family atmosphere that has made us successful.
