Charles Joslin is a managing member of Hilltop Pallet & Supply in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Hilltop Pallet & Supply manufactures new pallets, recycles used pallets and provides a variety of other industrial packaging solutions.
Pallet Enterprise: How/why did you first get involved in the industry?
Joslin: Moving to a booming city like Bowling Green, where manufacturing and shipping are thriving, I wanted to be involved in the local economy and provide a professional service to the corporate businesses nearby. No matter the business, most of them use pallets in some form or another. The demand for pallets is there, but the supply can be difficult to find. I saw the problem, and we tried to be the solution.
Pallet Enterprise: Have economic changes over the past few years changed the way you manage your company? How?
Joslin: Yes, of course. The rise in the cost of wood and fuel has made us re-evaluate where we want our business to grow. We have simplified our search for used pallets and really focused on new builds. We work hard to find the best prices for wood and try to pass those savings on to our customers. With freight costs dramatically increasing, we also really strive to keep local business local, and our clients appreciate that.
Pallet Enterprise: What is one thing you wish you knew a long time ago that could have helped your company along the way?
Joslin: Good question. I wish we would have known earlier the importance of having a strong relationship with multiple sawmills. This would have saved us a lot of early frustration. We are constantly searching for sawmills that meet our needs and schedule. My suggestion is to have numerous sawmills cutting for you and diversify your wood needs. If sawmills know you have relationships with multiple sawmills it will keep them honest and on schedule. Competition is great, and everyone needs to produce at their very best.
Pallet Enterprise: What performance indicators do you track to measure how your company is doing?
Joslin: Without getting into too much detail, we really focus our key performance indicators on three categories. First is our company financials and really keeping an eye on our cost per board foot and fuel. These two have our closest attention at this time. Second is our clients’ needs and orders. Stay focused on their timeline and always plan ahead to meet their demand. Lastly, we direct our attention to our internal processes on time management and the overall construction process. We can always be better, and there are always ways to grow and improve.
