Matt Haugrud is president of Pallet Recovery Service Inc. (PRS), a full-service pallet supplier located in the heart of the Central Valley, California.
Pallet Enterprise: How is your business managing the COVID-19 crisis? Do you have any advice for other pallet companies?
Haugrud: Managing through the COVID-19 crisis has been challenging at times; it is uncharted territory for the pallet industry. Following the CDC guidelines has been a great resource for improving workplace safety. Keeping proper distance, sanitizing all common touch surfaces, minimizing contact with vendors, utilizing video conferencing with our customers, and wearing face masks at all times have all been crucial.
Advice I have to give to other pallet companies: there must be clear and concise leadership from the top. In times of crisis, COVID-19 or any other, people look to the top for leadership and security. Take these precautions internally – provide a “Letter of Access for Essential Workers,” offer new overtime incentives, and distribute proper COVID-19 PPE. Also, remember to say “please” and “thank you;” this attitude shows employees that we are all in this together and that we appreciate them.
Pallet Enterprise: Besides COVID-19, what is the biggest challenge facing those in the pallet industry right now?
Haugrud: The challenge we face is what bonds PRS with just about every pallet company – LABOR. Availability of skilled pallet labor is scarce. Those who have the proper stream and retention programs can grow, and those who don’t will stay where they are. Innovation through technology to produce more with the same labor is always at the forefront of our objective. We have also found success by being as creative as possible when it comes to employee attraction and retention programs.
Pallet Enterprise: What makes your company stand out from other pallet companies?
Haugrud: PRS operates seven days a week, 363 days per year. Although challenging, we felt many years ago that this was a necessity in keeping up with customer demands. I want our customers to know that we are partners. They can count on being able to reach PRS at their precise moment of need. We can provide solutions, whether we service the customer ourselves or through a referral to a qualified partner.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most difficult part of your job and how do you handle it?
Haugrud: People from all walks of life can be difficult to manage. Wood, nails, trucks and trailers are simple. Managing stresses of our industry — problems from home brought to the workplace, ill-intentioned new hires — can all be exceedingly difficult.
How I mange is to always offer a sense of respect to everyone. I try to keep the communication lines open between my door and every employee we have. I try to relay to every single employee that we are all in this together. Being a multi-generational family business creates some difficulties. At the end of the day, we attempt to keep priorities straight and never forget that we are all family. This allows me to handle any difficulty thrown my way.
