Anthony Weiss is the owner of Patriot Pallet Supply in Frankfort, Kentucky, and has been in business for a little over two years. Patriot Pallet Supply primarily recycles pallets, although it also manufactures new pallets. It serves businesses mainly in central Kentucky up to 250 miles away. Services include on-site staffing and inventory control, trailer staging and pallet removal, purchasing surplus pallets, pallet recycling and more.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the best piece of business advice that you have ever received?
Weiss: Serving in the military over 20 years, I was fortunate to receive several nuggets of advice. The most profound one that has stuck with me is: ‘Take care of the little things, and the big picture will take care of itself.’
Pallet Enterprise: Do you think there are any new issues that the industry is going to have to deal with in the next year?
Weiss: Yes. Every day presents new and different challenges. Just by watching the news, you can see what is taking place at all levels of our society. I can’t say what any particular new issue will be, but the next 18 months will undoubtedly test the business leader in all of us and will determine if our companies will be successful or not in the foreseeable future.
Pallet Enterprise: Have you recently started pursuing any new markets, products, or services?
Weiss: Taking the advice of my peers, I am constantly looking to expand services as well as maintain existing clients. Recently, I had to re-negotiate certain contracts in order to maintain profitability. I have begun using the www.pallettrader.com brokerage website. I also have opened the door to providing additional services, such as plastic shrink-wrap, cardboard recycling, and hauling away pallet dunnage.
Pallet Enterprise: What do you think your company will look like 5-10 years from now?
Weiss: I believe my company will be in the national conversation with respect to supplying pallets, hauling services, and shipping materials. We will have a robust social media presence to dovetail with our national presence.
Pallet Enterprise: How do you decide whether or not to try a new idea in your company?
Weiss: I run new ideas by my wife and bounce them off of her. She is my sounding board, and she tells me if they’re worthwhile or not. If it has to do with operations, I run them through my plant manager, who oversees all aspects of our pallet operations. All new ideas must take into account safety and, obviously, the bottom line.
Pallet Enterprise: What is one of the hardest business decisions you have ever made?
Weiss: The hardest business decision was firing several employees in December 2022. It was my first year in business at our new location. At the end of the year, I determined that key employees were stealing from the company. It was an easy decision to fire everyone, but not so easy to go into the new year not knowing who was going to work for me.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about customer service?
Weiss: It goes without saying that we always have to ask ourselves, would you buy your own product? I believe we should take it a step further. We have to be in a position to support the clients we partner with in all weather conditions, day or night. No excuses. If you don’t have a seat at the table, then you’re on the menu.
Pallet Enterprise: What is the most important thing you do each day?
Weiss: I ask God to guide my steps every single day with respect to business. After that, it is undoubtedly communicating with my team and being a good steward of what I’ve been given.
