Callen Cochran is president of United Pallet Services Inc., a custom pallet manufacturer and recycler that offers a complete range of pallet services. The company services the Northern California region with around 120 employees on an 18-acre facility located in Modesto, California.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What is the best piece of business advice that you have ever received?
Cochran: I was told early on that trust is the key ingredient in business. If customers, vendors, and employees do not trust you, you will not make much of an impact over the long term. The second-best piece of advice I have ever received was to never stop asking for advice from others – to seek out those I admire and respect and learn from them.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What do you think your company will look like 5 to 10 years from now?
Cochran: United Pallet Services is in a unique position, both with our location and our diverse capabilities. We will continue to invest heavily in automation, so I see us being even more efficient and increasing our revenues with the same number of employees. Our goal is to be the safest, most efficient, and hardest working pallet company in California.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: How do you decide whether or not to try a new idea in your company?
Cochran: When the leadership team is floating around a new idea, it must fall in line with our core values as a company. We have four: people first, excellence in our work, committed to a higher purpose, and accountability to the bottom line. If an idea does not fit within those criteria, it does not fit at our company. Don't get me wrong. We have tried many ideas over the years. Some worked, and some did not. The key is to keep trying. You will fail sometimes, but like they say, if you are not trying, you are dying.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What is one of the hardest business decisions you have ever made?
Cochran: Terminations are probably the hardest decisions we make. We know they are sometimes necessary, but we invest in and value our employees tremendously, so whenever you have to part ways, it's always extremely difficult.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What is one of the most important business decisions you have ever made?
Cochran: About five years ago we made a decision that we would put people first in all circumstances. This meant that it was no longer solely about profits, but more importantly, about the impact we were making in the lives of our employees. We have hired chaplains, made safety a priority, and changed the way we view our team. This has been the best decision we could have ever made.
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What is the most important thing you do each day?
Cochran: Pray! Seeking God's guidance and giving it all to Him!
PALLET ENTERPRISE: What performance indicators do you track to measure how your company is doing?
Cochran: Safety is by far the most important item we track, so minimizing the number of accidents is key. Also, employee turnover is a good indicator of how we are doing as a company. I would be lying if I didn't say we didn't watch sales volume and profit closely as well.
