Materials handling: GreenLight Pallet Co. announces Portland, Oregon facility
The 50,000-square-foot green facility will bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and about $250 million to Oregon’s economy.
Lorie King Rogers -- Modern Materials Handling, 3/13/2009
As manufacturers and retailers transition toward greener and more efficient supply chains, GreenLight Pallet Co., the manufacturer of the UNIPAL 100% recyclable patented corrugated pallet system, announced plans to complete its manufacturing facility along the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon this May.
GreenLight Pallet Co. LLC holds the manufacturing and distribution rights of the UNIPAL Pallet and the UNIPAL manufacturing equipment in the U.S. and plans to move the UNIPAL Pallet manufacturing system and equipment from its current production sites in Korea and Spain to Oregon, bringing an estimated $250,000,000 to state’s economy.
“It’s a perfect time to transition into the Portland market,” says Jon Girod, GreenLight’s founding member. “Our product is 100% green and fulfills our customers’ growing need for increased supply chain efficiency at a reduced cost, while also achieving environmental and health and safety targets unfulfilled by wood pallets. The fact that the UNIPAL Pallet meets all new export regulations and packaging requirements for international shipping provides the perfect solution for today’s manufacturers and retailers.”
The company plans to install multiple assembly line systems in the Portland location, each costing $1.5 million. Each system will employ 35 people and produce an estimated 175,000 pallets per month, totaling 172,000,000 square feet of corrugation per year. This project will result in manufacturing jobs to build equipment, jobs at the mills, in the warehouse, and for truck drivers and engineers.
The 50,000-square-foot operation expects to be ISO 14001 compliant, which means
it will implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system;assure itself of its conformance with its own stated environmental policy (those policy commitments of course must be made);demonstrate conformance;ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations;seek certification of its environmental management system by an external third party organization;and make a self-determination of conformance.
To service the manufacturing industry throughout the U.S. and stay within 150 miles of customers, GreenLight will require 53 locations. They plan on starting with Portland and expanding to meet demand. The pallet industry is changing rapidly; the current economic climate requires alternative designs, different handling equipment and an overall move towards more sustainable systems and materials. GreenLight’s UNIPAL Pallet weighs one-quarter the weight of a wood pallet, repels water, can be made from 100% recycled cardboard and is completely recyclable at the end of its lifespan, enabling further reduction in waste.
“The UNIPAL pallet meets market demand for a lighter, safer and more versatile pallet, while bringing together the same performance and durability of a traditional pallet,” said Girod. “The unique design allows us to adapt to customers’ needs, while also reducing fuel and even insurance costs through the product’s safe and easy handling without requiring mechanical assistance.”
With five international patents, one patent for method of manufacturing and four for design, UNIPAL is a branded pallet and the highest volume corrugated pallet produced and sold internationally. It is currently in operation in Japan, Korea, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.
Current UNIPAL customers include Firestone, General Motors Mexico, Johnson & Johnson UK, Sony Japan, LG Electronics Korea, Hyundai Autonet Korea, Daewood Electronics Korea, Konica Japan, Yamaha Paper, Aiwa Korea, Konica Japan, Itochu Chemicals Japan, Olympus Japan and Audi.
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