Last month my wife and I embarked on a 10-day vacation with our three daughters. It was truly the trip of a lifetime; one we planned for years. We arrived in Italy, saw some amazing sites, ate some wonderful food, and immersed ourselves in the culture.
As the days ticked by and our return trip home grew closer, I found myself growing more and more anxious. The last several years in the wake of COVID have been tough ones for pallet manufacturers and even vacation couldn’t eliminate the residual stress. With the glut of used pallets in circulation following the pandemic (see our previous blog about this topic: Journey from COVID: The State of the Pallet Supply Industry – Fox Valley Wood Products), we have found ourselves fiercely defending market share with increasingly tighter margins.
The nature of the pallet industry requires us to purchase lumber and convert it to a product that exceeds customer expectations as cheaply as possible. With cost mitigation being the biggest concern for our customers, we manage quality control through cost-effective solutions such as air-drying, covered storage, inventory management and material rotation. Even with pallet manufacturing best practices in place at our facilities, things can go sideways once pallets leave our facilities if they are not properly tended to.
While we were in Italy, a customer was troubled to find mold had started to grow on their pallets after storing them in an enclosed trailer in high-temperature heat for several days. They requested a full refund and the customer’s call escalated to me during vacation. As you may know, one of the interesting things about traveling abroad is the inevitable time difference between the vacation destination and home.
Because of the time change, I found myself fielding the customer’s phone call during dinner with my family at an authentic Italian restaurant. As the call continued, I could feel myself getting frustrated about work interrupting our trip. I started to feel the figurative weight of the world on my shoulders. In order to not disrupt the joyful mood of my family and other diners, I stepped away from the table.
While I continued to talk with our customer, the restaurant served our food. As I wrapped up the call and made my way back to the table, I could see my family snickering. Then laughing. While I was feeling a little ruffled by the demands of the pallet industry on my life, our dinner was plated on what can only be described as… miniature pallets! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I had to smile.
The irony of the situation served as a reminder that those humble pallets are the foundation of it all for me personally, our pallet manufacturing business and the businesses of all the customers we serve. My faith leads me to believe that God ordained that moment to remind me that through service to others, blessings run deep. The experience in Italy reminded me to keep my focus on what’s most important in life; faith, family and service to others. All three are paramount to cultivating a joyful life. While faith and family are personal endeavors, service to others is at the heart of our business philosophy and FVWP will do whatever we can to reasonably solve the most complex pallet manufacturing issues.
Even over dinner in Italy.
Ciao –
Jeff Van Zeeland