Two Alabama wood products companies announced moves in September, with Bay Wood Products adding capacity to its Robertsdale plant and APC Forest Products in Muscle Shoals upgrading its digital presence to reach customers globally.
Both companies offer a variety of forest products but specialize particularly in pallets, of which there are 2 billion in circulation at any given time in the United States. Wooden pallets are an $11.5 billion industry.
Demand for custom-built pallets and crates necessitated an increase in both the facility and workforce at Bay Wood Products, according to founder and President Jimmy Wilson. The expansion now under construction will make room for hand-built wooden pallets, a product line that grew by more than 25 percent in 2015, Wilson says. Plans call for the newest Bay Wood Products plant to be online by December. The company also recently added Facility Manager Chris Patillo, Logistics and Production Planner Andy Hosmer and Production Manager Jason Cummings to its team.
At APC Forest Products, President Jeremy Bowley says he anticipates at least a 5 percent increase in sales over 2015 at his pallet manufacturing plant. The company recently launched a new website last month that offers a timeline of company milestones, details about products and services and employment opportunities.Â
Text by Dave Helms
