Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1141207
year. In 2016, the wooden pallet and container industry had its best yet since the recession, growing at a rate of 7.4 percent. The growth of the wood pallet and container industry is not just good news for those in the business, but also reflects an upward trend across the entire U.S. economy. "The performance of wooden pallet companies tends to serve as a strong gauge for the economy. When these companies are busy, that indicates that other businesses in our area and across the country are booming," said Jordan Piland, current NWPCA board chair and vice president of Atlas Pallets. "There is a strong relationship between wooden pallet companies and other businesses, so they serve as an indication of overall economic health." The study found important economic trends and developments which continue to positively impact the wooden pallet business. The overall economic health of the country and in world markets has generally led to stronger business and economic confidence, and trade policy has also benefitted this industry as a significant number of traded goods are transported on wooden pallets and containers. Other key findings in the report include the wooden pallet industry's combined effect on upstream and downstream activity of 197,300 jobs and total economic impacts of $35.1 billion to the U.S. economy. Labor compensation in the industry totaled $3 billion in 2016 with robust growth outpacing job gains, leading to higher wages. "While job gains are a welcome sign of industry health, it is equally important to note labor productivity trends," the report added. "Positive labor productivity indicated that firms are able to achieve increasing levels of output using less labor." The upturns in the wood pallet and container industry nationally, of course, are the sum of state successes in the business. The NWPCA specifically identified 25 states of interest which contribute most to the industry's growth. The top performing states in terms of upstream output and employment are Texas, California, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Texas, in 2016, accounted for nearly $619 million in NWPCA- palletcentral.com PalletCentral • May-June 2019 13 " The performance of wooden pallet companies tends to serve as a strong gauge for the economy. When these companies are busy, that indicates that other businesses in our area and across the country are booming. " —Jordan Piland, 2019 NWPCA Board Chair iStockphoto.com/Lamarinx