Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1390499
32 PalletCentral • July-August 2021 palletcentral.com With any type of alternative workforce, there is a risk of creating different standards for different workers, but Ruder believes everyone should get the help they need to succeed top to bottom. He sets the bar high for everyone, but helps people achieve expectations. "We don't know what kind of conditions any of our employees crawl out of every day to come work," he says. "We found out one person was sleeping on the floor with a blanket. So, we instituted a mattress program to help employees get proper rest. It is the right thing to do." "Every person has a story. The only difference is some have public struggles, some have private ones. We are willing to listen, but we are not enabling them. We are super protective of our team. When poison comes into the company, they weed themselves out very quickly." Humble Beginnings L&R Pallet Service, Inc. was started with some of the same grit and determination that an alternative workforce can bring to the company. In 1974, Larry and Doris Ruder stepped out in a leap of faith, borrowing $500 on their credit card to buy a small one-ton truck, and repairing used pallets for resale. Larry worked as a delivery driver for Coca-Cola Bottling by day, while Doris managed their two kids, the house and finances – and made the daily delivery to their single customer. She would then make a second stop to a local grocery distributor (who would one day become their largest supply partner) to purchase 100 broken pallets for Larry to repair that evening. Then, she'd rush home in time to be there waiting for their two boys to arrive from school. L&R Pallet now employs 120 people and has become the largest Colorado-based pallet recycler and manufacturer in the Rocky Mountain region. Today, recycled pallets still comprise 60% of the company's business. While pallets are the product, Ruder believes they are in the people business, first and foremost. "People, purpose, pallets in that order," he says. Taking Care of Retention In the early days, to engage an immigrant workforce Ruder enlisted the help of a "cultural director" – a human relations specialist – to roll out programs. L&R Pallet started with the basics of care: connecting them to stable housing, transportation and language skills. They worked to give the employee security that their family was thriving at home with adequate food, shelter and education. The goal was to consider the whole person and the family, not just who showed up for the shiftwork. "Initially, we set out just to reduce turnover and stop having six to seven orientations a month," says Ruder. "Some years we had 300 to 400% turnover. We know that pallet shops are not destinations, not a career path. For these workers, we are a pass- through company. So I asked, 'How can we build loyalty?' If a hired employee will buy-in for two years, we have slowed down the turnover pace. James and Carine Ruder, Owners of L&R Pallet.