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10 PalletCentral • November-December 2022 palletcentral.com Pallet Foundation Virtual Race T he Pallet Foundation held its 3rd Annual Virtual Race fundraiser from October 15-31, where competitors raced from as far away as Australia and as high as the highest peak in Mexico, Pico de Orizaba. Team Pallet Alliance's 22-person team collectively raced 2340 miles and matched their miles in dollars. Together, we raced 5154.2 miles across the globe and raised $8,440 for the Foundation. Congratulations to our winners: Bike: JR Cohen, Conner Industries: 1085.56 miles; Walk: Matt Levey, Pallet Alliance: 102 miles; Run: Samuel Podlipsky, Tarimera El Rayo: 179.11 miles. Where's the Pallet? B e one of the first 5 to respond with the correct answer, and we'll send you a $10 Starbucks card. All you have to do is find the pallet (NWPCA logo) image inside this edition. Drop an email to aferri@palletcentral.com with the number on the image and which story inside this edition was your favorite. That's it! We'll share our winners in the next edition. Thanks to last month's winners who found the pallet image labeled "1022" on page 18, hiding in the Mexico conference photo: Rosie Montoya, Montoya's Pallets, Callen Cochran, United Pallet Services, Matt Yoder, Walnut Grove Packaging, Ken Kauffman, Pennyrile Pallets, and Aaron Segreaves, General Pallet. The stories on "Psychological First Aid & Mental Health," "Avoiding Overtime Penalties," and "The Value Driven Green Supply Chain" were their respective favorites. U.S. Wood Pallet Industry Survey is Here! F ive years came fast! at's the time since we conducted the last Wood Pallet Industry Survey. e Pallet Foundation has stepped up again with funding, and we've asked Virginia Tech to update the 2016 survey, which is now making its way across the United States. e pallet industry is growing, and we need your help to gather more accurate data to support our industry. e results of the previous study served as a basis for the Environmental Product Declaration and supported numerous advocacy efforts. e survey will be long, but it is critical to the industry's success, providing the latest information to make more strategic decisions in your businesses. Virginia Tech is collecting and analyzing the data, and is responsible for emailing members (US-based only) their specific company code needed to complete the survey. e survey can be filled out online or downloaded. If you have any issues attaining your company code, contact Sean Hobbs (hsean99@vt.edu). For questions about the survey, contact NWPCA Vice President of Science & Technology Brad Gething (bgething@palletcentral.com). NWPCA Participates in Conference on Invasive Species N WPCA's Public Affairs Manager, Hallie Fuchs, attended the North American Invasive Species Management Association's (NAISMA) annual conference in November to keep up with the latest developments in invasive species management. e meeting brought together international academics and government representatives for a multi-day symposium on strategic initiatives, research, and technological advances to ensure land, aquatic animals, and plants are controlled and eradicated. As the leading voice for the wood packaging industry, we continue to have a seat at the table and be proactive in championing the benefits of wood. It was an exciting opportunity for Hallie to continue that role at the 30th annual conference. 2023 Board of Director Elections Underway V oting is underway for the 2023 Board of Directors. NWPCA members will elect five industry members to serve a three-year term representing the industry beginning at the 2023 ALC in March. Voting closes ursday, January 19, 2023. Look for your company ballot by email or contact Mimi Sullivan at msullivan@palletcentral.com for details. PDS Newest Release Takes Pallet Design to a New Level N WPCA releases Pallet Design System (PDS v6.6) software with three significant additions: unit load analysis for drums and pails, a more robust ERP integration, and a carbon impact assessment for wooden pallets. Here's what to expect from PDS v6.6: • Allows users to design, analyze, and significantly reduce the deflection of the pallet in all support conditions compared to a uniformly distributed load and deliver a more optimized, reliable pallet. • Adds additional integration capabilities with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. e integration is a significant and necessary step toward modernizing PDS as an integral business tool in the pallet industry that relies more on data every day and provides users with an online experience by accessing all their data in real-time. A carbon impact assessment estimates the CO 2 footprint of a general 48x40 pallet in the United States. e basis for the assessment comes from the Environmental Product Declaration for Wooden Pallets, third-party certified by UL Environment. e release of PDS v6.6 completes a suite of unit load analysis options. In 2019, NWPCA released Unit Load for Corrugated Boxes. Read more about PDS v6.6 or sign-up for a free trial at PalletDesignSystem.com.

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