Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1523117
14 Pallet C e nt ral • July -Aug u st 2 0 24 WOOD INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM: Upgrading The Path For Wood Products BY GABRIELLA YBARRA PLAY POLICY AT A s detailed in the January–February edition of PalletCentral, one of NWPCA's member facilities, Remmey—!e Pallet Company, out of Pennsylvania, applied in 2023 for a USDA grant. !is was not a Wood Innovation Grant but a Rural Energy for America Program grant. We checked back in and are thrilled to report that they succeeded in receiving grant funds for the installation of two solar photovoltaic systems at their facility. !eir president and NWPCA board member, Ben Remmey, shared this with Gabriella Ybarra. • How has the grant benetted your company? We've been discussing solar internally for about eight years, but we could never justify it nancially. !e capital [outlay] was signicant and the return on the investment was longer than we targeted. Access to a grant drastically changed the economics of a solar program. !e ROI was reduced to a much more manageable term, and we achieved our goal of being a leading environmentally sustainable business. • W hat successes in the future can you see this grant providing you/the industry? !e pallet industry is very capital-intensive, and businesses are constantly evaluating pending repairs, projects, and investments in equipment. It's common that important initiatives are deprioritized to address more pressing matters. Additional grant funding opens up more opportunities to invest in environmentally sustainable technologies and practices. It has also opened our eyes to other grant programs oered. It can take time sifting through all the grants available, but if you can nd the right t, it is well worth it. SUCCESS STORIES T he United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a critical partner to the wood products industry and has always been at the forefront of supporting the wood product industry's innovation. In 2015, the USDA got a new tool in its toolkit with the launch of the Wood Innovation Grant (W IG) Program. !is program has boosted rural economies, contributed to environmental sustainability, enabled new product development, and unlocked new wood product market opportunities. !e wooden pallet industry has historically underutilized W IG, and it's time pallet manufacturers seize this opportunity and reap the economic and ecological benets. The Beginning Of The Wood Innovaon Grant Program !e USDA's Forest Service established the Wood Innovation Grant Program to encourage the use of wood in various applications, including construction, energy production, and manufacturing. !e primary goals are to expand wood products and wood energy markets, reduce hazardous fuels, improve forest health, and promote wood products' economic and environmental benets.