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Recent Articles

Timber

I’m no scientist. Should probably know more about timber than I do. I was reading an article called Wood Is the New Green in Pallet Enterprise. There were some facts about carbon emissions I did not know. Trees need CO2 to grow. They absorb it and store it. The absorption of CO2 slows global warming. Young trees absorb carbon rapidly. Mature trees absorb carbon slowly. Dying, decaying or burning trees release carbon. Thus, the practice

Howe Q. Wallace December 19, 2017

What actually happened

While it’s important to know “what was supposed to happen,” it’s also important to consider regularly “what actually happened.” When we aren’t intentional about comparing our results to what is expected, we drift. It is done frequently. We achieve our best outcomes when we measure our performance against a standard consistently. If “what actually happened” falls short of the standard, you have a chance to analyze and consider what went wrong. You can address it

Howe Q. Wallace December 1, 2017

Organization Coach

There is a common perception these days that the path to mastery includes putting in 10,000 hours of practice. The theory includes a couple of qualifiers. The 10,000 hours is best when the practice is the focused as compared to going through the motions. Focused means striving with specific improvement in mind. The 10,000 hours are also more effective when a “coach” is involved. Someone who watches. Someone who guides. Someone who challenges. The implication

Howe Q. Wallace November 10, 2017

Build Yourself. Build Your Team

“When the opportunity comes, it’s too late to prepare.” Coach John Wooden This “truth” has two edges. The first edge is to reinforce the importance of careful, intentional preparation. It is a reminder of the wisdom of building good habits, continually seeking knowledge and constantly adding skills. The process of continual personal improvement puts you in a spot to raise your hand when a challenge comes. It allows you to have the confidence to step

Howe Q. Wallace October 25, 2017

Clarksville Team

I spent the day discussing the integration of the new Clarksville facility into PalletOne. There are many challenges. We’ve had more than a dozen folks on site there since the merger occurred. As a “standard setter” in our industry, you can imagine what an effort it is to teach what we expect in terms of safety, engagement, maintenance, operations and housekeeping. We appreciate the willing and responsive efforts of the Clarksville team. The strain of

Howe Q. Wallace October 20, 2017

Happy 16th Birthday PalletOne!

PalletOne is 16 years old! When we started, we had 12 pallet manufacturing locations. Since then: We added six pallet locations. We entered the wood treating business and expanded to four locations. We added a trucking operation. We closed one location. We opened then closed another. We grew our team to 1,400 people. We have a stellar reputation with our customers, suppliers and within our industry. We are a valued employer in the communities we

Howe Q. Wallace October 11, 2017

“Learn more. Serve more”

Struck today by this quote that showed up in my email today: For me, I’m driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you. Neil deGrasse Tyson Two things: Learn more. Serve more. I’m flabbergasted with the pace of change and the development of resources which can cause us to learn. Recently, our management team

Howe Q. Wallace July 25, 2017

Do You Know What’s Expected Of You?

One question on our annual engagement survey is “Do you know what’s expected of you?” At the top of everyone’s job expectations is the task of being safe and promoting safety every day, every moment you are working. One key to “being” safe is intentional about safe behavior. You wear the safety equipment. You snap the seatbelt. You assure your area is free from tripping hazards. You wait for help rather than try to do

Howe Q. Wallace November 14, 2016

Our Products Are Cool Part 1

Our products are cool: Take pressure treated wood. Before the year is out, we will sell more than 250 million feet of treated wood and related products. The process of treating wood makes lumber more durable and cost effective. By paying a bit extra at the time of purchase, the customer purchases a product that won’t rot due to infestation or exposure to the elements. Cared for properly, the wood structures built with treated wood

Howe Q. Wallace May 11, 2016

Pallets Move The World

Why are pallets important? You work to make them and refurbish them. You work to bill for them and sell them. You support the people who do all of those things. Why are pallets important? They save labor. Before pallets were a thing, every product had to be hand loaded and hand unloaded. It added hundreds of dollars of cost to every truck load. It slowed down the distribution of products. Some have called the

Howe Q. Wallace February 23, 2016

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Articles About Leadership

THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE

“Everything you want is on the other side of ‘hard’.” – CJ McCollum, NBA player McCollum is a story of overachievement. He was undersized. Played college basketball at a non-descript school. Was a long shot to be an NBA player but worked his way to being a first-round draft pick and was a solid star in his 10th year in the league. I heard him describe his approach to the game and his development on a podcast called

Howe Q. Wallace March 25, 2024

HAPPENING TO THE WORLD – A SATISFYING WAY TO LIVE

PalletOne leaders “happen to the world.” What does that mean? A PalletOne leader is confident. Each situation creates an opportunity for service and contribution. We are talented and put those talents to work. We see those around us as having talent. We seek to unlock it. We realize that we can be called upon to take the initiative to improve things at any moment. We act when the situation calls for it. We inspire through

Howe Q. Wallace March 25, 2024

SUFFERING AND CHALLENGES

“Weep, trust, pray, think, shift, hope, grow. Ways to handle suffering.” – Tim Keller Tim Keller was a preacher from New York City. He passed away in 2023. I followed him on Twitter because he tweeted profound thoughts like the one above. You don’t exit life without tough things happening to you. It’s a fact. None of us are exempt. In specific order, Keller gave us seven verbs to consider when challenged: Weep – It’s

Howe Q. Wallace March 22, 2024