At PalletOne, quality isn’t just a goal—it’s a commitment. Recently, our parent company, UFP Packaging, has significantly reinforced that commitment by expanding our ISO 9001 certification. With 10 manufacturing locations already certified and another 14 on the way in 2025, this move isn’t just about meeting a standard but setting one. By ensuring that our facilities adhere to rigorous quality management processes, we’re delivering consistent, high-quality products and aligning with our long-term vision for growth, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Why ISO 9001 Matters to Us
ISO 9001 is more than just an internationally recognized standard for quality management systems (QMS); it’s a tool that helps us ensure that every product we deliver meets the highest standards of quality and consistency. But why did we decide to implement ISO 9001 across all our locations? To answer that, we spoke with Ashley Holton, UFP Packaging’s Regional Vice President East.
“In our history, UFP facilities have always put a high value on a quality product delivered on time to the customer, and all operated with some form of a quality management system. However, customers rarely required our operations or industry to maintain ISO certifications,” Ashley explained. “Even considering that, we went through stages of continuous improvement. We did not recognize how it (ISO) could positively impact our existing programs.”
Our journey with ISO 9001 began in Salisbury, NC, driven initially by a customer request. What started as a perceived administrative deadweight quickly became a valuable asset, enhancing our operations beyond meeting customer demands. “Early in the process, the perception was it would be an administrative burden that we would take on to check the box and be rewarded with sales that would ROI on the investment of ISO. However, through the experience, we learned the value of ISO beyond meeting that specific customer’s request,” Ashley reflected.
The Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification
Achieving ISO 9001 certification means more than just hanging a certificate on the wall. It signifies our ability to consistently provide products that meet customer and regulatory requirements while continuously improving our processes.
“ISO creates a standard for how our facilities operate their quality management systems. It creates a common language, process, and expectations between facilities and our customers,” Ashley noted. “As we achieve that goal, our customers can expect consistency between each facility. We can earn confidence with our customers that whether a product is built in Thornton, California, or Delano, PA, they will receive the same product, level of quality, process, and attention to resolution if issues do arise.”
This consistency is crucial, especially as we continue to grow and expand our product offerings. By standardizing our quality management processes, we can ensure that every product meets the same high standards, no matter where it’s made.
Overcoming the Challenges
Of course, expanding ISO 9001 certification to all our locations wasn’t without its challenges. As mentioned above, one of the biggest hurdles was changing our initial perception of ISO from a burdensome requirement to a powerful tool for improvement.
“The biggest challenge has been our initial perception of ISO and the reality of the benefits we have learned over the last few years,” Ashley shared. To overcome this, we focused on education and support for our facilities, helping them see the value of ISO 9001 through hands-on experience. “We have overcome challenges through focused education and relative success by helping facilities with trained leaders and simplifying the adoption process,” Ashley explained.
To assist with the transition, we developed a “playbook” for implementation, offering a step-by-step guide for facilities working toward certification. This playbook includes short-term, achievable goals that make the process more manageable and less daunting.
Looking Ahead: The Impact on Our Future
The expanded ISO 9001 certification is expected to impact our operational efficiency and product delivery times profoundly. Ashley pointed out, “The adoption of ISO allows our employees and managers to follow a process to achieve results. It gives our employees clear direction and our managers a guidebook for quality. This process-driven mindset is then contagious to other areas like continuous improvement and safety.”
By reducing the need to “firefight” repetitive challenges, we can focus more on continuous improvement, ultimately enhancing our overall business performance. This process-driven approach also aligns perfectly with our long-term goals and growth strategy.
“The adoption of ISO directly aligns with our strategic driven sales approach,” Ashley stated. “UFP’s network of plants, diversity of products, and focus on customer-driven problem solving is a value to large multi-location customers. ISO allows us to service those customers at a high level with consistency across all facilities.”
As we continue to grow and expand into new products and markets, ISO 9001 will play a critical role in helping us scale efficiently and effectively. “It’s a lot easier to run the play consistently and effectively when you have the playbook!” Ashley concluded.
At PalletOne, we’re excited about the future and confident that our expanded ISO 9001 certification will help us deliver the quality, consistency, and innovation our customers expect—every time, everywhere.
