Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI), Grand Rapids, Mich., acquired Pallet USA, LLC, Hartford, Wis., to expand UFPI’s industrial product capacity and services in the Midwest.

Pallet USA manufactures pallets and crates, distributes industrial lumber and sheet stock and provides services such as heat treating, pallet removal and recycling, custom product design, delivery and managed inventory programs. Bruce Church, president and CEO of Pallet USA, will remain with the operation as general manager of operations through 2019, then transition into a consulting role.   

“We’re excited to welcome Pallet USA to the UFPI family of companies,” says Matthew Missad, chief executive officer of UFPI. “The acquisition allows us to grow our presence in the Milwaukee area, and will help us serve manufacturers that have a larger regional, national or international presence. Pallet USA also operates a profitable pallet reclamation business, providing customers with a cost-effective solution for their wood pallet needs that could be scaled to other UFP facilities. Bruce Church and his team have done an excellent job growing their business, and we’re excited to help them achieve their full potential.”

“As a UFP company, we see great opportunities for serving both Pallet USA customers and existing Universal customers,” says Church. “We will be able to enhance our presence in the market while adding more product and service offerings. Universal’s size will also allow us to provide our employees with greater career opportunities. This is a great time in the history of our company.”