Business Profile

Pallet Supplies Auckland HQ

If you need pallets, look no further than Pallet Supplies, one of Auckland’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of pallets, crates and cut-to-length timber.

John Rudd, who had specialised in building high quality homes for more than 25 years, established the company in 1982. Managing director Brett Rudd and general manager Robert Vazey say Pallet Supplies is a family run business that has been based in Wiri, Manukau, the whole time.

“Pallet Supplies was founded with a vision to raise the quality standards and exceed the service levels. In recent years I have taken over the reins from my father,” says Brett. “With a strengthened management structure we have created even more enthusiasm to innovate. We are focused on production streamlining, design and logistics management. Our aim is to offer our customers the best value and service in the pallet industry.

“We primarily do wooden pallets and timber packaging for the local and export market, along with supplying large volumes to the building products sectors. Pallets for warehousing and distribution make up a big part of the business, along with manufacturing for Loscam, which is a major pallet hire company,” says Brett.

In the North Island Pallet Supplies‘ main markets are Auckland, Northland and the Bay of Plenty, however it not unusual to deliver further afield into places such as Waikato, Wellington, Hawke‘s Bay and Taranaki by truck and trailer when volumes are required.

In addition to the Manukau site, Pallet Supplies also has an operation in Christchurch called Palletmakers SI Ltd, which they bought four years ago.

“The team down there do a great job and were quick to adopt our operational values and customer focused service levels. Their market is very much the same as ours although there is a lot of volume produced for the agricultural sectors. Their market is the greater Canterbury region, although product does get transported further afield from time to time.”

Clean, neat, professional, family business

Pallet Supplies moved premises in the past eight months, which Brett says was quite a major venture, and they also invested in new machinery so the company is in a good position going forward to supply the market.

Seven years ago Brett decided to have a go at the NZ V8 Utes category. He enjoyed success in New Zealand and in 2014 headed to Australia to race at the famous Bathurst track, where he also did well.

Following that success the team at Pallet Supplies decided to try a different category and purchased a sprint car powered by a 410 Chev. Sponsored by New Zealand Trucking, Rob drives the sprint car.

Rob says “I learnt a lot in the first season and we‘ll be doing a bit of practice and training in the off-season, getting ready for our second season in that category.”

Brett says the team likes to go the extra mile for their sponsors. “We certainly try and keep a well-presented team and a well-presented car and it certainly makes a difference having it on the posters. We get a lot of interest from people through Facebook and everywhere else, which is good.

“We also support Super Stock 31a that runs out of Waikaraka in Auckland. That‘s driven by Blair Mitchell, who works for us as well.”

Both Pallet Supplies Ltd and Palletmakers SI Ltd are supported by a core group of long-serving, loyal, hardworking staff, great suppliers and customers.