Author: Chris James

Junction 4 Pallets has worked alongside the University of South Wales’ (UOSW) MBA programme students and academics, collaborating with the organisation to develop plans to expand its operations, whilst providing real-world insight to students in their final module. Students were divided into groups and given live projects, working on them for several months before presenting…

Switching from one service provider to another can be a nightmare. The amount of financial risk involved as well as the time commitment commercial managers and others must invest means switching suppliers can be the last thing anybody wants. At Junction 4 Pallets, we understand this and ask the question: Why should you switch your…

This article is part of our In Conversation series, where we take an in-depth look at UK and global industry with leading figures. We welcomed David Cross, a leading rail freight expert and managing director of DC Consult, who talked about his role in the creation of the iPort in Doncaster, the challenges facing global…

A growing number of businesses feel that the push for pallet standardisation by global players and trade bodies overlooks significant drawbacks. Users of standardised pallets report a lack of control over their assets, with pallets frequently abandoned in public spaces, fields, or outside private residences and shops. This issue, coupled with recurring disputes over lost…

The construction industry is one of the largest industrial sectors in Britain. 6% of UK GDP and 6.6% of all British jobs come from construction, according to the Office of National Statistics. The pallet industry, which is connected through the near ubiquitous use of pallets to transport construction products, supplies 20 million 2-way and 4-way…

This article is part of our In Conversation series, where we take an in-depth look at UK and global industry with leading figures. In this series, we welcomed Jeff May, Deputy Chief of the Construction Products Association, who talked about pallet waste, resistance to change within the construction industry and new packaging regulations. The Construction Products Association (CPA)…

Junction 4 Pallets has taken on Business Development Manager, Ian Barnes, a former armed forces member and pallet collections expert. Speaking about his background, Barnes says: “I spent quite a lot of years in the Armed Forces. My initial background is in communications. When I left the Armed Forces, I still worked, for a period…

Junction 4 Pallets has grown significantly in the past two years, increasing its number of employees from 162 to 193. Taking on staff to fill new roles across the business, including raw materials purchasing, account management, health and safety, marketing and pallet collections, J4 has gone from strength to strength. Starting life on a small…

The global economy is currently facing serious challenges. War, knock-on effects from COVID-19, and price rises are all being felt across the world. The cost of fuel, food and natural resources has reached all-time highs, however, the price of one natural resource, timber, has stabilised since the start of the war in Ukraine. Price rises…

ISPM15 stands for International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15. It is a worldwide framework developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The legislation was developed to prevent the spread of pests and disease through Wood Packaging Materials used in international trade. ISPM15 applies to solid wood packaging which includes pallets, crates, spools, dunnage…