CJ Sheeran, Ireland’s largest manufacturer of timber packaging and pallets, has experienced remarkable growth of over 100 percent, and a significant contributing factor to this success has been its 10-year partnership with IPP, Europe’s leading pooler of sustainable wooden pallets.
Headquartered in Mountrath, Co. Laois, CJ Sheeran attributes its collaborative long-term partnership with IPP to enhancing the circular economy on both sides of the Irish Sea and improving its financial position.
Despite facing economic challenges, such as the soaring global cost of timber, the partnership between these two companies has solidified their reputation for reliability in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) market and enabled them to achieve a remarkable increase in pallet recovery rates, rising from 91 to 98 percent.
CJ Sheeran invests in new sawmill, relocates to a 20-acre site
In a bid to further strengthen their pallet repair services across the Republic of Ireland, CJ Sheeran recently invested in a new sawmill. Additionally, they have relocated to a 20-acre site, which will aid IPP and consolidate the rapid growth of both enterprises in the future.
The collaboration between IPP and CJ Sheeran began in 2012, and it has not only improved the service provided to existing customers but also provided a platform for growth, attracting new prospects, and facilitating a significant enhancement in the pallet recovery process from retail operations.
David Bage, Operations Director for IPP, stated, “In 2016, we established our main sortation depot in Mountrath and a satellite depot in Dublin. During the same year, we further expanded our partnership with CJ Sheeran to operate our pallet sorting and repair facilities, act as our logistics partner, and supply us with timber for repairs in Ireland.”
He continued, “Since then, Sheeran’s has experienced substantial growth in their own business, acquiring new sites and expanding their operations. Concurrently, we began utilizing Sheeran’s services to deliver one-way trip (OWT) pallets to our customers and retrieve empty pallets from retail locations.”
“This mutually beneficial relationship allowed IPP to enhance our pooling model in Ireland while enabling Sheeran’s to expand their white pallet business. It primarily led to transport synergies that reduced empty mileage,” added Bage.
Fergal Moran, Business Development Director for CJ Sheeran, expressed, “The relationship with IPP and the collaborative efforts we made to maintain the flow of goods during the COVID-19 pandemic has truly flourished, benefiting both Ireland and the UK. We have built a strong partnership based on complete trust, which allows for the efficient sorting, repair, and delivery of pallets across Ireland.”
Moran further emphasized, “This means that as we continue to grow, IPP grows with us, and vice versa.”
CJ Sheeran has become a renowned name in the Irish timber industry and has emerged as the largest manufacturer of timber packaging and pallets in Ireland. With its headquarters located in Mountrath, Co. Laois, and several manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution depots spread across the country, CJ Sheeran caters to a diverse network of pallet consumers in Ireland and the UK by providing top-quality, accredited packaging solutions.
In addition to their core products of timber packaging and pallets, CJ Sheeran also offers a variety of garden and farm timber products. These include gates, fencing, the popular SecondHarvest® Landscape Wood Mulch, the innovative ComfyPlay® Playground Surfacing, and the well-known ComfyBed® Equine Bedding.