UK-based timber group James Jones & Sons Ltd has announced two further acquisitions in Australia, strengthening its pallet manufacturing network and expanding its customer reach across key growth regions.
The Hyne Group announced that its Hyne Pallets division has acquired another long-term customer, Newcastle Pallets, a family-owned business that has operated for approximately 25 years in the Hunter Valley. The deal, finalized on September 1, 2025, marks Hyne’s fifth pallet manufacturing acquisition in less than two years.
Hyne Group CEO Jim Bindon described the purchase as both a continuation of strategy and a smooth succession transition for the previous owner, Anthony Turner. “We are really pleased to bring Newcastle Pallets into the Hyne Pallets fold. I welcome the opportunity to have worked with the owner, our previously valued customer, Anthony Turner, to deliver a smooth succession transition for his business. We will also ensure a seamless transition for the staff, customers and suppliers of the business over the coming months,” Bindon said.
Newcastle Pallets supplies a nationally operating customer base across manufacturing, mining, industrial, and agricultural sectors. Some of its customers also work with other Hyne pallet manufacturing sites, which Bindon said strengthens national supply and improves efficiency. The company has also been a long-standing customer of Hyne’s Tumbarumba sawmill in New South Wales, highlighting the vertical integration of Hyne’s model.
Hyne already has a major distribution center in Newcastle to service construction customers with framing and laminated timber beams. Bindon said the pallet acquisition further integrates Hyne’s regional footprint. “This acquisition not only presents really good opportunities for our team members, customers and suppliers, but it further integrates the Hyne Group Newcastle region footprint to ensure efficiency and growth into the future,” he noted.
Seapal Pallets & Crates Joins the Network
Alongside the Newcastle acquisition, Hyne Group also announced it will acquire Seapal Pallets & Crates in Kilcoy, Queensland, with completion scheduled for October 1, 2025. Founded in 1998 under Trevor Carter’s ownership, Seapal serves mining, agriculture, logistics, and food customers with both standard and custom pallet and crate solutions.
“This marks the sixth pallet manufacturing acquisition in less than two years and the second in Queensland,” Bindon said. He emphasized synergies between Seapal and Hyne’s Express Pallets & Crates business in Narangba, citing opportunities in fibre supply, freight, staffing, and production planning. “In addition to standard pallet manufacturing, the business delivers custom solutions to service the unique freighting requirements such as those of large manufacturing businesses,” he said.
Seapal will retain its trading name, and its team will transition to Hyne Pallets. Timber supply will continue from the co-located sawmill, which remains with Trevor Carter, supplemented by Hyne’s large Tuan sawmill to ensure consistent material availability.
Parent Company Perspective
Parent company James Jones & Sons Ltd framed the two acquisitions as part of its global strategy. Tom Bruce-Jones, Chairman of James Jones & Sons Ltd, said: “These latest acquisitions continue to deliver our strategy of vertical integration and geographical expansion across the continent. We are delighted to welcome Newcastle Pallets and Seapal Pallets & Crates into the wider James Jones & Sons Group.”
With these additions, James Jones & Sons has now completed ten pallet manufacturing acquisitions in Australia since entering the market in 2022.
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Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
