UFP Industries has expanded its pallet manufacturing footprint in the northeastern United States through the acquisition of key operating assets from John Rock, Inc., a subsidiary of Kamps Pallets.
The transaction, valued at approximately $48 million, brings three pallet manufacturing locations into the PalletOne network. The facilities are located in Coatesville and Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, and Bowling Green, Virginia. A fourth site, a sawmill in Dilwyn, Virginia, will remain with the seller.
The acquired operations generate roughly $82 million in annual sales and include a workforce of nearly 250 employees.
For UFP, the move addresses a geographic gap in its pallet platform and strengthens its ability to serve customers across the northeastern corridor. The company said the acquisition will enhance service capabilities for national accounts while maintaining regional production capacity.
“This acquisition is fundamentally about strengthening our core packaging business and expanding our footprint in a region where we see long-term opportunity,” said Will Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of UFP Industries. “John Rock has built a well-established pallet manufacturing operation with strong customer relationships and experienced teams. Bringing this business into PalletOne enhances our ability to serve customers across the northeast and positions us to unlock value through operational synergies and scale.”
John Rock has been a recognized supplier of new wood pallets in the region, with operations spanning Pennsylvania and Virginia. By acquiring the operating assets, UFP gains immediate manufacturing capacity and customer continuity, along with a platform for further operational integration.
The facilities will be incorporated into PalletOne’s existing network, with an emphasis on improving efficiency, leveraging procurement scale, and supporting growth with national customers. At the same time, the company indicated that local expertise and customer relationships will remain central to the integration approach.
“John Rock is a well-known name in the northeast pallet market, with a strong team and a diverse customer base,” said Scott Worthington, President of UFP Packaging. “We are excited to welcome their employees to PalletOne and look forward to building on the foundation they have established as we integrate the business into our network.”
The acquisition reflects UFP Industries’ continued investment in its core packaging segment, with a focus on expanding manufacturing capacity in key regions and strengthening its position with national customers across industrial and packaging markets. The company also recently acquired Berry Pallets in Minnesota.
For an aggregated list of M&A activity, visit our M&A tracker. I previously wrote about John Rock in a 2019 Pallet Enterprise article.
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.
