January 2020 – The Protective Packaging Division of Unicorr Packaging Group has acquired one of the largest manufacturers of new pallets in the Northeast, Coastal Pallet Corporation of Bridgeport, CT. A state-of-the-art manufacturer of custom wooden pallets, crates, and skids for various industries for nearly fifty years, the company has been recognized in the industry for its high quality work.
Citing that Coastal Pallet was “a good fit for our Protective Packaging Division product line,” Steve Malley, Unicorr Vice President of Protective Packaging added, “Unicorr has a fast-growing, diversified base of customers, many of whom require pallets of some shape and size. We were already manufacturing technical crates and pallets, so the acquisition of Coastal Pallet provides a natural extension of our work.” Coastal Pallet produces pallets as small as 20″ x 24″ and as large as 120″ x 110″, in standard and custom shapes, with the ability to make them even larger.
The acquisition also means that Unicorr’s Protective Packaging Division now has all wood operations under one roof. Examples of the fully automated equipment include a high-speed Pendu bi-directional saw, which cuts a cant in two directions in a single operation; a Viking automatic pallet assembler, capable of producing 1,200 pallets in an eight-hour shift; and a high tech kiln that can heat-treat up to two trailer loads of pallets at one time.
Unicorr is in the process of relocating the Coastal Pallet operation into its newly acquired and completely refurbished facility in Thompson, CT. “By integrating the capabilities provided by Coastal Pallet with our existing specialties, around 85 percent of Unicorr’s wood production is now fully automated,” Malley said, “which translates into greater efficiency, streamlined quality, and cost-savings for our customers.”
Coastal Pallet Corporation was founded in 1971. Until it joined Unicorr Packaging Group, the company operated as a family business, manufacturing up to 400,000 custom wooden pallets and crates annually, as well as single crates for special orders or large production runs.