 Container demand is increasing. PHOTO: CONTINENTAL PACKAGING SOLUTIONS |
US demand for pallets is projected to grow by 1.1% annually through to 2012 - to 1.46 billion pallets with a value of USD16.8 billion, according to a 241-page, USD4,500 study from the Freedonia Group Inc of Cleveland. The comparable growth rate from 2002 to 2007 was 0.4%.
Wooden pallets account for about 80% of the US pallet market, but the demand for plastic pallets is projected to grow fastest at 2.4% per year to 131.5 million pallets in 2012. Demand for plastic pallets grew 2.5% from 2002-2007.
Other pallets are made of corrugated paper or metal.
As part of the study, industry market research firm Freedonia developed profiles of 39 pallet manufacturing firms and third-party storage and shipping agents with US market share.