Kamps Pallets

What Kamps Pallets does

Kamps Pallets (legal entity Kamps, Inc.) is a vertically integrated national pallet company founded in 1973 and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It manufactures, reconditions, and remanufactures wooden pallets — including the standard 48×40 GMA pallet, ISPM-15 heat-treated pallets for international export, and custom-engineered pallets built via its proprietary Pallet Design Software — and runs a parallel reverse-logistics operation that purchases, retrieves, sorts, repairs, and recycles used pallets at national scale (425.7M pallets recycled in 2025; 544M+ managed annually). Backward integration into a company-owned sawmill secures lumber supply for the manufacturing footprint, while downstream processing converts unusable pallets into wholesale mulch (Enviro-Mulch), bark, CushionWood playground surfacing, wood pellets (Easy Heat Pellets), and other industrial byproducts distributed across roughly 20 states.

The company operates through four commercially distinct revenue streams: unit-priced pallet sales (new, reconditioned, remanufactured); pallet purchase and recycling programs at fair market value; enterprise managed-service programs — Comprehensive Pallet Life-Cycle Services (CPLS), a circular closed-loop offering, and Total Pallet Management (TPM), on-site labor and equipment embedded inside customer facilities; and protective packaging plus wood byproducts. Programs run on multi-year contracts with dedicated account teams, Annual Business Reviews, and a 5-Point Analysis methodology; differentiated transparency comes from the proprietary KP Portal reporting platform and a national standardized GMA grading system.

Kamps is a private, PE-backed company. Freeman Spogli & Co. partnered with the founder family in 2019, after which Kamps executed an aggressive acquisition program (six companies in 2021, six in 2022, plus Tritz Pallet, Greenway Products & Services, Realm Companies, and John Rock, Inc. through 2023), scaling to 400+ locations, 8,500+ trailers, 2,610+ employees, and presence in 19 states plus Canada and Mexico. Customers span automotive manufacturers (including General Motors), large national retailers, grocery and food and beverage manufacturers, and e-commerce and industrial shippers. Sustainability credentials (EcoVadis rating, CDP disclosure, FSC Chain of Custody, Zero Waste USA, John Deere Supplier Sustainability Award 2025) are central to enterprise procurement positioning.

Name

Kamps Pallets

Legal name

Kamps, Inc.

Website

https://kampspallets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kamps Pallets is a vertically integrated national pallet company that manufactures, recycles, and remanufactures wooden pallets and packaging products. It serves enterprise customers in automotive, retail, food and beverage, and produce through 400+ locations across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pallet Manufacturing and Recycling Services

NAICS

Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (32192), Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (321920), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430), Wholesale-Lumber, Plywood, Millwork & Wood Panels (5031)

akta.pro primary industry

Pallets (Wood, Plastic, Metal, Presswood) (IMALAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pallets, Bins, Totes & Returnable Transport Packaging (RTP) (IMAHABAG), Wood Pallets, Crates & Industrial Wood Packaging (IMADADAJ), Tertiary Packaging & Unitization (Palletizing, Slip-Sheeting, Strapping) (TLAIAGAC), Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacturing Services (EUAIANAB)

Keywords

• Wood pallet manufacturing
• Pallet recycling services
• Custom pallet design
• Total pallet management
• Pallet lifecycle services

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pallet Sales (New, Reconditioned, Remanufactured): Kamps manufactures and sells new wooden pallets built to customer specifications, as well as repaired (reconditioned) and remanufactured pallets made from used components. Remanufactured pallets use 60-70% used materials. Sales are priced per pallet with truckload minimums (200-600 pallets depending on size).
2. Pallet Purchase / Recycling Programs: Kamps purchases used pallets from customers at fair market value, sorts them, and reintroduces usable pallets into the supply chain. Customers sell pallets by the truckload (400+ units) or at physical Kamps locations (as low as 25 units). Revenue is generated from the margin on recycled pallet resale and processing fees.
3. Comprehensive Pallet Life-Cycle Services (CPLS): A bundled service program covering the full lifecycle of pallets — new pallet manufacturing, collection, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. Delivered as a continuous circular program with per-pallet pricing or program fees. Designed to generate ongoing recurring revenue from enterprise customers through multi-year contracts.
4. Total Pallet Management (TPM): On-site pallet management service where Kamps provides dedicated labor, equipment, and expertise directly at customer facilities. Covers sorting, repair, freight handling, yard management, and reporting. Revenue is generated through service fees per facility or per-pallet metrics.
5. Wood Resource / Sustainable Byproducts (Mulch, Bark, Pellets): End-of-life pallet materials are processed into sustainable byproducts including color-enhanced mulch, bark, CushionWood playground surfacing, wood fuel pellets, and animal bedding. Sold wholesale to landscaping, agriculture, and industrial customers. Revenue from material sales and processing fees.
6. Custom Packaging Products: Kamps Protective Packaging platform offers dunnage bags, stretch film, strapping, slip sheets, bubble rolls, seat covers, and custom packaging products. Sold alongside pallet programs or as standalone products to automotive, food service, e-commerce, and manufacturing customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kamps Pallets manufactures and sells new, reconditioned, and remanufactured wooden pallets (including 48x40 GMA and heat-treated pallets), provides pallet recycling and recovery ("We Buy Pallets"), runs on-site Total Pallet Management (TPM), and offers Comprehensive Pallet Life-Cycle Services (CPLS) that design, deliver, track, recover, recycle, and remanufacture pallets across national footprints. Additional offerings include custom-designed pallets and protective packaging, wooden shipping boxes/crates, and wood byproducts such as mulch, bark, CushionWood, and Easy Heat Pellets.

Product overview

Kamps Pallets is a national pallet company operating as a platform of innovative pallet services with a comprehensive product and service portfolio. The core offering centers on wood pallets (new, reconditioned, and remanufactured) and the 48×40 GMA standard pallet, supported by key service modules including Comprehensive Pallet Life-Cycle Services (CPLS) for end-to-end circular pallet management, Total Pallet Management (TPM) for on-site operations, Pallet Recycling for asset recovery, and Custom Pallets for bespoke design. The portfolio extends to protective packaging products, wooden shipping crates, and sustainable byproducts (mulch, bark, cushionwood) through Wood Resource Services. A proprietary KP Portal reporting tool provides data transparency across programs. The company manages over 544 million pallets annually through a network of 400+ locations, combining manufacturing, recycling, and logistics capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Comprehensive Pallet Life-Cycle Services (CPLS): An industry-leading program that leverages expertise in all areas of the pallet life-cycle, from new pallet manufacturing to pallet retrieval and sustainable recycling.
• Total Pallet Management (TPM)
• Enviro-Mulch
• CushionWood

Products and services

• New Wood Pallets (including 48x40 GMA and Heat-Treated pallets) Manufacturer of new, custom-built wooden pallets including the standard 48x40 GMA pallet and ISPM 15 heat-treated pallets for export; sold to enterprise shippers in automotive, retail, grocery, food & beverage, and industrial manufacturing.
• Recycled / Reconditioned / Remanufactured Pallets Recycled, reconditioned, and remanufactured wooden pallets that Kamps recovers from customers, grades through its national grading system, and resells or returns to customer pools — for enterprise shippers seeking lower-cost pallet options and documented sustainability outcomes.
• Custom Pallets and Custom Pallet Design (PDS) Custom-engineered wooden pallets designed through Kamps' proprietary PDS (Custom Pallet Design Software) for specific unit loads, damage reduction, transport optimization, or industry-specific requirements; for enterprise shippers that need non-standard, optimized pallets.
• Comprehensive Pallet Life-Cycle Services (CPLS) End-to-end pallet life-cycle program that designs, supplies, tracks, recovers, recycles, and remanufactures pallets across a customer's national footprint, including reporting through the KP Portal; for large enterprises that want to consolidate pallet vendors and standardize pallet programs.
• Total Pallet Management (TPM) On-site, embedded Kamps teams that run customer pallet pools inside distribution centers and plants, handling pallet sorting, repair, and replenishment; for enterprise shippers that want outsourced pallet operations without managing internal pallet crews.
• Pallet Recycling and "We Buy Pallets" Buy-back and recycling of used, damaged, or surplus wooden pallets from shippers, pallet brokers, and other pallet companies; recovered pallets are either reconditioned and resold, or broken down into wood byproducts.
• Kamps Protective Packaging Custom-designed protective packaging products — including dunnage, edge protectors, and load-securing components — engineered to work with Kamps pallets and protect product in transit; for enterprise shippers reducing product damage.
• Wooden Shipping Boxes and Crates Custom wooden shipping boxes, crates, and heavy-duty wood packaging manufactured alongside Kamps pallets; for industrial customers shipping heavy, oversized, or export-restricted freight.
• Wood Byproducts (Mulch, Bark, CushionWood, Easy Heat Pellets) Commercial-grade landscaping mulch, bark, CushionWood landscaping material, and Easy Heat fuel pellets produced from wood recovered through Kamps pallet recycling and remanufacturing; sold into landscaping, retail garden, and heating-pellet channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% total cost savings compared to all-new pallet programs through CPLS
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EcoVadiscoreOthersEcoVadis is the world's largest sustainability ratings provider. Kamps holds a rating from EcoVadis, demonstrating its commitment to environmental and social responsibility across its operations.
• Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)coreOthersKamps annually discloses its climate impact through the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), providing transparent reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risks and opportunities.
• International Suppliers Network (ISN)minorOthersKamps is in good standing with all suppliers through the International Suppliers Network (ISN), which verifies contractor health, safety, and environmental practices.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreOthersThe Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international non-profit organization. Kamps received FSC Chain of Custody certification at its South Charleston, OH facility in 2026, enabling the company to sell FSC-certified products.
• One Tree PlantedminorOthersOne Tree Planted is a non-profit tree planting organization. Kamps partners with One Tree Planted for reforestation initiatives, including the 2023 Appalachia Forest Rehabilitation and Restoration Impact Report.
• Zero Waste USA (ZWUSA)coreOthersZero Waste USA provides Zero Waste Certification. Kamps' Detroit and Taylor, Michigan facilities received Zero Waste Certification in December 2025 as part of an enterprise-wide sustainability strategy.
• Reusable Packaging Association (RPA)coreOthersKamps is a member of the Reusable Packaging Association and actively participates in its programs. Kamps won the RPA's Excellence in Reusable Packaging award in 2025 with General Motors.
• International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA)minorOthersKamps joined the IFDA, expanding its support to the foodservice industry and positioning itself as a pallet and packaging solutions provider for foodservice distributors.
• International Fresh Produce AssociationminorOthersKamps joined the International Fresh Produce Association in August 2025 to expand its reach into the fresh produce and floral supply chain market.
• NWPCA (PalletCentral / National Wood Pallet and Container Association)coreOthersKamps is an active member of the NWPCA (National Wood Pallet and Container Association), the leading trade association for the wooden pallet and container industry.
• Pellet Fuel InstituteminorOthersKamps is a member of the Pellet Fuel Institute, reflecting its involvement in wood pellet production through its Wood Resource Services division.
• Pallet FoundationminorOthersKamps is a member of the Pallet Foundation, which supports research, education, and industry advancement for the pallet sector.
• Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers AssociationminorOthersKamps is a member of the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association, supporting produce supply chain operations in the Southeast region.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PalletOne: PalletOne is one of the largest manufacturers of new and recycled wood pallets in North America, with a multi-state manufacturing and recycling footprint and a broad product mix including custom pallets, ISPM-15 heat-treated pallets, and pallet recovery programs — directly comparable to Kamps' core offering.
• USA Pallet: USA Pallet is a regional pallet manufacturer and recycler in the Eastern US, providing new, recycled, and custom pallets as well as pallet pickup and recycling services — comparable in business model to Kamps' asset-based regional facilities.
• Pallet Logistics of America (PLA): PLA operates a national network of pallet manufacturing, recycling, and recovery facilities, with focus on Total Pallet Management (TPM) on-site services and reverse logistics for retailers and manufacturers — directly overlapping Kamps' CPLS/TPM value proposition.
• Millwood (Cox Family of Companies): Millwood is a national pallet and lumber company providing new pallets, recycled pallets, crate solutions, and on-site pallet management to industrial and retail customers — overlapping closely with Kamps' CPLS and TPM service portfolio across multiple US regions.

Emerging players

• iGPS Logistics: iGPS pools lightweight, high-hygiene plastic pallets to CPG and pharmaceutical manufacturers, providing an alternative substrate to wood for closed-loop grocery and CPG supply chains — a key competitive substitute to Kamps' wood pallet CPLS offerings.
• ORBIS Corporation: ORBIS manufactures reusable plastic pallets, bulk containers, and dunnage for automotive, food, and industrial supply chains — competing with Kamps in automotive closed-loop programs and the broader reusable transport packaging category.

Broad incumbents

• PECO Pallet: PECO Pallet is the largest pallet pooling provider in North America for produce and grocery supply chains, offering standardized wood pallet rental and retrieval — competing with Kamps for share of enterprise pallet programs in grocery, produce, and foodservice.
• CHEP (Brambles): CHEP, a Brambles subsidiary, operates the world's largest pallet and container pooling network, serving CPG, retail, and automotive supply chains with reusable platforms — comparable to Kamps in automotive and grocery closed-loop pallet programs, though pooling rather than recycling/remanufacturing.

Others

• Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) members ecosystem: The RPA is the industry association representing reusable packaging providers (pallets, bulk containers, dunnage) across North America — Kamps is an active member and award winner within this ecosystem, which shapes the competitive set around circular and reusable pallet solutions.
• National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) members / independent regional recyclers: The NWPCA represents hundreds of independent pallet manufacturers and recyclers across the US, collectively forming the fragmented competitive backdrop against which Kamps competes for both customers and acquisition targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kampsinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@kampspallets4830
• Facebookfacebook.com/kampspallets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kamps-pallets

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kamps Pallets