Airdex International

What Airdex International does

Airdex International is a privately held manufacturer founded in 2002 and headquartered in Newport Beach, California, that designs and produces customized, recyclable airfreight pallets engineered for superior strength-to-weight ratios. The company's core technology is a patented blend of materials and processes containing no metal components, enabling weight reduction of up to 75% versus traditional wood pallets while maintaining ASTM D1185-certified racking performance, thermal insulation for temperature-sensitive cargo, damage-resilient construction, and embedded RFID tracking through the absence of metal interference. Its product portfolio comprises four core lines — Racking Pallets, Air Pallets (ULD-compatible ultra-lightweight shipping pallets), Half/Quarter Pallets, and Custom Pallets — each tailor-made to customer-specific weight, dimensional, and racking requirements.

Airdex operates an asset-light, mobile manufacturing model with corporate offices in Newport Beach and Shanghai, plus manufacturing partnerships across Chongqing and Dongguan (China), Hanoi (Vietnam), Tijuana (Mexico), Taoyuan City (Taiwan), and Sriracha (Thailand). This network enables just-in-time delivery via close-proximity mobile machine placement and supports customers relocating production out of China amid US-China trade tensions. The company sells directly to enterprise customers through field sales teams and relationships with 3PL/4PL logistics providers, freight forwarders, and contract manufacturers, with pricing on a custom quote basis and multi-year contracts; per-pallet savings of $20-$50 are claimed relative to traditional alternatives.

Customers include named enterprise references HP and Samsung in electronics, an unnamed "world's largest berry producer" in perishables (secured 2015), and long-standing logistics partner Able Freight in Los Angeles. Airdex also operates a global network of recycling and trucking partners for end-of-life pallet recovery, with recycled material feeding into construction and consumer-goods applications. Cumulative disclosed impact includes over 1 million trees saved and an estimated 880 million lbs of CO2 emissions eliminated over 17 years. The company is bootstrapped (no funding rounds disclosed), employs 11-50 people, and is led by President and CEO Jeffrey Dahl with VP of R&D and Operations Eugene based in Shanghai.

Name

Airdex International

Legal name

Airdex International

Website

https://airdex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Airdex International is a private manufacturer of patented, recyclable airfreight pallets that reduce weight by up to 75% versus wood, serving enterprise customers in electronics, perishables, and global logistics through a JIT mobile manufacturing network across six countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Shipping Pallets

NAICS

Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing (32192)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Custom shipping pallets
• Air freight pallets
• Lightweight pallet systems
• Recyclable shipping solutions
• Rackable plastic pallets

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Airfreight Pallet Sales: Airdex generates revenue through the sale of lightweight, recyclable airfreight pallets including Racking Pallets, Air Pallets, Half/Quarter Pallets, and Custom Pallets. Each pallet is tailormade to meet customer-specific weight and racking requirements. Revenue is derived from one-time product sales with average net savings of $20 to $50 per pallet load for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Airdex International designs, engineers, and manufactures a proprietary line of custom shipping pallets — including rackable, air-freight, half-size, and made-to-order pallets — built from a patented composite material blend that is metal-free, up to 75% lighter than conventional pallets, and 100% recyclable. The company sells directly to enterprise shippers and integrates with global logistics, pharmaceutical, perishables, and aerospace supply chains.

Product overview

Airdex International is a global manufacturer of environmentally friendly airfreight pallets serving the logistics and shipping industry. The company's product portfolio consists of four core pallet types: Racking Pallets (designed for warehouse racking applications with ASTM certification), Air Pallets (ultra-lightweight ULD-compatible shipping pallets), Half/Quarter Pallets (compact custom-sized solutions), and Custom Pallets (non-standard products engineered to customer specifications). All products are made from alternative recyclable materials and feature a patented material blend that delivers an unmatched strength-to-weight ratio, reducing pallet weight by up to 75% compared to traditional wood pallets while maintaining comparable load-bearing capacity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Airdex Racking Pallet Heavy-duty, edge-rackable pallet engineered from Airdex's patented composite blend for warehouse racking systems, designed to replace wood and reduce damage, weight, and waste in pallet-in/rack-out operations.
• Airdex Air Pallet Ultra-lightweight pallet (approximately 75% lighter than traditional wood) designed specifically for air-freight shipping where weight directly drives cost, and usable for perishables, pharmaceutical, and high-value cargo.
• Airdex Half Pallet Half-size Airdex pallet offering a smaller footprint for retailers and shippers handling lighter or smaller-volume freight that still requires a rackable, recyclable pallet solution.
• Custom Pallets and Custom Products Engineered-to-order pallets and other custom shipping products built from Airdex's patented composite blend, sized and configured for a customer's specific load, equipment, and supply-chain requirements.
• Just-In-Time Mobile Pallet Manufacturing On-demand, on-site pallet manufacturing service in which Airdex brings its production equipment to the customer's facility to produce finished pallets just-in-time, eliminating warehousing and freight for empty pallets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75% weight reduction compared to traditional wood pallets
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Able Freight (Los Angeles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Able Freight in Los Angeles facilitating entry into the perishable industry. This relationship helped Airdex understand the industry and secure their first major perishable customer - the world's largest berry producer in 2015.
• Chongqing Foyid Technology Co., LtdsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner located in Chongqing, China (No.199 North Street Dalu Road, Bishan County). Provides regional manufacturing capacity for Airdex pallets.
• Guangdong Baiyu Tech Co.supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner located in Dongguan, China (Benzhou Industrial Park, Hongwuwo, Hongmei Town). Provides regional manufacturing capacity.
• Jebsen & Jessen PackagingsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner in Hanoi, Vietnam (Lot K1, Que Vo Industrial Park, Bac Ninh Province). Established to support customers relocating from China due to US-China trade war.
• Foam Fabricators Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V.supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner in Tijuana, Mexico (Avenue Lago Iuriria #5250 El Lago, Tijuana, BC 22210). Provides regional manufacturing capacity for North American markets.
• Sing Hong Polyfoam Co., LTD.supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner in Taoyuan City, Taiwan (No.6, Alley 98, Lane 800, Chung Shan South Road, Yang-mei). Expanded in 2019 to support APAC customers.
• Kaosu Packing (Sriracha) Industry Co., LTD.supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturing partner in Sriracha, Chonburi, Thailand (533/44 Moo 1, T.Nongkarm, A.Sriracha). Expanded in 2019 to support customers shifting from China.
• Global Recycler and Trucking Partners NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished global network of recyclers and trucking partners to facilitate pallet removal and recycling. Partners promote zero landfill exposure philosophy. Recycled material used in homes, buildings, and consumer goods including low-cost housing systems.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cabka Group: Specialist manufacturer of plastic pallets (including ECO and EPS-foam composite pallets) used across logistics, retail, and airfreight applications. Closely comparable to Airdex on lightweight plastic/foam pallet technology for global supply chains.
• iGPS Logistics: Provider of plastic pallets with embedded RFID tracking, sold/rented to manufacturers, retailers, and shippers including airfreight users. Directly comparable to Airdex on lightweight, trackable plastic pallets serving enterprise supply chains.
• Falkenhahn AG: Specialist producer of plastic export pallets (including EPS-foam and injection-molded plastic designs) widely used in airfreight. Closely comparable to Airdex in airfreight-grade lightweight plastic pallets serving global OEMs.
• Nefab Group: Global industrial packaging manufacturer and engineered packaging solutions provider serving electronics and industrial OEMs with export packaging, including pallets. Closely comparable to Airdex in supplying airfreight and export-oriented packaging to electronics and industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• ORBIS Corporation (Menasha): Major producer of reusable plastic pallets, bulk containers, and supply chain packaging. Comparable to Airdex in offering plastic pallet alternatives to wood for industrial and retail supply chains, but with a much wider product range and pooler-style logistics services.
• Schoeller Allibert: One of the largest global manufacturers of reusable plastic returnable packaging, including plastic pallets used in logistics and airfreight applications. Directly overlaps Airdex in plastic pallet solutions for industrial supply chains, but operates across a much broader product portfolio (containers, crates, bins) rather than specializing in airfreight.
• Brambles / CHEP: World's largest pallet pooling company, operating the CHEP and IFCO networks of reusable pallets and containers across global supply chains. Competes indirectly with Airdex in pallet supply for major shippers (including airfreight-adjacent retail and consumer goods), but its model is rental/pooling rather than pallet sale.
• Rehrig Pacific Company: Manufacturer of reusable plastic pallets, containers, and material handling solutions used across logistics and retail supply chains. Comparable to Airdex on plastic pallet manufacturing scale and global enterprise customer base, though broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Litco International: Producer of molded wood and engineered wood pallets (including the Inca presswood pallet line) used as alternatives to standard wood pallets in airfreight and export shipping. Comparable to Airdex in offering non-traditional pallet solutions optimized for airfreight and global export use cases.
• TriEnda / PalletOne: Manufacturers of plastic and hybrid pallets for industrial and airfreight applications. Comparable to Airdex in producing lightweight, recyclable pallet alternatives to wood for global supply chain customers, though with different material specializations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Airdex International