Case Study: QuadPackaging
At QuadPackaging in Franklin, Wisconsin—a subsidiary of Quad Graphics and one of North America’s leading folding carton producers—long-term performance and safety are key. Under the leadership of Plant Director Tim Wayman and Printing Manager Gary Young, both with over four decades of service, the company has relied on Jeco Plastic Products pallets for more than 25 years to maintain hygiene, safety, and durability in its high-performance pressroom.
Challenge: Hygiene, Safety, and Structural Integrity in Folding Carton Production
QuadPackaging’s clients in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food packaging industries require pristine, contamination-free products. Wooden pallets posed risks of:
- Insect infestation and vermin, violating cleanroom standards.
- Splinters, nails, and structural failure, creating safety hazards.
- Crushed or damaged loads, risking expensive printed materials.
To meet these stringent client standards, Wayman and Young transitioned from wood to Jeco plastic pallets decades ago—well before it became an industry trend.
“Many of our customers are members of the American Institute of Baking,” Wayman explained. “They’re concerned about insects and contamination from wood, so we standardized on plastic to eliminate that concern.”
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Solution: Durable, Dimensionally Precise Jeco Plastic Pallets
Jeco pallets provided a long-lasting, hygienic solution compatible with QuadPackaging’s advanced equipment, including the Heidelberg XL 145 and Dymatrix die cutter equipped with the Heidelberg Logistics System.
When QuadPackaging later added a Heidelberg XL 105 and Bobst die cutter, their existing Jeco pallets integrated seamlessly—proving the company’s long-term investment in precision-engineered plastic pallets continued to deliver returns.
“In addition to the inherent cleanliness of plastic, our Jeco plastic pallets never splinter or crush under the heavy weight of a stack of expensive finished folding cartons,” said Wayman.
Results: Safety, Longevity, and Seamless Integration
By standardizing on Jeco’s 100% virgin LLDPE resin pallets, QuadPackaging achieved:
- Cleaner operations that meet pharmaceutical and food-grade hygiene standards.
- Enhanced employee safety—no splinters, nails, or broken pallet hazards.
- Unmatched durability—most Jeco pallets remain in use after decades.
- Seamless system compatibility with Heidelberg and Bobst equipment.
Printing Manager Gary Young noted the financial benefit:
“We depreciate our Jeco plastic pallets because they last for decades—far longer than even the most conservative accountant expects. We probably replace only one pallet each year.”
