NWPCA & TIMCON ANNOUNCE INTERNATIONAL PDS AGREEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NWPCA AND TIMCON ANNOUNCE INTERNATIONAL PDS AGREEMENT

The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) is proud to announce the new PDS marketing partnership with The Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON). TIMCON has signed a new agreement with NWPCA for its enhanced Pallet Design System™ (PDS).

NWPCA’s President/CEO Brent McClendon noted, “We are very excited about this phenomenal opportunity to partner with TIMCON and further the expansion of PDS use in their territory.”

The agreement allows TIMCOM to market PDS to pallet manufacturers in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Eire (Southern Ireland). TIMCON President John Dye said, “TIMCON’s relationship with organizations such as NWPCA allows us to give our membership access to the very latest international developments in the wooden packaging and pallet sector.

“With PDS, pallet manufacturers and recyclers in the UK will be better equipped to provide their customers with pallets that utilize timber efficiently, while also ensuring the safe and effective transportation of their goods. The renewal of our agreement on PDS with NWPCA is an excellent example of this, giving them, at a substantial discount, access to the leading and most-used pallet design software in the world.”

NWPCA is already working on the next version through recently announced expanded research partnership with Virginia Tech’s Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design (CPULD) and Department of Sustainable Biomaterials. NWPCA has committed approximately US$200,000 in the Virginia Tech projects, as part of a $1 million investment in advancing the unit load capabilities of PDS in 2016 and 2017. The focus points of the developments are, specifically:

• State-of-the-art research on interactions and stresses between the pallet and supported containers (corrugated boxes, pails, drums, shipping sacks) at all phases of unit load handling, storage and transport
• Development of advanced structural analysis models of entire unit load system (pallet, supported containers and load stabilizers)
• Hiring additional structural and software engineers to complement NWPCA’s existing team of engineers and researchers.

TIMCON is the United Kingdom National Trade Association representing the interests of the timber packaging industry. TIMCON will offer the new PDS at a discount as a benefit to its members. Version 5.2 of the system will be released this autumn. More information on TIMCON at www.timcon.org.

The Pallet Design System™ is proprietary software of the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association. More information on NWPCA or the software is available at www.palletcentral.com.

CONTACT

Patrick Atagi, Vice President of Advocacy and External Affairs
Phone: 703-519-6104
email