Pallet company wants to work in harmony
By PAT FRIDGEN Echo Pilot

An employee works indoors at Industrial Pallet Corporation on North Carlisle Street. The company has been the source of complaints by residents of an adjacent trailer park on issues of noise, odor and dust.

Plant manager Jeff Deika understands why residents of the trailer park next door are unhappy that Industrial Pallet Corporation is their neighbor. If he were retired he might feel the same way. But he is operating his business in an industrial-zoned area and is doing his best to appease the complaints of the public.

Residents have appeared before Greencastle Borough Council several times in the past year, reporting issues with dust, odor and the location of the thousands of pallets, as well as concerns of fire and safety for area children. On Feb. 4 council told a resident to call police for noise outside the acceptable hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., as police were authorized to enforce the noise ordinance.

Feb. 5 police cited the company for noise at 6:27 a.m. at its 255 N. Carlisle St. address.

Based on previous complaints, Deika had already adjusted his workforce schedule so that no loud equipment was used before 7 a.m. He believes the noise reported that morning was either a garbage truck emptying a container, or an out-of-town customer hooking up a filled

trailer.

The normal workday for his employees is now 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

During the two years the company has been in Greencastle, it first covered an open-top trailer that was releasing dust into the neighborhood. It then improved the setup to reduce the dust level even more.

Complaints last spring led to two visits by the Department of Environmental Protection and a visit by former Public Facilities chairman Don Coldsmith and former Borough Manager Ken Myers. Deika said both times DEP cleared the company of any wrongdoing. Since residents still had problems with dust though, Deika agreed to construct a metal building to contain the shredding operation. It is in use today.

He denies that the company emits any odors and says it uses no toxic materials. He thinks what residents smell comes from another business several blocks north. Inventory of the pallets is on the high side right now, approximately 90,000, he said. Since his business is cyclical, he has to have them on hand for the spring orders, and expects the number to drop to 40,000 soon.

Deika says the fire worry is justified.

"We are concerned all the time, too."

He and his employees do safety checks daily before leaving the premises.

What happens when people trespass after hours is beyond his power. Some come on the property, take down the No Smoking signs and smoke. Area children climb on the pallets. Since the business is located adjacent to the Greencastle Antrim Baseball Softball Association grounds, people attending those games also infringe on the private property. He has worked with the organization to provide parking in the spring and summer.

"We have gone out of our way to try to make people happy," Deika said. "They turn something small into something big. But they are minute compared to what we could be facing. Noise is something you can control."

Industrial Pallet

The company is located in a former cold storage building. Officials renovated the facility to meet their manufacturing needs when they moved into Greencastle in 2005.

It currently employs 45 people and provides space for three tenants, with two more businesses expected to rent space soon.

The firm repairs and sells recycled pallets. What cannot be saved is turned into mulch and sold to Zeager Brothers in Middletown. That company picks up two trailer loads a day.

Deika says his company receives 14 trailers a day, each filled with 450 to 550 pallets from distribution centers such as Staples, Food Lion and Fresh Express. He has 61 vans, three semis and four fulltime drivers.

Administrative headquarters are in Remington, In. Two other sites are in Indiana. Greencastle is the only outstate location.

"We were asked to come here through Staples," Deika said.

The company decided on Greencastle after a site in Hancock fell through. Deika was asked to be plant manager. He had previously worked at Fleetwood Travel Trailers in Williamsport and other cities for 22 years. He and childhood friend Larry Fluke had risen through the ranks to management together.

"I wanted to hire someone who would retire with me," said Deika. He chose Fluke as production manager. "It's been a good deal."

Deika was raised in the area and now lives in Mercersburg. Fluke commutes from Everett.

They appreciate the support they have received from area businesses. They are friends with the folks at Antrim Building and Farm Supply, Reed Machinery and Equipment, Pressure Tech, Transply, Fastenal and Lumber Direct, among others.

"All of them have helped us get the business going," said Deika.

He is not offended by the concerns of the neighbors at the trailer park.

"We're proud of what we've done. We intend to be here awhile. These will always be issues for manufacturers."