Background
Taylor Pallets and Recycling serves customers in South and North Carolina, as well as Georgia from multiple locations across the tri-state area. Established in 1992 by Greg and Russ Taylor, the company specializes in recycled, new, and custom-built pallets.
Taylor Pallets offers a variety of other services, including pallet repair and custom grinding. Using their Rotochopper horizontal grinder, they also utilize the wood waste from both their pallet business and from their roll-off services to create landscape mulch, which they sell wholesale and directly to customers.
Taylor Pallets purchased their first Rotochopper machine in 2002, and they’ve owned ten grinders over the years. They began their journey with an MC model diesel grinder but expanded their equipment to include electric grinders at several locations after the purchase of their first EC model in 2010.
Challenge
In order to transport their end product from the grinding conveyor to their mulch yard, Taylor Pallets live loaded it directly from their EC-366 into a semi-trailer. This situation presented a multitude of labor and logistical challenges which reduced production time and cut into Taylor Pallets’ profits. First, the crew constantly needed a trailer sitting at the end of the conveyor, ready to be loaded. The driver also needed to be available to move the trailer and ensure it filled evenly. In addition, the next trailer—along with a driver, meaning more labor hours—needed to be ready to pull in as soon as the first trailer was full.
Based on the availability of the trailers and the timing of filling them, the company saw an opportunity to create additional efficiencies in their process that would not only keep up with current production capacity but prepare them for future growth as well.
Solution
In 2019, Taylor Pallets worked with Rotochopper to develop a customized solution that fit their need for efficiency. They purchased a new EC-366 and a dual auger trailer loading system to help streamline their material handling process. The auger system was installed in line with the EC-366, allowing the grinder to feed directly into the augers. From there, the finished product could be loaded directly into the semi-trailer without the need for any additional handling.
Results
With their new equipment solution in place, Taylor Pallets has been able to streamline their entire grinding and transporting process. They run their EC-366 consistently during the day, with it now feeding the end product directly into the trailer loading auger system. With the dual system, they can fill one semi while, at the same time, a second semi can be transporting feedstock or getting into position to be filled under the second auger.
“With our new equipment solution in place, we have been able to streamline our entire grinding and transporting process maximizing our company’s production capacity.” – Russ Taylor
This new solution minimizes idle time on the grinder and maximizes the company’s production capacity. With the streamlined loading process, as well as the minimized labor and handling requirements, Taylor Pallets is running with renewed efficiency.