Creating Custom Pallets with the WM4500 Industrial Sawmill in the USA
DJ Pallets, based in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, operates Wood-Mizer equipment for recycling pallets and manufacturing custom pallets for clients across America.
How It All Began
"I didn’t enter this business right away," explains Dan Ullmann, president of DJ Pallets. Dan was an infantry officer in the army before working in sales departments at various companies. "One day, a friend of mine who was in the pallet business invited me to see how his operation worked."
"I visited his facility, and I really liked it." Dan and his family moved from New York to Pennsylvania to start a new life. "We found a warehouse, bought a trailer, started assembling pallets, and grew from there."
The company started with recycling old pallets, "and that still makes up a large part of our business," Dan explains. However, to reach a broader customer base, they began manufacturing new custom pallets.
Very quickly, Dan realized that pallet production required a significant amount of lumber. "I decided it was better to produce our own timber rather than buy it externally," he says. "So, we decided to get into sawmilling."
However, neither Dan nor his colleagues had any prior knowledge of sawmilling. "We were already using Wood-Mizer machines… dismantlers and trim saws. So, we turned to Wood-Mizer for a sawmilling solution."
Integrating the WM4500 Industrial Sawmill Line
Dan sought assistance from Wood-Mizer experts. Together, they determined that the WM4500 industrial sawmill line would be the best fit for DJ Pallets, providing high-quality cutting and strong potential for future production growth.
"At the time, we had no idea what we really needed since we had no experience in timber production. So, we relied heavily on advice from our friends at Wood-Mizer," Dan says. "And they offered us exactly what became the key to our success."
"When the Wood-Mizer team arrived to install the WM4500 sawmill line, they were impressed: ‘Wow! You guys really thought this through.’ But I have to admit, it wasn’t my foresight. We were well-prepared thanks to the specialists from Wood-Mizer’s industrial equipment division. They were our partners throughout the entire process."
Keys to Efficiency
The WM4500 sawmill line at DJ Pallets produces timber precisely to customer specifications while reducing capital, material, labor, energy, and operating costs.
At the heart of the line is the WM4500—a high-performance and efficient Wood-Mizer industrial sawmill. With a high level of automation and material handling solutions, the entire line requires only one operator to manage operations.
The process starts with logs being unloaded onto the ramp, designed to hold enough material to keep the mill running for an entire shift. Logs do not need pre-sorting or debarking. Loading arms move logs one by one onto the WM4500 sawmill bed.
The operator, working from an elevated cabin, controls the hydraulic log positioning system. Using joysticks, he rotates the log, lifts one end to compensate for its taper, and securely clamps it before initiating the cutting process.
The operator has a complete view of the sawmill’s operation, aided by video monitors displaying live feeds from both sides of the saw head. Laser guides help optimize cuts, while an electronic control panel enables automatic head height adjustments. A debarker removes a strip of bark just before the bandsaw blade makes contact with the log.
Wood-Mizer’s thin-kerf bandsaw technology is crucial for efficient wood utilization. The thin-kerf blade makes a cut only 2mm thick, meaning more valuable boards and fewer sawdust losses compared to conventional cutting methods.
Zero Waste
"With recycling, we purchase broken or unwanted pallets. These pallets are sorted and sent for dismantling, where damaged parts are removed and replaced with new components. Then, we load them onto trucks and deliver them to our customers."
Naturally, sawmilling generates sawdust. "We have a dust collection system that gathers sawdust." But this sawdust doesn’t go to waste.
"Another business specializing in sawdust picks it up from our facility to use as animal bedding. Everything gets used, so waste is nearly nonexistent, which is great!" Dan says.
An Outstanding Team
"At times, our growth was a little crazy—we expanded much more than we expected. A business is only as good as its people, and I’m very fortunate to have an excellent team." Dan has built a team where everyone understands each other and strives for improvement.
"Working with my wife is great. We’re very different people, but we complement each other in many ways. She keeps me grounded so I don’t ‘fly away,’" Dan says with a smile.
He also praises his partner, Brian. "Brian takes on any challenge that arises and solves it—whether it’s operating a forklift or managing the sawmill."
Focusing on Customer Needs
The specialized pallet manufacturing business is crucial for its clients. The quality and timeliness of DJ Pallets’ production directly impact their customers’ profitability, as meeting contract deadlines is essential.
Dan explains that the pallet production process begins with an order, where the client specifies the type of pallet needed.
"This pallet design is entirely focused on customer needs—we aim to create the best possible pallets that serve our clients’ specific purposes."
Ultimately, Dan says the most exciting aspect of DJ Pallets is the customers. Their team feels highly rewarded for the work they do because of the clients they serve.
"You know, working with customers is probably the most important thing. We get calls like, ‘We need a custom-sized pallet.’ And then, once the order is fulfilled, another call comes in: ‘You guys really went above and beyond, got us the pallets super fast, and that helped us keep our business running.’"
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