A family-owned WA pallet business built on opportunity, rapid service and reliable material handling.
Jason Wilson has always had an eye for opportunity.
When he was 20, Jason was working as a landscaper, designing people's backyards. A trip to a local store to buy a pallet of bricks changed the direction of his working life.
"I found people being paid by the brick to stack them," Jason said. "They were earning more than me, so I quit my job and became a brick stacker."
It wasn't long before another opportunity caught his attention: a worker repairing the pallets on which the bricks arrived at the yard.
"He was doing a hundred a day and I reckoned I could do 200. I asked my boss if I could do that job and he refused. So, I went to another yard and introduced myself as Jason's Mobile Pallet Repair. They said, 'You've come at just the right time,' and got me to start the next day."
Thirty years later, that opportunistic start has grown into JP Pallets, one of Western Australia's largest independent suppliers of pallet services. The family-owned business operates from two 10,000-square-metre yards in Bibra Lake and Bunbury and has built its reputation around fast turnaround, dependable supply and a willingness to keep finding better ways to work.
"We're the largest manufacturers of hardwood pallets in the west," Jason said. "The key to success is to provide rapid customer service - a quote within 24 hours of enquiry and infallible supply."
Helping JP Pallets deliver on that promise is a fleet of Toyota forklifts supplied by Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA). The company has recently taken delivery of its seventh Toyota 8-Series forklift, strengthening a material-handling fleet that works at the heart of its day-to-day operation.
"We live or die on our delivery promise," Jason said. "You can't afford downtime in this business. That's why we chose Toyota - the reliability is second to none."
Six Toyota 8-Series diesel powered 1.8-tonne forklifts move pallets around the Bibra Lake and Bunbury yards. With individual pallets weighing between 30 and 40 kg, the forklifts are regularly working at capacity while manoeuvring through busy production and storage areas.
"They're nimble and quick and work easily in tight spaces," Jason said. "The visibility from the operator's seat is excellent, which matters when you're working in confined areas with people moving around. And the fuel efficiency is impressive - we're running these machines constantly and the running costs are very manageable."
The Toyota 8-Series feature ergonomics and safety systems that have become essential to JP Pallets' operations. The low-noise cabin design reduces operator fatigue during long shifts, while the System of Active Stability (SAS) provides critical stability control when handling loads at height or on uneven surfaces.
"The safety features give us peace of mind," Jason said. "We're moving product constantly across the yard and the last thing we need is an incident that puts someone at risk or stops production."
The seventh Toyota forklift, a larger 2.5-tonne capacity, is used to shift timber feeding the onsite sawmill. JP Pallets also operates a 16-tonne forklift to receive full-size logs from limited local logging in Western Australia and imported stock, with Jason planning for that forklift to become a Toyota as well.
"Once you experience the difference in reliability and support, it's hard to go back," Jason said.
That support comes through TMHA’s local Area Sales Manager, Blair Martin, who has worked closely with JP Pallets to understand their operational needs and ensure the right equipment is matched to each application.
"JP Pallets is one of the proudest family-owned companies you'll ever see," Blair said. "The best part of my job is going on site visits to learn how customers are planning their future in the growth economy. Jason is taking advantage of new opportunities and preparing for succession."
Blair, a Scot who joined TMHA two years ago, has been instrumental in helping JP Pallets optimise their fleet configuration and maintenance schedules.
"Blair's been fantastic to work with," Jason said. "He understands our business and he's not just selling equipment - he's helping us solve problems. When we were planning the expansion to Bunbury, he helped us work out the right fleet mix and the servicing arrangements to keep everything running smoothly across both sites."
TMHA's service support has proven particularly valuable for JP Pallets' high-utilisation operation. With scheduled maintenance programs and responsive service when needed, the Toyota fleet maintains consistent uptime even under demanding conditions.
"We can't afford to have machines sitting idle," Jason said. "The TMHA service team knows our operation and they're proactive about maintenance. If something does come up, the response is quick and they have the parts ready. That level of support makes a real difference to our bottom line."
The efficiency gains from the Toyota fleet have also contributed to JP Pallets' ability to maintain their competitive pricing while improving margins.
"The reliability means we're not losing time or money on breakdowns," Jason said. "The fuel efficiency reduces our operating costs. And because the operators prefer working with the Toyotas - they're more comfortable, easier to control - we're getting better productivity. It all adds up."
Family is central to JP Pallets' future. Nine of JP Pallets' 30 team members are family. Jason's wife, Tracey, is managing director, while their four children - Jordan, Steele, Jet and Ella - all work in the business. Ella's boyfriend Alex, Jordan's partner Chloe and Tracey's brother Chris are also part of the team.
"Having equipment we can trust is especially important because this is a family business built for the long term," Jason said. "We're not looking for short-term fixes - we're investing in equipment that will still be performing years from now when the kids are running the show."
Together, they have expanded JP Pallets well beyond conventional pallet supply. The company produces a range of storage and carriage products for customers including major miners, transport operators and the defence industry. Massive chock wedges manufactured by JP Pallets, for example, are used to secure ships under construction or maintenance at Perth's naval shipyards.
Even the offcuts from timber production have become another opportunity, with timber now packaged as kindling and sold through major Western Australian homemaker stores.
Jason is also looking much further ahead. He has sourced a 500,000-tree plantation to help future-proof timber supply for the pallet business, with the first harvest approaching.
"That's another conversation Blair and I have had," Jason said. "As we bring that timber online, our material handling needs will change. TMHA is already helping us plan for that next phase."
That focus on the future reflects the same instinct that started the company. Jason still remembers arriving at his first pallet-repair job without the tools he needed.
"I thought of the name Jason's Mobile Pallet Repair just as I introduced myself," he said. "I didn't have the tools for the job - and that's where opportunity really struck."
Jason went to a local hardware store run by Viv Orton, explained his situation and was given nail guns and airlines on credit, with instructions to pay them off when he could. When JP Pallets later moved from repair into manufacturing, Viv backed the business again.
Viv has since passed away, but Jason says his generosity and example continue to influence the way he thinks about JP Pallets' future - including how the company chooses its partners.
"Viv believed in backing people who were committed to doing good work," Jason said. "That's how I feel about our relationship with TMHA. They're not just a supplier - they're invested in our success."
It is a future with significant opportunity. Australia's pallet market continues to expand, supported by growth in logistics, warehousing and manufacturing, with industry research forecasting pallet volumes to grow by around 2.7 per cent annually over the coming decade.
For JP Pallets, growth is being supported by investment in its people, its timber supply and the equipment needed to keep customer commitments. For TMHA, the relationship demonstrates how dependable material-handling equipment combined with responsive service and expert consultation can become integral to a customer's broader growth story - particularly when speed and reliability are central to the business.
"We've had offers to sell," Jason said. "But I see this business as something I've built for my family. When I retire - not yet, I'm only 53 - our kids will carry it on. And I'm confident that with partners like TMHA supporting us with the right equipment and service, they'll have what they need to take JP Pallets to the next level."
The team at JP Pallets putting their 8-Series forklifts straight to work