Author: Michala Meyerhofer

Meet Our Team: Todd Spencer

The Meet Our Team blog series gives you an inside look into our team members’ careers, exciting new projects, history with KFI, and a general introduction to some of our key players! We hope you enjoy this, and many more blogs, that give you a better idea of the people behind the operation here at KFI.

For our eighth feature in this series we connect with our Vice President of Human Resources here at KFI, Todd Spencer! Todd has overseen all human resource functions for both Penda and TriEnda for almost five and a half years. Learn more about his role below!

Q: What is your job title?

A: I am the Vice President of Human Resources for KFI.

Q: How long have you been with KFI?

A: I’ve been with KFI for 5 years and 4 months.

Q: What do your day-to-day responsibilities look like?

A: I manage the Human Resources function for both Penda and TriEnda. This means overseeing compensation, benefits, safety, legal compliance, succession planning, training, recruiting, and helping any of our associates with anything they need assistance with.

Q: What is your favorite part of working for KFI?

A: I love the people. Everyone truly cares for each other and are working together to achieve one goal, to make KFI successful.

Q: Can you share a project that your department accomplished that you feel proud of?

A: The largest undertaking the team took on was implementing a new payroll system in just three months without any outside consultant help. I am so proud of how they all took different parts and jumped right in to get it done. We’ve seen the value of having both locations in one system with the ability to track time by location worked. This also gave us a communication tool that allows us to reach everyone or just one person. The fact that everyone can use the app on their smart phones is a huge improvement. The team accomplished this in record time while reducing our overall monthly spend.

Q: How does your department embody KFI’s values?

A: The Human Resources team worked hard at addressing the issues and fixing the process during Covid, as things were changing daily and they had to constantly adjust our processes based on new information and requirements.

Q: What is your favorite memory from working at KFI?

A: I don’t have just one favorite memory, but a collection of every celebration we’ve had. I enjoy every landmark anniversary celebration and all the long tenured associates that are part of the KFI family. I am also very proud of the whole KFI team and how they all navigated Covid during one of our most difficult times.

Interested in being a part of our team? Apply today, we can’t wait to meet you!

TriEnda and Good360: A partnership in Charity

TriEnda has donated 5,000 emergency mattresses to be distributed by charity organization Good360.

TriEnda created emergency hospital beds during the Covid-19 Pandemic to help accommodate the overcrowding in medical facilities. After the pandemic, the company had mattresses that were no longer needed. The TriEnda team still wanted the product to be used to help those in need, after connecting with Good360 both teams realized that a lot of people could be helped quickly and comfortably with the partnership.

Based on the size and specifications of the mattresses, Good360 found locations and organizations that were most in need of mattresses to provide a safe and comfortable place for those in crisis to rest. The five-thousand mattresses have now been allocated and shipped. We will be posting updates as the products are deployed in the field and used for those in need. We are excited to see the impact that this $500,000 donation has on these crisis organizations and the communities they serve.

Is your organization interested in donating to Good360? Contact them today!

Advantages of BigPak® Sleeve Packs

Discover the advantages of the dependable TriEnda BigPak® Sleeve Packs.

Among many of TriEnda’s durable, HDPE, material handling solutions are our BigPak® Sleeve Packs. These reusable bulk containers lower costs and improve convenience with lightweight sleeves and interchangeable pallets and lids that are available in six sizes and configuration options. Discover the features that make the BigPak® the top-of-the-line sleeve pack in the industry.

Durable – Constructed of thermoformed custom HDPE materials, BigPak® Sleeve Packs are durable and long-lasting, resistant to impact, weather, and humidity. Yet, they’re lightweight for better ergonomics. You can count on our sleeve packs to protect your materials and products and reduce the risk of damage during shipping and storage.

Long-lasting – Our reusable bulk containers retain their shape, size, and weight and won’t warp, shrink, or swell like wooden pallets, making them ideal for automated material handling equipment. Because of their long life, bulk containers are your economical choice. Compared with wood pallets that only last a dozen or fewer uses, BigPak® Sleeve Packs can be reused hundreds of times, reducing the total cost of ownership.

Eco-friendly – Reusable bulk containers are an eco-friendly solution because they’re returnable and reusable time after time, and fully recyclable at the end of useful life, saving you money over the long term on waste and disposal costs and lowering the product’s environmental impact.

Sanitary – Our sleeve packs and many of our pallets are ideal for industries such as grocery, food, beverage, and pharmaceuticals thanks to sanitary, easy-to-clean surfaces that help protect against microbes and other contaminants.

Cost and storage savings – The advanced, low-profile design of BigPak® Sleeve Packs, including nestable plastic pallets and covers and interlocking pallet legs, cut down on storage space needs and help reduce costs.

Flexible – The mirror image pallet and lid pieces are interchangeable for increased flexibility. Our BigPak® 40×48 TP-TC Conveyable model features the Ever-Lock2® locking option and includes a conveyable cover lid for additional storage options.

Customizable – BigPak® Sleeve Packs are highly customizable to meet the specific shipping and storage needs of your business. There are several collapsible sleeve choices, including Fiberboard Z-fold, Twin Sheet Thermoformed, or Fluted Plastic sleeves. Locking options include Ever-Lock2® and the Peanut Lock, which provide security without the need for stretch wrapping. Choose from a wide range of colors and striping options or add a custom logo for product identification and brand identity. We can also craft leg drain holes for added moisture resistance.

From durability and cost savings to hygiene and customization, BigPak® Sleeve Packs have been thoughtfully designed, rigorously tested, and are a long-standing dependable product in the sleeve pack market. Want to know more about our products? Contact us today!

Meet Our Team: Pieter Lesterhuis

Our seventh highlight features our Chief Financial Officer here at KFI, Pieter Lesterhuis! Pieter has overseen all financial operations for both TriEnda and Penda for nearly four years. Learn more about his role below!

Q: What is your job title?

A: Chief Financial Officer for Kruger Family Industries.

Q: How long have you been with KFI?

A: Nearly four years.

Q: What do your day-to-day responsibilities look like?

A: My daily responsibilities include all aspects of the enterprise’s well-being, which not only involves managing the enterprise’s finances but also includes ensuring appropriate risk management is undertaken in both the US and Mexico. My responsibilities range from finance, accounting, real estate, insurance, legal, and information technology. On a daily basis, I support various operational decision-making efforts and am deeply involved in partnering with various other verticals such as supply chain, operations, marketing, and sales in order to offer advice, counsel, and provide a voice of reason. My involvement in operations includes understanding our business model, and the industry, and being able to leverage this knowledge to constructively challenge the commercial and operational teams. I work to ensure that business decisions are grounded in solid financial insights on a global basis and clearly focused on contributing to our long-term strategy.

Q: What is your favorite part of working for KFI?

A: My favorite part is the culture and the people. Due to our ownership structure and being a family-owned manufacturing conglomerate, KFI has a longer-term view of the overall success of the organization to scale our platform. This allows us to utilize our deep industry experience, operating assets, and exceptional people to build an enterprise based on a long-term vision and appropriate end market diversification to leverage our strengths and unique value proposition.

Q: Can you share a project that your department accomplished that you feel proud of?

A: Although there are a number of accomplishments that we as a team should be proud of, the most significant, I feel, is the fact that collectively KFI has successfully implemented a fairly complicated ERP instance as part of our overall digital transformation in record time. This speaks volumes and supports the fact that today we operate as one enterprise, one team, one company, and one culture. This is clearly supported by the tremendous backlog with top tear clients in a multitude of end markets such as the automotive, consumer, battery packaging and grocery industries. Continuing our operations and financing this growth and diversification during the recent turbulent times as it relates to human capital, supply chain and global economic and political instability has proven the strength of our enterprise and the dedication of our colleagues.

Q: How does your department embody KFI’s values?

A: Our department continuously focuses on moving the needle, getting things done and addressing the issue, and fixing the problem. Examples of this include asking ourselves how we can be more efficient with our time and better support our colleagues throughout KFI and creating best-in-class IT and Accounting / Finance departments. Comparatively speaking – KFI runs with a minimal finance/accounting and IT team. Our success has been built on efficiencies driven by the digital transformation, continuous improvement, and communication internally to support our colleagues throughout the organization at our plants in the US and Mexico. The team is operationally focused, process-oriented, and growth-driven!

Q: What is your favorite memory from working at KFI?

A: My favorite memory consists of the fact that KFI was able to pull together and successfully diversify our end markets and continued to prosper in arguably the most difficult economic environment many of us have seen. Seeing the entrepreneurial focus, broad and deep dedication and personally having the opportunity to support the growth and diversification, as well as all the colleagues I have the opportunity to interact with on a daily basis has been excessively rewarding.

Interested in being a part of our team? Apply today, we can’t wait to meet you!

Advantages of Load Lockers

Safeguard your product with TriEnda’s Load Lockers!

Protecting your cargo is what TriEnda is all about, this may be with durable pallets, Cargo Protect+ solutions, or Load Lockers. Our Load Locker boards help you cap, stack, and secure your product pallets for long or short journeys. Let’s take a look at all the advantages of Load Lockers.

Precise Design to Save You Money

Our Load Lockers are precisely designed to level your stack. This means that the 40×48 design helps to even loads at greater stack heights and allows for improved storage utilization and transportation safety and efficiency, which saves your organization money. Reduce damaged products and ship more products per truckload? Yes, please!

High Level of Protection

When Load Lockers are positioned as caps on the top of a load it increases protection for the products on that top stack and securely holds the next pallet in the stack in place above. Load Lockers effectively even weight distribution among the entire top layer of product, reducing damage in double and triple stacking storage and transport situations.

Seamless Integration

These lockers will not interfere with your standard pallet transportation. The Load Locker boards accommodate a 4-way forklift entry, and the shallow deck facilitates maximum fork entry clearance.

Proven Quality and Functionality

Load Locker Boards have been known and used in the material handling industry for almost 30 years which means they have proven that TriEnda quality and functionality is top-of-the-line. Our Load Lockers nest with all of TriEnda’s 9 leg pallets as well as many other similar pallets in the industry.

If you’re ready to safeguard your products, maximize truckloads, and save money then contact TriEnda today to easily integrate Load Lockers into your material handling process. Interested in more cargo protection solutions? Check out our Cargo Protect+ product line!

Advantages of the One-Way Pallet

Learn why the One-Way pallet could change the way your ship products.

Looking for a solution to your single-leg shipping needs? The TriEnda One-Way Pallet is the sanitary, safe, durable, efficient, and sustainable answer to what’s missing from your material handling reservoir. Read on to discover the perfect uses and many advantages of the One-Way.

International Shipping: Our One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets are ISPM 15 exempt, which means you can ship anywhere around the globe without having to worry about the hassle of fumigation and additional customs approval. This not only saves your organization money but also assures more timely delivery of your products by expediting the prolonged customs process that wooden pallets must go through.

Sustainably Focused Organizations: These single-use plastic pallets are recyclable, ensuring lower long-term costs, and a positive environmental impact. Unlike other pallets, the One-Way is both sustainable and responsible. This pallet is made from 100% recyclable materials meaning that it will never end up in a landfill.

Unique Shipping Destinations: The One-Way is TriEnda’s unique solution for all your unique shipping destinations. This lightweight, efficient pallet was designed for use in all types of spaces. With smooth edges, no nails, and efficient stacking ability, these small but durable pallets were created as a low-cost solution for single-leg journeys to all different kinds of businesses.

Whether you are looking for international shipping solutions, sustainable material handling products, or a pallet for those unique single-leg journeys, the One-Way is the pallet for you. Find more about our One-Way here, or feel free to contact one of our experienced sales professionals today!

Meet Our Team: Sue Malkowski

Our sixth feature in this series showcases the Vice President of Operations at our TriEnda plant, Sue Malkowski! Sue has not only been with TriEnda for over 20 years but has also moved from a supervisor position to the executive level. Take a look at what she has to say about her role here at KFI.

Q: What is your job title?

A: Vice President of Operations at TriEnda.

Q: How long have you been with KFI?

A: I have been with KFI for 24 years. I started as the Scheduling Supervisor back in 1998. Over the years the company has continued to develop my skills and responsibilities, allowing me to grow into my current role as Vice President.

Q: What do your day-to-day responsibilities look like?

A: Every day is different. I oversee Scheduling, Quality, Manufacturing, Logistics, and the Warehouse. My team basically handles everything from the time an order is placed until it is shipped out the door. I have been super lucky over the years to have such great people working for me. They do an excellent job running the ship so I can focus on bigger things.

Q: What is your favorite part of working for KFI?

A: I really enjoy the people I work with. They are a caring and hardworking group of individuals. I also like the challenge that my job brings. No day is the same.

Q: Can you share a project that your department accomplished that you feel proud of?

A: Last year we were subcontracted to make Kayaks. This was a huge project for TriEnda. All areas of the company had to step up their game to produce this commercial product with limited information from the customer. The team had to be creative and put in many hours developing and planning before production even started. Their plan was executed nearly flawlessly. I was so proud of the team when the first kayak was formed, assembled, and shipped.

Q: How does your department embody KFI’s values?

A: My team strives every day to follow the KFI values. Whether it is implementing improvements to continue moving the needle or being direct about an issue, my team gets things done. They always have the best interest of the company in mind as they make decisions every day to move us forward.

Q: What is your favorite memory from working at KFI?

A: Walking across the stage to receive my Executive Masters BA diploma. I felt so blessed and honored that my company had put that much faith in me to achieve that goal.

Interested in being a part of our team? Apply today, we can’t wait to meet you!

Meet Our Team: Jamie Noble

Our fifth installation in the Meet Our Team series features our Vice President of Engineering, Jamie Noble. Jamie oversees all of KFI’s design engineering responsibilities and has been an integral part of KFI for 23 years.

Q: What is your job title?

A: Vice President of Engineering

Q: How long have you been with KFI?

A: I have been with KFI for 23 years. I started as a design drafter for material handling and then gained increasing levels of responsibility throughout my entire career. I never really stayed in a position for more than 2-3 years without gaining more responsibility.

Q: What do your day-to-day responsibilities look like?

A: I am responsible for all the KFI design engineering responsibilities, emphasizing people, processes, and systems.

Q: What is your favorite part of working for KFI?

A: A couple of things- it is fast-paced and in my experience, it is a broad scope of responsibilities versus other places that try to narrow your scope instead of expanding the boundaries. I am 100% engaged every day. Couple all of that with my personal out-of-work passion being automobiles and then I get to come to work and play with cars!

Q: Can you share a project that your department accomplished that you feel proud of?

A: The Gamma Battery Project really shows collaboration and cross-functional involvement with other departments which makes me proud. That collaborative piece is what I love to see every day. This can be seen in other projects like the Bev3 Battery Tray too. I am also extremely proud of the Ford Box side outer storage projects that really show a tremendous amount of engineering activity, focus, depth, and teamwork.

Q: How does your department embody KFI’s values?

A: We exemplify teamwork above all else – each KFI engineering associate has their core strengths and experience. We have engineers who almost effortlessly solve customer problems with heavy gauge thermoformed products, while at the same time some of our newer engineers bring a fresh perspective of the latest technology to the team. In addition to our design engineers, we also have support roles (Program Manager, Tooling Engineer, Sample Coordinator, and Engineering Techs) in place that complement the product development process. Together, I believe our team shares that balance well.

Q: What is your favorite memory from working at KFI?

A: The one that I would say is my favorite memory was 2-3 years into my start at TriEnda and I had moved into a project engineer role. The VP of Engineering was giving my performance review and he asked, ‘where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?’ I said, ‘I want your job’ and his response was, ‘well at least you gave me enough time to retire.’ It’s interesting how that has now come full circle and I am in that position.

Jamie has obviously been a fixture at KFI for a long time and has one last piece of advice for anyone interested in engineering, “Some of my favorite engineers started on the shop floor as thermoforming operators or jig and fix techs, so I encourage people that have thermoforming experience and are interested in engineering to pursue it or to ask questions.” Interested in being a part of our team? Apply today, we can’t wait to meet you!

Professional Heights: How to Move up as an Employee at KFI

TriEnda employee working on a plastic product

Join us to explore the ways that employees can grow their careers with KFI!

Joining a new company as an entry-level employee with large career aspirations can feel daunting, luckily companies like ours foster growth in the professional space. Many of our current managers began in a different position with our company and have expanded their knowledge in the industry and demonstrated a strong work ethic which moved them into managerial roles. Join us as we explore the ways that an employee can grow their career with KFI!

Attitude Counts

Our Vice President of Operations at Penda, Mike Johnson, shared some advice he learned over his 43 years with KFI moving from an entry-level grinder position to the executive team, “Show interest and take initiative in what we do, go the extra mile and do extra without being asked. Don’t be afraid to fail, just learn from it.”

The More You Know

“One of my biggest pieces of advice is that knowledge of the company and what we do is POWER. Learn as much as possible,” Materials Planner, Ryan Manthey said. Ryan started with KFI as a finisher on the plant floor and has since moved to an extremely important position as our Materials Planner. With 20 years of experience, Ryan has extensive knowledge about our company and industry, and he says that learning and knowledge are the most important parts of being able to move your career forward. “Learning as much about everything is a great way to move up. To be what we call a ‘Swiss army knife’ is a huge deal around here. At the end of the day understand that hard work will pay off if the motivation matches the work.”

Ambition is Key

The most vital part of moving up in KFI is the want to do so. “Never be afraid to apply for an open spot, the answer is always no if you don’t try. KFI likes to hire from within for advancement,” Lead Operator and Trainer, Wendy Baker said. Starting as a Finisher 12 years ago, Wendy displays the qualities of ambition, drive, and dedication that KFI looks for in employees and quickly moved up to a trainer role.

Make a Plan With your Supervisor

“Make sure people know you want to grow. Push your manager to have a plan to continue progressing towards this goal. Always keep a positive attitude,” Vice President of Operations, Sue Malkowski said. Sue started as a Scheduling Supervisor with TriEnda in 1998 and moved up to become a member of the executive team. She says the most important qualities she looks for in an employee are good leadership skills, a sense of drive, a positive attitude, and integrity.

Every single one of the employees featured in this blog has moved up in KFI, become successful, and helped to make KFI a great place to work. We will leave you with one final piece of advice from Mike Johnson, “Do the right things for the right reasons.” If you are interested in working with our team at KFI apply today!

Introducing the One-Way Pallet

Meet our material handling solution to serve your one-way shipping needs.

Domestic and global companies often need to navigate a series of hassles and costs associated with wooden pallets, especially for one-way shipping. Issues like breaks, splinters, nails, and sharp edges risk damaging products and materials; and international regulations make wooden pallets more cumbersome to use in global transportation. Additionally, the recycling process is not a sustainable option due to the difficult removal of nails which lead to most single-use wooden pallets being deposited into a landfill.

In response to these concerns, we have engineered an exciting new product that will solve your one-way shipping needs: the One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallet. This single-use pallet has been rigorously tested to withstand heavy-duty demands and is available today at a competitive price.

The features and benefits of our new One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets include:

Superior material and design
Cost savings
ISPM 15 exempt
Available immediately

Read on to learn more about the advantages of switching to our single-use plastic pallets.

Superior material and design
We’ve engineered our new One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets using cutting-edge thermoformed high-density polyethylene (HDPE) construction. This technology creates a plastic shipping pallet that is:

Clean and sanitary- Rest easy knowing your cargo is contaminant-free. Our One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets are easy to clean and do not harbor harmful bacteria.
Free of sharp edges- Our one-way plastic pallets are smooth, with no nails or staples that could puncture and damage valuable cargo.

Durable- Our One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets are precisely engineered to withstand impact and hold up under extreme weather, including humidity and cold temperatures.
Safe and efficient stacking- Our engineering team has designed the new one-way pallets so that you can securely nest and stack them for easier, more efficient storage that takes up less space.

Sustainable- These single-use plastic pallets are recyclable, ensuring lower long-term costs, and a positive environmental impact. Unlike other pallets, the One-Way is both sustainable and responsible, made from 100% recyclable materials means this pallet will never end up in a landfill.

Cost savings
We maximized the design of our lightweight One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets to help you save costs by utilizing our cutting-edge thermoforming manufacturing process. Thermoforming makes our products weigh less than traditional injection molded shipping pallets. By reducing overall cargo weight, these pallets can significantly lower your shipping costs, increase truckload capacity, and lighten the strain on your team.

ISPM 15 exempt
Our One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets are ISPM 15 exempt, which means you can ship anywhere around the globe without having to worry about the hassle of fumigation and additional customs approval.

Available Immediately
Our new One-Way Plastic Shipping Pallets are in-stock and available today! Learn more about how our durable, cost-effective one-way plastic pallets can keep your cargo safe. Contact our sales team today at 800.356.8150 or reach out to us online.