US: Dole Fresh Vegetables Reconfirms its Commitment to the CHEP Equipment Pooling System

Dole Fresh Vegetables, a division of Dole Food Company, announced today that it will continue to use CHEP pallets for the majority of its product shipments from all of its facilities to major supermarket retailers, foodservice distributors and wholesalers in the United States and Canada. Dole has been shipping the majority of its products on CHEP pallets since 2006. Prior to 2006, Dole Fresh Vegetables used one-way pallets, and determined the practice to be inefficient and the CHEP program more cost effective.

"CHEP’s experience, scale and industry-wide acceptance among retailers and distributors play a major role in why Dole continues to use the Blue pallets,” commented Robert Engle, Vice President, Supply Chain. Engle added that while the CHEP program has provided Dole with operating efficiencies, the company also points to the significant environmental benefits that are a result of using the program. "The fact that we are part of the vast CHEP pallet pool means that we are not adding to the waste stream and actually working to reduce overall timber use," he said.

Based on third-party Life-Cycle Inventory Analysis findings, as a result of using the CHEP program as opposed to one-way wood pallets, Dole Fresh Vegetables is reducing its solid waste generation by more than 14 million pounds per year, the equivalent of about 548 dump trucks of waste. The company is also reducing energy usage enough to power almost 1,086 homes with electricity for a year, and is contributing a 58% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions which is the equivalent to taking over 621 cars off the road.*

"Dole is one of many leading produce companies that understand the value and positive impact that an established pooling network can make on the bottom line - in addition to doing the right thing for the environment. We appreciate Dole’s commitment and will continue to provide the level of service they and their customers have come to expect from CHEP over the years", said Tim Smith, Vice President, New Business Development, CHEP USA.

"CHEP prides itself on its dedication to the customer and its focus on continuously improving its pallet and container services, and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with Dole and every CHEP customer", said Smith.

Publication date: 5/7/2008

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