How many wood pallet companies are there in the U.S.? There are more than 5,000, says the National Wood Pallet & Container Association.  

These companies keep more than 1.2 billion pallets in service in the United States each day, collecting, sorting and repairing them to form the largest pallet pool in the world - with more than 5,000 independently-owned and operated white wood pallet companies across the country.

NWPCA is an international trade association with more than 600 company members in 28 countries who manufacture, repair and distribute pallets, containers and reels, or who supply products and services to that industry - representing a part of the secondary wood manufacturing business in the U.S.

How big is the U.S. woodworking industry? Accounting for billions of dollars, the woodworking industry is divided between services and manufacturing.

Services, which falls under the general category of construction, accounts for billions of dollars in secondary woodwork for interior building and remodeling. Tens of thousands of firms are engaged in this work.

Even larger in dollars are U.S wood manufacturing activities, including furniture, flooring, window door and cabinet manufacturing, among other sectors. Within this group lies wooden pallet manufacturing, which can be seen as part of an industrial wood manufacturing business. 

Why should you care? Well, when woodworking businesses apply for loans, or petition government agencies for support - everything from zonal variances, to sewer systems, railroad spurs or highway exit ramps - it gives your business increased "standing" to be part of the bigger fabric of a large and highly valued industry segment. 

Millions of woodworkers are employed in these arenas: secondary wood manufacturing (including flooring, cabinets, furniture, windows, doors, panel and wood components); and woodworking interior building (architectural millwork and custom wood interiors and installation).

Putting a number on the size of the market and its value to American society, Wood Products magazine devotes its December 2013 issue to the Wood Industry ALMANAC - a guide to the woodworking industry, and a tool for finding resources and training to grow your business and educate yourself and your employees