goplasticpallets.com reflects on one year with Rotom

One year ago, goplasticpallets.com, the UK’s leading provider of plastic pallets, pallet boxes and containers, embarked on a new chapter in its journey by joining forces with Rotom Group, a key player in load carrier services and solutions across eleven European countries.

This strategic acquisition has unlocked new opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and growth. In this Q&A with Jim Hardisty, Managing Director of goplasticpallets.com, we reflect on the past year, discussing the integration process with Rotom, the exciting opportunities ahead for both the business and the team, and the synergies from a sustainability perspective.

Hi Jim. It’s been a year since goplasticpallets.com was acquired by Rotom. How would you describe the integration process?

The integration has been a valuable learning experience. Rotom is a large and diverse organisation with operations across Europe, so naturally, it took some time to adjust to their way of working. While navigating their structure and understanding how different teams operate was initially a challenge, the overall experience has been incredibly positive. While I was mindful of potential challenges around language and cultural differences, I’m pleased to say that these have not posed any issues in the slightest, and the integration has been smooth in that regard. Everyone has been supportive and welcoming, and we’ve already built strong relationships. Looking ahead, we’re excited to share even more of our knowledge, passion, and expertise with our colleagues across Europe over the next 12 months.

How has being part of the Rotom family helped goplasticpallets.com in terms of collaboration and expanding its reach?

Becoming part of the Rotom family has opened up numerous opportunities for collaboration and growth. We’ve worked closely with teams in Belgium and Germany on certain plastic pallet projects, whilst also sharing best practices and exploring new ways to better serve our customers.

Rotom’s significant purchasing power has also allowed us to secure more competitive deals, benefiting both our business and our customers in the UK. In addition, being part of Rotom means we can offer more comprehensive logistics solutions. Although it’s still early days, the potential for cross-selling products and services, such as steel roll cages, is substantial. This applies not only to our UK counterparts within the Rotom Group, but also to our partners based on the continent.

For example, if we were previously engaging in dialogue with a customer that needed plastic pallets for three sites – one in England, and then another two in Portugal and Spain, we’d be able to deliver to those facilities overseas, but we’d only, realistically, be able to offer on-site support in the UK. Now, through our network of partners within Rotom, we can offer more comprehensive coverage of those important value-added services.

We are already seeing the benefits of being part of a larger group, particularly in terms of purchasing power and knowledge sharing. The early challenges were expected, but we’ve built strong relationships and laid a solid foundation for future collaboration.

How has the company culture changed since joining Rotom, and how has goplasticpallets.com adapted to the new ownership?

One of the things I truly admire about Rotom is their respect for the structure and people we had in place when they acquired the business. They recognised the success we’d already achieved and they have not come in making sweeping changes, which I appreciate. It’s refreshing that they value the way we operate and understand that we know our business, our market, and our customers, better than anyone.

Of course, they want our cooperation and input to align with the broader goals across the group, but they’ve allowed us the autonomy to continue running the business in a way that works for us. We haven’t lost control or been micromanaged, and that’s been key to maintaining the momentum we’ve built over the last three decades. This balance of guidance and freedom has allowed us to integrate into Rotom while continuing to deliver the best results for our customers.

Earlier this year, the company launched a new rental service. How does this fit into the company’s strategy, and what does it offer to customers?

The rental service was a natural step, especially now that we’re part of Rotom, which has extensive experience in rental and pooling services across Europe. By offering customers the option to rent plastic pallets and pallet boxes, we’re providing greater flexibility. This service is ideal for businesses that need pallets but want to avoid the upfront costs of purchasing.

We had previously explored launching rental services at goplasticpallets.com, however, there are financial implications involved. You require a lot of capital up-front to buy the products, knowing that you won’t be making an immediate return on them. Therefore, at that time, we decided to stick to pure sales. However, now we are part of a wider group, with more resources, it makes sense to be able to offer plastic pallet rental, which is only going to help us reach new customers.

Our growing portfolio of services reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting our customers by providing additional value at every opportunity. We will continue to look for ways to innovate and support the industry, reinforcing our role as a trusted partner in sustainable supply chain solutions.

Sustainability has always been a key focus for goplasticpallets.com. How has joining Rotom enhanced your sustainability efforts?

Sustainability has always been central to our mission at goplasticpallets.com. When it came to selling the business, it was essential that any buyer shared those same values, and Rotom proved to be the perfect match. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in everything they do, from improving supply chain efficiency to implementing greener business processes.

Rotom has strict sustainability targets in place and their recent achievement of the EcoVadis Silver Certification is a testament to their dedication. We are incredibly pleased with the progress they’ve made, and it perfectly aligns with our shared vision of fostering a circular economy and developing greener, more sustainable supply chains.

Since the acquisition, we’ve continued to make significant strides in sustainability, particularly through our recycling initiatives. Having surpassed our 2025 recycling targets a year ahead of schedule, we’ve now set even more ambitious goals for the future. We remain committed to making a positive environmental impact, both in the UK and across Europe. Looking ahead, I’m eager to explore collaborative sustainability initiatives with other Rotom companies in the coming months and years. I’m enthusiastic to continue championing the use of plastic pallets over wooden alternatives throughout Europe.

Looking forward, what excites you most about the future for goplasticpallets.com?

There’s so much to look forward to. We’ve built a strong foundation with Rotom, and we’re now ready to take the next steps in expanding our services and entering new markets. Sustainability will remain at the heart of our strategy, and I believe we’re well-positioned to lead the way with eco-friendly solutions. There’s also significant potential for innovation, and the ability to share insights and best practices across different teams and markets will be a tremendous advantage. The acquisition has opened many doors for us, and I’m excited to see what the next few years will bring.

I’m equally excited about the growth of our team. We’ve always been committed to fostering a culture of leadership and development, as shown by the recent promotion of Dan Starnes to Sales Director. Dan’s journey from working in the yard to overseeing deliveries and then moving into the sales team, which he now heads-up, is a great example of our dedication to personal development. I’m confident that the Rotom acquisition will create further opportunities for our team to develop new skills, explore different markets, and embrace the benefits of being part of a larger organisation.

Thanks, Jim. The future seems bright for goplasticpallets.com.