June 2017

28 BUILD / June 2017 , The Next Revolution Pallet LHTHoldings Limited is a leading timber pallet specialist based in Singapore and drawing on over 30 years’ experience in this ever evolving and increasingly important industry. With the help of CEOMay Yap, we profile the firmand explore the secrets behind its phenomenal success. Established in 1977, LHT has grown to be a leader in the industry with an annual turnover of more than S$50,000,000 and is also one of the largest manufacturing company of high quality wooden pallets, boxes and crates in Singapore. Sited on a 63,568 sq m land, LHT has a dedicated workforce of 180 involves in the areas of administration, manufacturing and warehousing. When it was first established, LHT was awarded ISO 9002 certification on the quality management system on the manufacture, purchase and supply of wooden pallets, cases and crates, and Technical Woods (compressed engineered waste- wood). Later, in 2001, LHT was further awarded ISO 14001 certification on its environment management system that indicates its commitment towards environmental excellence, The Company was also awarded the Enterprise 50 Award in 1995 and 1996 respectively, highlighting its consistent drive towards excellence and success. As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce waste and to protect the precious timber resources of the earth, LHT has established the Singapore’s first wood wastes recycling plant equipped with highly automated system from Germany to produce a series of Technical Wood products. With the high technology involved, the products have the advantage of being consistent in color, texture and high density. Wood cracks, mould and insect attacks are prevented through strict process of treatment and drying. The products are therefore ideal for furniture, building material and heavy-duty industrial usage. Thriving with innovation, LHT created its own unique product known as “Innovative Process Product Convention (IPPC)” pallets and crates using its Technical Wood. The IPPC pallets and crates are environmental friendly and are made of partially or fully waste wood materials and lower carbon footprint compared to natural wood pallets and crates, especially adopted by MNC with good practices in their Corporate Social Response (CSR). The IPPC pallets and crates were pest-free and compliance to International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) version 15, Regulation of Wood Packing Material at International Trade. Among the firm’s sustainability initiatives, is its focus on creating reusable / recycle pallets made from this high quality wood, a new business development on standard pallet pooling that allows the fast moving consumer industry (FMCG) to lease their standard pallets and interchangeable at the grocery distribution centre, as May outlines. “Think of the benefits to industry as a whole if goods can leave the manufacturer and arrive at the retailer on the same pallet. Not only does the risk of damaging the goods in transit reduce significantly, but imagine the extent to which productivity can increase with the time saved on labour and handling of the goods. This can be transferred as a cost saving to the customer. The fact that we’re able to offer a locally produced, green product at a stable price, and of a good quality, is how we have been able to grow LHT as a business.” The firm also offers an array of services including waste disposal, logistics support, heat treatment and industrial packaging. Many of the firm’s service offerings across these sectors highlight its pioneering nature. For example, to reduce waste and to protect the precious timber resources of the earth, LHT has established the Singapore’s first wood waste recycling plant that produces high quality products which create Greenflo Technical Wood, a unique concept, as May explains. “In providing a solution to the waste wood disposal problem for other companies, LHT hopes to contribute to the industry and the society, as waste dumps are costly, especially in land-scarce Singapore. Companies need first to obtain prior approval from NEA (National Environment Agency) on the intended disposal before we can proceed with the necessary procedures to collect and process the waste wood. “Our Recycle Team collects the waste wood, unwanted wooden cases, pallets and construction wood, and fabricates them into packaging components, building materials, and furniture component at our recycling wood waste plant.” LHT is the only waste wood recycler in Asia that uses waste wood in manufacturing. To create green products likes pallets, crates, boxes, fire-rated door and flooring that are widely accepted by the market. Operating in such an ever evolving market, LHT is committed to remaining at the forefront of emerging developments in technology in order to offer clients cutting edge solutions and services. With LHT’s centralized and highly automated operations, clients can expect greater control, accuracy, efficiency and of course better quality at reasonable costs, as May is eager to emphasise. Name May Yap Company LHT Holdings Limited Position CEO HQ Singapore, Singapore Employees ~180 ECUTIVE INTERVIEW A palatable business Not content with having turn d the humble shipping pallet into a multimillion-dollar business, Singapore’s LHT Holdings Limited is determined to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. IMAGES YEW KWANG I n the fast-paced world of logistics, an industry forever drawing upon state-of-the-art technology such as drones to streamline workflow processes, it’s hard to believe there’s still so much disparity surrounding one of the most elementary parts of the transport process: the pallet. “There ar 16 different types of pallets in use in the market, and in Singapore we have 13 sizes alone!” exclaims May Yap, the CEO of LHT Holdings Limited. It feels as though there’s already enough confusion with the word’s homonyms — not palate, s in sense of taste, or palette, as in the artist tool, but pallet, as in the wooden platform that serves as the base for bulk transport packaging. It’s hard to believe a global standard doesn’t already exist. “Think of the benefits to industry as a whole if goods can leave the manufacturer and arrive at the retailer on the same pall t,” May continues enthusiastically. “Not only does the risk of damaging the goods in transit reduce significantly, but imagine the extent to which productivity can increase with the time saved on labour and handling of the goods. This can be transferred as a cost saving to the customer.” 1703BU01