Carolina Handling set the record for creating the world’s largest pallet painting on October 10 in Greenville, South Carolina when it completed a 26,235-square-foot portrait of Lady Liberty.
Presented in partnership with pallet provider 48forty Solutions, The Patriotic Pallet Project featured 2,500 wooden pallets painted 16 different colors and placed in a grid like pattern to reveal the iconic likeness of Lady Liberty. Assembly of the painting was recorded for a video released on Veterans Day, November 11.
“We realize that what we do every day is probably not that exciting to those outside our industry,” said Carolina Handling Director of Marketing Donna Waldrep. “But we believed that if we could come up with something grand enough for those who don’t work in material handling to take notice, then we could generate excitement about jobs in material handling and careers at Carolina Handling while honoring the service and sacrifice of our military veterans.”
The exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center in the Southeast, Carolina Handling thrives in the world of warehouses and distribution centers where products are transported by pallet jacks, lift trucks, conveyors and sortation systems. Carolina Handling associates also are keenly aware that in 1939, George Raymond Sr., founder of The Raymond Corporation, was granted patents for the double-faced wooden pallet and the hydraulic hand pallet truck, which revolutionized the material handling industry.
Additionally, Carolina Handling is a military-minded organization where 13 percent of associates served in the U.S. Armed Forces and where veterans services are a focus area of the company’s philanthropic giving.
“Considering our history and our focus on hiring and supporting military veterans, we landed on a project that was patriotic in nature and one that would involve our veterans and honor their service,” Waldrep said.
Representatives of 48forty Solutions said they, too, were grateful for the opportunity to showcase their industry in a way that recognizes the service and sacrifice of U.S. veterans.
“We were honored to have representatives of 48forty, many of whom are veterans themselves, on hand for the assembly and unveiling of the massive and impressive image of Lady Liberty,” said 48forty Solutions CEO Mike Hachtman. “As the nation’s largest pallet company, the project allowed us to take what we do and apply it to a great cause – a showing of gratitude and support for our military.”
Veterans were the focus of The Patriotic Pallet Project as five Carolina Handling associates, representing the five branches of the military in which they served, used Raymond lift trucks to deliver and lay down the colorful pallets to form the awe-inspiring image. It took four hours to complete the painting, which measured half the size of a football field.
“When you consider the size and scope of this project, it’s amazing that we executed it flawlessly without a practice run,” Waldrep said. “It’s a testament to our associates who were committed to a quality outcome. It became a passion project for them, and they crushed it.”
ABOUT CAROLINA HANDLING
Founded in 1966, Carolina Handling employs more than 660 associates at its Charlotte, NC headquarters, offices in Atlanta, GA, Birmingham, AL, Greensboro, NC, Raleigh, NC and Greenville, SC, and its Equipment Distribution Center in Piedmont, SC.
One of the Southeast’s leading material handling solution providers, Carolina Handling is the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center in the Southeast for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida’s Central time zone territory. The company provides automation and optimization services and virtual reality-based training, along with parts, racking, storage, conveyors, lighting and dock and door equipment. Its proprietary iWAREHOUSE optimization system allows real-time monitoring of fleets and warehouses.
