Pentarch Pallets

Hardwood pallets are at the centre of commercial trade and construction, providing durable, static-resistant transport handling solutions for a multitude of products.

The acquisition of the Dormit Sawmill and palletiser at Dandenong and the sawmill at Swifts Creek saw Pentarch Forestry move into this space to be the primary manufacturer of pallets in Australia. At full operation, the palletiser is capable of producing more than 700,000 pallets per year using hardwood lumber produced at Dandenong, Swifts Creek and Eden. All pallets produced at Dandenong are supplied to CHEP under their proprietary brand for domestic consumption.

Pentarch’s Victorian sawmilling process makes sure every part of the whole log is used, with first-grade lumber used to manufacture the high-quality CHEP pallet, and secondary products such as industrial-grade lumber, sawdust, woodchip and mill fibre sent to third parties to produce packaging, paper, landscape supplies, animal bedding and biofuel.

The need for high-quality lumber used in hardwood pallets has also prompted innovation in log handling technology at Pentarch Forestry’s Allied Natural Wood Enterprises wood chip mill in Eden. A new log sorter, which extracts suitable lengths of sawlog from pulp logs to produce pallet components, was introduced at Eden and means more efficient use of our precious native timber resource.

As the timber supply chain evolves, so has Pentarch Forestry™ as we develop new ways of better utilising every part of every tree to create much needed timber and fibre products from our sustainable native timber sector.

Key services and products

Timber sustainably sourced from our native forests is our most valuable and precious resource.

Hardwood pallets are produced by the Dandenong Palletiser, which is a four-station manufacturing process.

Nothing is wasted from each log processed for pallets.

Pentarch’s Victorian Sawmilling process makes sure every part of the whole log is used.

Facilities and equipment

Dandenong

The 3.85ha Dandenong South mill site has been in operation since 1989 and houses a sawmill and Australia’s largest pallet manufacturing plant employing 49 staff.

It has a Telecant sawmill which squares smaller diameter logs and produces the bearers, intermediate and lead boards needed to produce a hardwood pallet.

Qualified timber graders visually check each piece of lumber for quality and strength to ensure only first-grade material is used in the fully automated four-station Palletiser.

At the Palletiser, the lumber components are nailed together as per the set pallet specification, then painted and marked according to CHEP’s proprietary branding, at a rate of approximately 200 pallets per hour.

The pallets, capable of supporting 2000kg, are then forwarded to CHEP for distribution.

Swifts Creek

With a Teletwin sawmill and a sophisticated Microtec sorting system, the facility at Swifts Creek in East Gippsland employs 18 locals.

The mill’s primary purpose is to provide pallet lumber components, sourcing timber from sustainable hardwood timber harvesting operations in Victoria and NSW, primarily from State Government harvesting operations.

The Microtec laser grading system is the mill’s unique feature, scanning timber lengths for imperfections to sort them into first-grade lumber for pallet production and industrial-grade lumber for packaging.

Our Offices
Our Sites
Burnie, Tas

Massy Greene Drive
South Burnie, Tas, 7320
PO Box 3033
Ph: 03 6430 7333

Dandenong, Vic

96-106 Ordish Road,
Dandenong, Vic, 3175
Ph: 03 9706 5744

Eden Log Export Facility

Lot 2, Edrom Road
Eden, NSW, 2551
Ph: 02 6496 0252

Eden, NSW

Eden Chip Export Terminal
Edrom Road, Jews Head
Eden, NSW, 2551
Ph: 02 6496 0222

Herons Creek, NSW

420 Herons Creek Road
Herons Creek, NSW, 2443
Ph: 02 6585 7188

Keysborough, Vic

98 Indian Drive
Keysborough, Vic, 3173
Ph: 1800 818 317

Koolkhan, NSW

43 Mill Road
Koolkhan, NSW, 2460
PO Box 437
Ph: 02 6644 7280

Kyogle, NSW

13056 Summerland Way
Kyogle, NSW, 2474
PO Box 187
Ph: 02 6632 1866

Maroochydore, Qld

Suite 12 Level 1,
84 Wises Road
Maroochydore, Qld, 4558
PO Box 5561
Ph: 1800 818 317

Murwillumbah, NSW

148 Tweed Valley Way
Murwillumbah, NSW, 2484
PO Box 56
Ph: 02 6670 8700

Narooma, NSW

6016/6018 Princess Highway
Narooma, NSW, 2546
PO Box 75
Ph: 02 4476 7908

Northgate, Qld

838 Nudgee Road
Northgate, Qld, 4013
Ph: 1800 818 317

Norwood, SA

176-178 Magill Road
Norwood, SA, 5067
Ph: 1800 818 317

Regents Park, NSW

Unit D1, Regents Park Estate
391 Park Road
Regents Park, NSW, 2143
Ph: 1800 818 317

South Nowra, NSW

50 BTU Road
South Nowra, NSW, 2541
PO Box 5014
Ph: 02 4447 8262

Southbank, Vic

Level 1, 99 Coventry Street
Southbank, Vic, 3006
Ph: 03 9621 7900

Swifts Creek, VIC

Great Alpine Road,
Swifts Creek, Vic, 3896
Ph: 03 5159 4438

Keysborough, Vic

98 Indian Drive
Keysborough, Vic, 3173
Ph: 1800 818 317

Maroochydore, Qld

Suite 12 Level 1,
84 Wises Road
Maroochydore, Qld, 4558
PO Box 5561
Ph: 1800 818 317

Northgate, Qld

838 Nudgee Road
Northgate, Qld, 4013
Ph: 1800 818 317

Norwood, SA

176-178 Magill Road
Norwood, SA, 5067
Ph: 1800 818 317

Regents Park, NSW

Unit D1, Regents Park Estate
391 Park Road
Regents Park, NSW, 2143
Ph: 1800 818 317

Southbank, Vic

Level 1, 99 Coventry Street
Southbank, Vic, 3006
Ph: 03 9621 7900

Burnie, Tas

Massy Greene Drive
South Burnie, Tas, 7320
PO Box 3033
Ph: 03 6430 7333

Dandenong, Vic

96-106 Ordish Road,
Dandenong, Vic, 3175
Ph: 03 9706 5744

Eden Log Export Facility

Lot 2, Edrom Road
Eden, NSW, 2551
Ph: 02 6496 0252

Eden, NSW

Eden Chip Export Terminal
Edrom Road, Jews Head
Eden, NSW, 2551
Ph: 02 6496 0222

Herons Creek, NSW

420 Herons Creek Road
Herons Creek, NSW, 2443
Ph: 02 6585 7188

Koolkhan, NSW

43 Mill Road
Koolkhan, NSW, 2460
PO Box 437
Ph: 02 6644 7280

Kyogle, NSW

13056 Summerland Way
Kyogle, NSW, 2474
PO Box 187
Ph: 02 6632 1866

Murwillumbah, NSW

148 Tweed Valley Way
Murwillumbah, NSW, 2484
PO Box 56
Ph: 02 6670 8700

Narooma, NSW

6016/6018 Princess Highway
Narooma, NSW, 2546
PO Box 75
Ph: 02 4476 7908

South Nowra, NSW

50 BTU Road
South Nowra, NSW, 2541
PO Box 5014
Ph: 02 4447 8262

Swifts Creek, VIC

Great Alpine Road,
Swifts Creek, Vic, 3896
Ph: 03 5159 4438