PGS Group has added another company to its European pallet network through a joint venture with Dutch family-owned Lecaro. The agreement follows the group\u2019s entry into Italy, the opening of its first UK operation and investments in Dutch and Belgian wood-processing businesses, forming a four-year expansion campaign across production, reconditioning, pooling and raw-material supply.<\/p>\n
French pallet and packaging logistics company PGS Group has formed a joint venture with Lecaro, one of the larger independent pallet businesses in the Netherlands. The partnership adds approximately 2.4 million new and used pallets a year to a PGS network that already stretches from sawmills and pallet factories to repair centres, collection services and pooling operations across Europe.<\/p>\n
Lecaro will retain its name, organisation and management team, led by Alexander van Laak. The companies have not disclosed the ownership split or financial terms, making the transaction structurally different from the direct acquisitions through which PGS entered several other European markets.<\/p>\n
The choice of a joint venture allows PGS to integrate Lecaro into its network without dismantling a Dutch business that already has its own customer base, transport fleet, certifications and operating model. Lecaro, in turn, gains access to PGS services in pooling, reverse logistics, pallet recovery and cross-border supply.<\/p>\n
Founded in 1985, Lecaro specialises in both new and used pallets. Its presence in the second-hand market fits closely with PGS Group\u2019s strategy of combining manufacturing with collection, sorting, repair and repeated pallet use rather than treating the sale of a new pallet as the end of the commercial relationship.<\/p>\n
A large logistics platform at Haps<\/strong><\/p>\n Lecaro moved into a new terminal at Haps in 2025. The fully covered facility extends across 16,000 m\u00b2 and can hold approximately 200,000 pallets. This gives the business significant buffering capacity between customers returning used pallets and industrial users requiring sorted, repaired or newly manufactured units.<\/p>\n The Haps location is close to the A73 motorway and lies between the logistics areas of Nijmegen and Arnhem, Venlo and Eindhoven. It also provides access to Germany\u2019s Ruhr region and northeastern Belgium, placing the terminal inside one of Europe\u2019s densest concentrations of manufacturing, food processing, distribution centres and cross-border road freight.<\/p>\n Storage scale is particularly important in the used-pallet business. New pallets can be manufactured against relatively predictable orders, but recovery operations depend on uneven return flows, differences in pallet quality and the time required for identification, sorting and repair. A large covered terminal allows Lecaro to hold different formats and grades while maintaining the separation required by industrial customers.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s ISO 22000 and HACCP certifications also strengthen its position among food and other hygiene-sensitive customers. Combined with its transport fleet, these capabilities make Lecaro more than a pallet reseller. It operates as a collection, storage, inspection and redistribution platform.<\/p>\n PGS said Lecaro\u2019s customers will gain access to services including pooling and reverse logistics. The Dutch company also has direct representation in several West African countries, adding a commercial connection outside the core European network.<\/p>\n Four years of PGS expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n The Lecaro agreement is the latest in a series of transactions through which PGS has entered new countries, secured additional pallet volumes and moved further upstream into wood processing.<\/p>\n The transactions do not follow a single acquisition template. Den Doelder provided vertically integrated production and recycling. Ide Group added substantial sawmilling capacity and access to processed wood. Grays is a dedicated service operation linked to a major pallet-pooling customer. Beretta is being developed as an Italian production and reconditioning base. Lecaro adds an established Dutch logistics platform where new and recovered pallets already move through the same organisation.<\/p>\n Taken together, the investments show PGS building national operating bases adapted to local pallet flows while connecting them to a wider European system.<\/p>\n Den Doelder established the Dutch platform<\/strong><\/p>\n PGS entered the Netherlands in June 2023 through its acquisition of Den Doelder Pallets. The transaction gave the group much more than a sales presence. Den Doelder brought a sawmill, three pallet production sites, a sorting and recovery operation and extensive management of customers\u2019 wood-waste streams.<\/p>\n The Dutch company had continued investing through the Covid-19 disruption and the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine. Its production model had moved towards stronger chain integration, supported by a newly established biomass plant.<\/p>\n This combination matched PGS Group\u2019s industrial direction. A pallet producer able to process raw wood, manufacture new products, recover used pallets and utilise residual material is less dependent on any single revenue source. It can redirect wood according to quality, recover value from returned packaging and use residues that would otherwise create disposal costs.<\/p>\n The Lecaro venture extends this Dutch position rather than duplicating it. Den Doelder contributes manufacturing, sawmilling and material recovery, while Lecaro adds a large covered terminal, its own fleet and substantial turnover in both new and used pallets.<\/p>\n The Netherlands is particularly attractive for this model because of its port infrastructure, short distances between industrial regions and high concentration of distribution activity. Rotterdam and the country\u2019s road links connect maritime imports with Germany, Belgium and the European hinterland, generating large and continuous pallet flows.<\/p>\n Ide Group strengthened control over wood supply<\/strong><\/p>\n PGS moved further upstream in February 2024 by acquiring a co-controlling stake in Belgium\u2019s Ide Group. Through Ide Woods and Solid, the family-owned business processes approximately 120,000 m\u00b3 of roundwood into softwood lumber annually and manufactures wooden garden structures including sheds and carports.<\/p>\n Ide had also invested in finger-jointing technology for higher-value wood products. The business therefore added sawmill output, secondary processing and a product segment outside pallets.<\/p>\n PGS had been a customer of Ide Woods for years before the investment. The transaction formalised an existing supplier relationship and gave the pallet group access to additional production capacity from a flexible Belgian wood-processing plant.<\/p>\n For a pallet company operating dozens of sites, access to softwood lumber is a strategic issue. Raw-material shortages, sawmill closures and price spikes can quickly affect production costs and delivery schedules. Ownership or co-control of sawmilling assets does not eliminate this exposure, but it provides more information and greater control over part of the supply chain.<\/p>\n The Ide transaction also differs from a conventional takeover. The Ide family remained involved, creating a shared-control structure intended to develop Ide Woods, Solid and the PGS activities supplied by them. This approach resembles the model now selected for Lecaro: PGS gains industrial reach while local owners or managers retain an important operating role.<\/p>\n The UK site added a dedicated pooling operation<\/strong><\/p>\n PGS opened its first UK operation in September 2025 after winning a tender for a site at Grays in Essex. The facility processes second-hand pallets exclusively for pooling company La Palette Rouge.<\/p>\n The Grays site was already one of the larger facilities in the PGS network when the group took possession. It employed approximately 70 people and processed 2.8 million pallets per year from a covered area of 16,000 m\u00b2. The operation runs continuously, 24 hours a day, and has the potential to increase annual throughput to five million pallets.<\/p>\n PGS and LPR are investing jointly in the site. The operation collects, identifies and sorts pallets for reuse or export, while damaged pallets are repaired and treated where required.<\/p>\n The location has direct logistics connections with PGS activities in Picardy and gives the group access to customers and timber flows in Britain. Grays is close to London, major distribution infrastructure and Channel crossings, making it a practical base for pallet recovery and international movements.<\/p>\n Brexit added a technical requirement to this trade. Wooden packaging exported from the United Kingdom to the European Union must comply with the ISPM 15 phytosanitary standard. Pallets requiring repair must therefore be restored and treated in a way that preserves their eligibility for cross-border use.<\/p>\n The Grays model is based less on producing new pallets than on managing a large closed or semi-closed return flow for a major pooling company. Its value lies in throughput, sorting accuracy, repair efficiency and the number of pallets that can be returned to circulation.<\/p>\n Beretta gave PGS its first Italian factory<\/strong><\/p>\n In January 2026, PGS entered Italy through the acquisition of Beretta Pallets, a family business based at Mapello in the province of Bergamo.<\/p>\n Founded in 1920 by Luigi Beretta, the company moved into pallet manufacturing during the 1960s. Since 2011 it has operated from a 23,500 m\u00b2 site near Milan and Brescia, including approximately 6,000 m\u00b2 of industrial buildings.<\/p>\n PGS plans to combine new-pallet manufacturing with the reconditioning of used pallets at Mapello. The investment programme includes two new production lines, drying kilns and a paint cabin. The equipment was scheduled to enter service from March 2026 and increase annual capacity to approximately 1.5 million pallets.<\/p>\n The site has room for further expansion, while its position in Lombardy provides access to one of Italy\u2019s most industrialised regions. Milan, Brescia and Bergamo contain large concentrations of food, machinery, chemicals, consumer goods and logistics companies, all of which generate recurring demand for wooden transport packaging.<\/p>\n Valerio Ruspino, Managing Director of Beretta Pallets, was appointed to oversee the wider PGS operation in Italy. The workforce of 15 was expected to increase as production and reconditioning developed.<\/p>\n PGS therefore entered the Italian market through an existing company with local management, an established site and a recognised customer base, then added industrial equipment and its own circular pallet model.<\/p>\n From manufacturing group to European pallet network<\/strong><\/p>\n PGS was founded in 1993 as Groupe Palettes Gestion Services and initially developed into a leading supplier in the French and Belgian pallet markets. Its original strength was manufacturing and repairing wooden pallets, supported by sawmills supplying softwood lumber.<\/p>\n The group subsequently expanded into pallet rental, relocation, recovery, sorting and logistics services. Its network now comprises more than 50 sites across 13 countries and employs approximately 1,200 people, according to its latest company profile.<\/p>\n Recent figures indicate annual production of approximately 25 million new pallets and recovery of around 20 million used pallets. Lecaro\u2019s 2.4 million new and used pallets represent a meaningful addition, even though the figure cannot be added directly to either group total because it combines both categories.<\/p>\n PGS also controls important upstream capacity. Its French sawmills, PGS Beynel and PGS Synergie, produce more than 160,000 m\u00b3 of softwood lumber per year. The co-controlling participation in Ide Group adds exposure to another business processing around 120,000 m\u00b3 of roundwood annually.<\/p>\n This structure distinguishes PGS from pallet companies dependent entirely on third-party lumber purchases. The group can participate at several points in the chain: roundwood processing, lumber production, new-pallet manufacturing, collection, repair, pooling and final recovery of wood residues.<\/p>\n Vertical integration does not remove market risk. Sawmills still face log prices, energy costs and changing lumber demand, while pallet plants must follow industrial output and freight activity. It does, however, give PGS more options when one part of the chain weakens.<\/p>\n Circularity is becoming an operating model<\/strong><\/p>\n The repeated use of wooden pallets is often presented as an environmental benefit, but for companies such as PGS and Lecaro it is first an industrial and logistical system. Returned pallets must be collected, identified, transported, stored, inspected, repaired and redistributed. Each additional movement creates a cost that must be lower than the value recovered from returning the pallet to service.<\/p>\n Scale changes this calculation. A company with dense transport routes, multiple repair plants and large customers can combine collections and deliveries more efficiently than a local operator handling fragmented flows. It can also direct pallets to the site where they are most likely to be repaired, reused or dismantled economically.<\/p>\n The Haps terminal\u2019s capacity for approximately 200,000 pallets provides the physical buffer required for this activity. The Grays site contributes high-volume processing for LPR. Den Doelder adds sorting, recovery and wood-waste management. Beretta introduces the same combination of new and used pallets into Italy.<\/p>\n Pooling and reverse logistics bind these assets together. Instead of waiting for a customer to order another batch of new pallets, PGS can remain involved throughout the packaging cycle. Revenue is generated through manufacturing, transport, rental or pooling services, inspection and repair.<\/p>\n The model also gives customers a way to reduce dependence on new wood without abandoning standardised transport packaging. A pallet that can be repaired and used several more times postpones the need for replacement, while units that cannot be restored can be dismantled for components or directed into other wood uses.<\/p>\n Local identities remain part of the strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n PGS has generally avoided imposing a single structure immediately after entering a market. Lecaro will keep its identity and existing management. Beretta retained local leadership, with Ruspino receiving responsibility for PGS operations across Italy. The Ide family remained a partner after the Belgian transaction.<\/p>\n This approach preserves customer relationships and operating knowledge that would be difficult to reproduce from a central office. Pallet markets may appear standardised, but they contain considerable local variation in dimensions, industrial requirements, collection distances, certification and repair practices.<\/p>\n Keeping established management also reduces integration risk. PGS can introduce investment, purchasing power and cross-border services without losing the people who understand the regional customer base.<\/p>\n The group\u2019s challenge is to obtain network benefits without turning independent businesses into disconnected holdings. Purchasing, timber supply, customer referrals, pooling flows and equipment investment must increasingly be coordinated if the expansion is to produce more than additional turnover.<\/p>\n The next stage is likely to be operational integration<\/strong><\/p>\n PGS has not disclosed the ownership structure of the Lecaro venture or whether further investment is planned at Haps. There is also no announced increase in production, storage or repair capacity beyond the capabilities of the existing terminal.<\/p>\n The commercial logic of the transaction is nevertheless clear. Lecaro fills part of the Dutch and cross-border logistics map between PGS operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, northern France and Germany. Its West African representation adds another route for business development.<\/p>\n The principal question is how much pallet volume can be shared or redirected across the combined network. Lecaro customers may gain access to PGS pooling and reverse-logistics services, while PGS customers may use Lecaro\u2019s storage, transport and regional collection capabilities.<\/p>\n There may also be opportunities to coordinate new-pallet supply with Den Doelder and the group\u2019s sawmills, particularly when Dutch customers require volumes beyond Lecaro\u2019s own production or purchasing capacity. Used pallets collected through Lecaro could be sorted and repaired locally or directed through other PGS facilities according to format and condition.<\/p>\n The group\u2019s recent expansion indicates that it is assembling several complementary operating models rather than buying identical pallet factories. Den Doelder added vertical integration and biomass. Ide strengthened lumber supply and secondary wood processing. Grays brought high-volume pooling work. Beretta created an Italian manufacturing and repair platform. Lecaro now contributes another substantial flow of new and used pallets in the centre of the Benelux logistics market.<\/p>\n After rapid geographical expansion, the value of these transactions will increasingly depend on how effectively PGS links them. The group already possesses production scale. Its next competitive advantage will come from moving pallets, recovered wood and customer orders across Europe with fewer empty journeys and a higher rate of reuse.<\/p>\n The Lecaro venture is therefore more than another Dutch deal. It is the latest piece in PGS Group\u2019s attempt to build a European pallet system spanning the sawmill, the production line, the warehouse, the repair bench and the return journey.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" PGS Group has added another company to its European pallet network through a joint venture with Dutch family-owned Lecaro. The agreement follows the group\u2019s entry into Italy, the opening of its first UK operation and investments in Dutch and Belgian … Continue reading \n\n
\n \nDate<\/th>\n Transaction<\/th>\n Market<\/th>\n What PGS added<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n June 2023<\/td>\n Den Doelder Pallets acquisition<\/td>\n Netherlands<\/td>\n PGS entered the Dutch market with a vertically integrated business comprising a sawmill, three pallet production sites, sorting and recovery operations, wood-waste management and a biomass plant.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n February 2024<\/td>\n Co-controlling stake in Ide Group<\/td>\n Belgia<\/td>\n Access to a wood-processing group handling approximately 120,000 m\u00b3 of roundwood annually, together with softwood lumber, finger-jointed products and wooden garden structures.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n September 2025<\/td>\n Grays pallet operation<\/td>\n United Kingdom<\/td>\n PGS established its first UK site through a dedicated operation for LPR. The facility processes 2.8 million used pallets annually, employs 70 people and has a capacity target of five million pallets.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n January 2026<\/td>\n Beretta Pallets acquisition<\/td>\n Italy<\/td>\n The group entered Italy with a 23,500 m\u00b2 site near Bergamo. Two new pallet lines, drying kilns and a paint cabin are intended to raise annual capacity to approximately 1.5 million pallets.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n September 2026<\/td>\n Joint venture with Lecaro<\/td>\n Netherlands<\/td>\n A further 2.4 million new and used pallets per year, a 16,000 m\u00b2 covered terminal, storage for approximately 200,000 pallets, an established transport fleet and stronger access to Benelux and German logistics markets.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n