Ainsworth Pet Nutrition – America’s oldest family-owned pet food company – has joined the roster of companies that have switched from wood pallets to plastic pallet solutions, selecting iGPS Logistics (igps.net) as its new national shipping platform.

The selection of iGPS plastic pallets followed an extensive 14-month testing process involving examination of five different shipping platforms in real life scenarios. Ainsworth Pet Nutrition conducted the tests with several of its own products at various weights and with a number of packaging materials. The evaluation included palletizing, shrink wrapping, stacking and slip sheet removal, transportation and general forklift handling.

“There were big advantages to making this conversion from wood pallet systems to iGPS plastic pallets,” said Tim Crum, Continuous Improvement Manager for Ainsworth Pet Nutrition. “These pallets are a higher level quality and will bring some significant cost savings to us through human and food safety initiatives and reduction to damaged products.”

“For example, the lighter weight of the 48x40 iGPS plastic pallet will allow more product weight on a truck versus pallet weight,” added Crum. “Also, by eliminating the need for bottom chipboard sheets, and our freight advantage, we will realize significant hard savings direct to our bottom line.”

“We are extremely pleased to partner with a company as prominent and as quality focused as Ainsworth Pet Nutrition,” says Jeffrey Liebesman, CEO of iGPS Logistics. “Our plastic pallets are the perfect solution for pet food companies such as Ainsworth – in addition to providing potential cost savings in product transportation, this platform ensures a safer and more environmentally-friendly means of delivering products to customers.”

Based in Meadville, PA, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition has long prided itself on using only the highest quality, simple, natural ingredients in all of their healthy pet foods and treats. By electing to ship their products using iGPS Logistics plastic pallets, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition will enhance the safety of these products and bolster its standing as the first pet food manufacturing company in the U.S. to receive a Facilities Food Safety audit rating of "Excellent" from the Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Level II International auditing standard in accordance with the Global Food Safety Initiative.