Burban Pallettes, based in, Les Ormes France, have been specialists for 25-years in the collection, sorting and repairing of used pallets. The company has extended its expertise and today it sells many different pallets made from recovered and recycled waste wood. The company was looking for a material handler that had strength, was robust, flexible and economical.
The Hyundai R210W-9A MH (Material Handler) wheeled excavator, complete with hydraulic elevating cab, supplied by the French Hyundai dealer AEB, was perfect for the job and according to Burban Pallettes, exceeded their expectations!
Burban Pallettes is owned and run by its original founder Didier Burban – who has built up quite a considerable empire around the humble wooden pallet! 25-years ago, Didier, then a young entrepreneur, saw the potential in the wooden pallet and drew on a poorly defined market and with that created a great future for his company.
Didier tried various trades before discovering pallets – he was an apprentice in a charcuterie, a greengrocer, a vehicle bodybuilder and painter – then at 23-years old he created Burban Pallettes after meeting someone who worked at a pallet company.
Didier said, "It was in 1989, I met someone who worked at a pallet recycling company - I was looking for a job, his boss was not hiring any staff, but he said to me: ‘Start your own account!’. “And that is exactly what I did!” exclaimed Didier. "I registered with the Chamber of Commerce for trades - I started with my own truck and visited industrial and commercial areas. This is where my real career began – collecting, sorting, reparing and delivering pallets.”
Things moved quickly for Didier, “In the first year I hired five people,” he said “the second year I bought the company Orval. 10-years from then I had 130 employees and a turn-over of 12Million Euro.”
Now 25-years later the company boasts a 60million turnover and the Burban group has 400 employees!
Today, Burban Pallettes collects, recovers and recycles, reconditions, grinds and sells pallets through more than 14 sites spread over the whole of France.
Didier said, “It was for the recycling and grinding side of the business that we went searching for a wheeled excavator, which was equipped with a grapple for material handling.”
A good relationship with Hyundai dealer AEB and the help of AEB’s Benoist Branger helped Didier decide on the R210W-9A MH, this was combined with the quality of the machine, a good service warranty and a good price.