The Journey to becoming a Leading Pallet Supplier

It started with a Game Farm

In 19XX Norbert Van Zeeland inherited the family dairy farm and homestead in rural Kaukauna. Together, Norbert and his brothers founded “Fox Valley Pheasant Farm”, raising game birds to sell to sporting clubs and state conservation departments, as well as New York night clubs and restaurants in the 1950s and 60s. Unfortunately, the East Coast market for wild game decreased and Norbert sold his interest in the game farm, but continued to operate his family’s dairy farm.

Fox River Crate Company; Fox Valley Wood Products New Building

A New Business is Born: “Fox River Crate Company”

Through his connection with a local farm implement manufacturer, Badger Northland, Norbert embarked on a new business. Based on the implement manufacturer expressing a desire for a custom crate builder to support their shipping needs, the Van Zeelands put their prior pheasant coop building experience to use. In 1963 Norbert and his sons began building shipping crates in a pole shed behind their dairy farm.

As the fledgling company started to take hold, all of Norbert’s sons supported the business in one capacity or another. They worked nights and weekends building crates with hammers and nails. Through a relationship as the pallet supplier to local castings company Neenah Foundry, Fox River Crate Company began to expand to other wooden product offerings.

In 1968 the seemingly upward bound company experienced some major upsets. At the age of 55, Norbert unexpectedly passed away. A short time later, a fire destroyed crate manufacturing facility. The boys, now in their teens and twenties, had some tough decisions to make.

New Building, New Name. “Fox Valley Wood Products”

After their father’s passing, Tom, Don and Dale dedicated themselves to building a thriving business. They pushed the business forward with the addition of a 6,000 square foot manufacturing facility and a rebranding of the company to Fox Valley Wood Products. Roger joined his three brothers following completion of high school.

Throughout the next three decades, the four brothers built the company into a thriving operation including several building expansions and manufacturing upgrades.

The Next Generation…

As the third generation of Van Zeelands became teenagers, Tom, Travis and Jeff also got involved in the business. Following the completion of their college degrees and the retirement of their uncle Tom, Travis and Jeff began to work full time on the production floor in 1996. Jeff and Travis eventually bought the company from their parents and continue to lead Fox Valley Wood Products today.

With the third generation at the helm, Don and Dale continue to help the company on special projects and consultation. The company is fortunate and blessed to have grown under the leadership of hard-working individuals who were equally dedicated to being great fathers. Dale and Don laid the foundation to a successful future for the business based on three principles: excellent customer services, taking great care of employees and best practices for operating a successful business.

Choose Fox Valley For:

  • Same-Day Quotes
  • Same Day Delivery
  • Quality Fabrications
  • Diversified Product Mix
  • Competitive Prices
  • Employee Experience
  • Employee Tenure
Pallets Move The World
MOTY-Winner
Fox Valley Wood Products’ mission is to be the industry’s leading manufacturer of:

Wooden Pallets
Wooden Crates
Specialty Wood Boxes 
and
Heat-treated ISPM #15 Wood Packaging

Logo

Fox Valley Wood Products provides wooden pallets, crates and specialty wood boxes throughout Wisconsin, including Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Madison, as well as the Chicago, Illinois area.

Pallets

Crates/Boxes

OEM Machinery Skids

Heat Treat Solutions

What Our Customers Are Saying

We at Fabio Perini have come to rely on Fox Valley Wood Products for all of our needs when it comes to wood products used for shipping and storage. In a fast paced global market our needs can be spur of the moment and highly complex. Fox Valley Wood Products has proved time and time again that they are the leader in the market place by providing quality, competitive, and accurate materials on schedule at the right price every time.

As we continue to be leaders in our market place we strive to partner with other area businesses who share the same work ethics based on honest reliable service while always keeping the customers needs in mind. Fox Valley Wood Products is a customer service based company with the experience and leadership that keeps both their products and employees in a league of their own. It is the intention of Fabio Perini North America to continue to work hand in hand with Fox Valley Wood Products in an effort to provide outstanding customer service and quality products at a fair price for many years to come.

Best Regards,
Rick Zellner/Purchasing Team Leader

We have always experienced exceptional quality, as well as top customer service. We are always asking for 'next day' and many times even 'same day' service, and they ALWAYS meet or exceed our expectations. The people at Fox Valley Wood Products are very helpful. They even come here to our shop to look at various projects and offer better crating ideas on certain parts we are shipping. Jeff and his staff are a great company to do business with and it has been a pleasure working with them.

Mark Dennis - Shop Foreman/Owner

It has been a joy to work with Fox Valley Wood Products for the past 15 years. Our company manufactures products that vary in size, weight and destination. The crates we order are job specific to a particular part. Meeting our needs has never been an issue for Fox Valley Wood Products. They always supply us with the right product for the job. Prior to partnering with Fox Valley Wood Products we used to fabricate our own crates and machine skids in house. The quality, innovation and speed in which Fox Valley Wood Products fulfills our requests has enabled us to incorporate LEAN principles by eliminating that department (and headache) from our business altogether. Everyone that I have dealt with at Fox Valley Wood Products has been courteous and professional since day one.

Keith Noyes

I have been working with Fox Valley Wood Products for the past 4 or 5 years. They continually meet are our needs as far as quality and on time delivery. There have been many occasions, which we have had a change in our production and have needed product from Fox Valley Wood Products within a day or two. They have always come through for us. Our company has an award for our vendors that we are able to nominate due to performance. Fox Valley Wood has been the recipients of this award. I know that I can count on Jeff and his team for any of our requests, and I have been more than happy with their performance.

Kim Bellefleur

Fox Valley Wood Products has supplied pallets and other materials needed for both shipping paper or securing our loads for many years. Whether it is a standard pallet or a special pallet that needs to cradle, yet secures a roll of paper Fox Valley Wood Products finds a way to help you out.

 For US Paper, space in the warehouse is always at a premium. Fox Valley manufactures and maintains inventory at their location and delivers on a 'just in time basis'. With this set up most orders are placed with a one day lead time. There have been cases when shipments are made the same day when the need arises.

Many orders on our paper machines are entered with no thought of what pallet is needed. Fox Valley Wood Products has made this possible with the inventory levels they maintain and the delivery service they provide.

Tom Van Deurzen/Logistics Manager