Est. 1963 — Jacksonville, Texas
Milestones
E.C. Arrington starts building pallets near Rusk, TX, with one helper and one load a week
Eddie Arrington joins as the second generation
Moves to present site south of Jacksonville
Adopts thin-kerf bandsaws for better yield per log
Kyle Arrington joins as the third generation
All three Baker Tri-Scragg Sawmills redesigned and modernized
Cut-up department rebuilt with integrated end-to-end lines
Boiler installed to convert sawdust into heat for heat treating and drying
Four sawmills producing thousands of pallets a day, still owned by the Arrington family
In 1963, E.C. Arrington started building pallets at a rented facility near Rusk, Texas. He had one helper, cut the lumber by hand, and nailed each pallet together himself. A good week produced a single truckload.
A local banker took a chance on him and financed some used equipment. E.C. turned one load a week into two, then three, and over time he hired more workers and expanded the facilities.
In 1972, Eddie joined his father and began expanding the operation. Pallets were built at three different locations until the company moved to its present site just south of Jacksonville in 1975. Through the 1980s, production climbed steadily to 10–12 loads a week.
The company then invested in a decade-long upgrade that eventually brought capacity to thousands of pallets per day on a single shift. In the early 1990s, thin-kerf bandsaws replaced the old gang saw lines. The thinner blade saved enough material on each cut to get an extra board out of the same log, and the Arringtons were quick to adopt them.
In 2004, Eddie’s son Kyle joined the company as the third generation. Under Kyle’s direction, the company has continued to adopt new equipment and systems early. Between 2016 and 2018, all three Baker Tri-Scragg Sawmills were upgraded and redesigned to increase speed and yield while lowering labor requirements.
In 2022, the company rebuilt its cut-up department around integrated end-to-end lines, which lowered operating costs and increased output. It was the largest operational change since the sawmill upgrades.
In 2026, the company installed a boiler that burns sawdust from the mills to supply heat for heat treating and other drying processes.
Today, Arrington Lumber & Pallet operates four sawmills in Jacksonville, Texas, within a one-day drive of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Baton Rouge, and Oklahoma City. The company is still family-owned.
“A local banker took a chance on him. E.C. turned one load into two, then three, then more.”
Leadership
The company is led by the third generation of the Arrington family, alongside a team with years of experience in the business.
Owner
With the company since 1972
Eddie joined the company alongside his father, E.C., and eventually stepped into the lead role himself. He has decades of experience in the industry and has worked nearly every job in the plant. Eddie has stepped back from day-to-day operations but remains involved with the company.
President & CEO
With the company since 2004
Kyle joined the company in 2004 after graduating from Texas A&M and learned the business from the ground up, as his father and grandfather had. As President and CEO, he has led the company’s major upgrades while keeping the standards and family ownership it was built on.
CFO
With the company since 2012
Brian returned to Jacksonville in 2012 with a broad background in finance. As CFO, he oversees the company’s finances and has played a large part in building the internal systems and company culture that keep the operation running smoothly.
VP of Sales
With the company since 2014
Garrett came to the company from a career in medicine, including time in the region’s busiest emergency room. He leads sales and works directly with customers on their pallet needs. Garrett is also part of the Arrington family by marriage.
VP of Operations
With the company since 2021
Clint graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in forestry and then spent several years in law enforcement with the State of Texas. He joined the company in 2021 and oversees the sawmills and pallet plant, where his forestry training is put to regular use.
Our Values
The principles we’ve worked by since 1963.
Values
Many of our customers came to us after problems with other suppliers: pallets that drifted from spec, poor lumber, and late or incorrect deliveries. These are the commitments we make to avoid those problems.
Some suppliers ship first loads built to spec, then gradually cut corners to lower their costs. We build every pallet exactly the same, every time.
We often visit potential customers and find “A grade” pallets built with #2 lumber or worse, with wane, large knots, incorrect sizing, poor nails, and bad nail placement. Our equipment is set up to minimize waste, and questionable boards are discarded. We use American-made nails and banding.
We operate our own trucks and trailers so we rely as little as possible on third parties. We work to solve our customers’ packaging challenges, whether that means a design change or a schedule change.
We don’t compromise on quality, but we are committed to offering it at a competitive price. Our business depends on our customers doing well, and we price accordingly.
Above all else, we treat our customers fairly and with the respect we seek from them. We deal honestly, and if something goes wrong, we take responsibility and fix it.
If you have a question about an order or a new project, you can reach the people who run the company directly.
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