Business View Magazine | July 2022

79 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 and provides access to hardwood timber native to the area, primarily Northern Red Oak, White Oak, Hard Maple, Soft Maple, Ash, and Yellow Birch. HHP also operates a pallet shop producing high- quality customized hardwood pallets, shipping between 425,000 to 500,000 pallets (1,000 trailer loads) every year. Carrier reports, “Our pallet shop can manufacture pallets to over 400 specifications using three systems: a pallet specifications software system, the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association Pallet Design Software, a Pendu cut-off and gang saw system, and a computerized automated Viking pallet nailing system.” The last piece of the production puzzle is roundwood chip manufacturing. HHP manufactures more than 100,000 tons of clean, high-quality wood chips annually, supplying pulp and paper mills throughout the Northeast U.S. HHP’s roundwood chip yard produces Hemlock, Pine and Hardwood for biomass boiler heating chips. HHP currently has 77 full-time employees, most of whom work in various plant operations in the manufacturing facility, and a handful working in administrative and forest management departments. Although the plant is growing and demand is high, Carrier sees greater opportunity in increasing the plant’s operational efficiency instead of hiring more people. “We’ve invested in a lot of equipment and provide a modern work environment to our workers,” he explains. “Where we are currently, just buying more equipment or hiring more people will not help much. For now, we are trying to be as efficient as possible and utilize everyone that we can.” Since the company is not aggressively hiring, it has taken a more conservative path regarding workforce management. “Our culture, which is inclusive, enabling, and family-oriented, has been our savior over the last few years,” says Christine Pefine, HR Officer. “Measures we took over that time to cultivate a positive work culture have borne fruit. We are seeing better retention rates, HHP INC .