900 Albert Street Youngstown, Ohio 44502
Phone: 330-743-1645 | Fax: 330-480-0465
Email: [email protected]
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The Story Behind
In November 1987, Dave Muslovski was head of the sales and marketing team for a pallet shop in northeast Ohio when he was suddenly out of a job. He started there as a diesel mechanic right out of trade school, transitioned to be a CDL truck driver after two years and was promoted to transportation department manager after another two years. Dave was naturally curious and enjoyed interacting with the customers and vendors. His problem-solving abilities and friendly demeanor allowed him to quickly excel in his career and move into a sales and marketing position.
When the company decided to go in another direction, Dave’s sought a maintenance position with a local airline company. However, several trusted business contacts suggested that Dave start his own pallet shop since he knew all the inner workings of the industry. Dave understood that it was a race against time since most contracts needed to be in place by the end of the year and he only had six weeks to get in the game and get competitive.
These business contacts agreed to write letters of support for Dave to take to the bank and secure funds. Even with a detailed business plan and letters of support, Dave was turned down for a loan. Fortunately, his siblings and his wife Denise’s siblings were able to secure lines of credit and they all gave the funds (and payment books) to Dave and Denise to purchase their first truck, trailer and forklift. They signed a land contract for their first parcel, about five acres in Campbell, Ohio at an old cement plant. Denise took bookkeeping classes at a local career center and opened an office in their dining room. Her brother was hired to repair used pallets during the day while Dave made deliveries and sales calls from his semi and performed vehicle maintenance in the evenings.
In the early days, Dave and Denise didn’t take paychecks—just enough to keep their family afloat. With three young children—Tina (13), Jeff (10), and Elise (8)—starting a business was truly a family affair. Weekends meant all hands on deck: Jeff and Elise grabbed push brooms to sweep the floors, while Tina took charge of tidying up the office. It was a humble, hands-on start rooted in teamwork, grit, and family values. Eventually, Jeff joined the ranks as a full-time employee, working as a forklift operator and managing the 2nd field operations. Tina left after high school to pursue a nursing degree, but was eventually called back to assist Denise run the office in 2000.
Denise focused on the trucking side of the business while Tina took on the safety and human resources roles. Her husband, DJ Yanssens left his sales and marketing career with a major corporation in 2008 as part of Dave and Denise’s succession plan. His focus was production efficiencies, the introduction of combination pallets and mulch as well as assisting Dave with sales and customer service.
All the puzzle pieces were falling into place for a successful succession plan when Dave was tragically killed by a distracted driver on June 17, 2010 at the young age of 55. Tina and DJ immediately went back to work to meet with the employees, customers and vendors to assure them that they were ready to face the obstacles ahead with their help and support.
One of the first things that the family undertook was to relocate the business to an 18-acre industrial park in Youngstown, Ohio. This step allowed them to actively pursue a growth strategy. Denise stayed on board to help with the transition until her retirement in 2016.
With the most recent addition of the 3rd generation, Andrew Yanssens, Brandon Yanssens and C. Tucker Cope III, the family continues to carry on Dave and Denise’s legacy by offering quality products with an unwavering focus on customer satisfaction.
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Whether you need custom pallets, crates or recycling services, Iron City Wood Products is your trusted industry expert. Contact us today and see how we can be your dedicated pallet and recycling partner.