§1The market
The Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metropolitan statistical area had 30 private wood container and pallet manufacturing establishments (NAICS 321920) in the 2024 QCEW annual average. Among the 128 metro areas with at least five such plants, it ranks 11th by count.
The metro area spans KY, IN, so its plants are not all in Kentucky; compare with the state pages for each.
That is up from 27 in 2020 (+11.1%).
BLS disclosed employment of 966 for 2023, with average annual pay of $51,228, against $53,925 statewide and $52,196 nationally.
12 sawmill establishments (NAICS 321113) were also counted in the metro in 2024.
Diesel in the Midwest (PADD 2) region averaged $6.344 a gallon in October 2026 (EIA), the freight context for deliveries here.
§2By year
| Year | Plants | Employment | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 27 | 894 | $54,112 |
| 2021 | 26 | 851 | $45,689 |
| 2022 | 26 | 884 | $49,504 |
| 2023 | 27 | 966 | $51,228 |
| 2024 | 30 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
BLS had not published 2025 metro-area figures when this page was built; state pages carry 2025.
§3Buying here
With 30 plants, the Louisville, KY area can usually support a local RFQ with several bidders inside a short delivery radius. An establishment is a location, not a company, so two plants may belong to one supplier.
The nearest metro clusters in neighbouring states: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (111), Cleveland, OH (32), Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN (26), Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (24).