Above L-R: Alina Corey with Matt Heimbach, owners of M&A Woodworks, LLC.
WELCOME NEW MEMBER: M&A WOODWORKS, LLC
UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES: TURNING CHANCE INTO CHANGE
By: Stephanie Phillips-Taggart, KWPA's Executive Director
Ten months ago, owning a pallet manufacturing facility was the furthest thing from Matt Heimbach and Alina Corey’s mind.
“We didn’t see it coming,” says Heimbach. “We were interested in the property but had no idea what would come next.”
The couple was in the market to purchase a home along with acreage. They found a beautiful property in Turbotville, with a farmhouse and surrounding buildings that previously housed a sawmill and a pallet company.
“After expressing our interest in the property, we found out that the owner was selling the pallet manufacturing equipment too,” says Heimbach.
Both with professional backgrounds in agriculture, Heimbach and Corey pondered starting a business together. After all, using Pennsylvania hardwoods—the state’s number one ag commodity—to manufacture pallets, wasn’t too far out of their wheelhouse. At the time, Corey was working in commercial poultry and Heimbach custom harvesting.
Having climbed the corporate ladder, Corey, 37, was ready for change.
“I worked hard, but there is value to building a business from your home,” she says.
Heimbach, 40, explained that he grew up on a dairy farm. “I left the dairy business to do custom harvesting. In the off season, I was a roadside mechanic.”
Before making a life-changing decision, the hardworking couple began discussions with the former business owner and one of his customers — Remmey The Pallet Company, a Keystone Wood Products Association member.
“Ben [owner of The Remmey Pallet Company] showed us the shop and gave us information to get started. Ben wants to see us succeed as much as we do,” says Heimbach. “We couldn’t be more grateful.”
One thing led to another, and the duo opened M&A Woodworks, LLC on January 2, 2026.
M&A Woodworks specializes in custom, hand-nailed pallets made from hardwood cants. Producing large nonstandard size pallets, M&A Woodworks offers efficient distribution as it is located near major interstates.
Now five months into owning their own business, the partners are confident with their decision and they haven’t looked back.
“This is thanks to Ben. He has been an incredible resource and partner,” says Corey. “People in this industry are truly amazing.”
In a short time, the couple has grown their production of custom pallets from two truckloads—containing 209 or 230 pallets—a week to 20-21 truckloads a month.
In the future, they plan to continue to improve efficiency by installing a saw line, which is already on-site, and by constructing a building to house an additional custom pallet production line.
“Looking ahead, we want to run a smooth operation,” says Heimbach. The company also chose its name with future growth in mind, not just pallet production. It intentionally named the business M&A Woodworks, LLC to leave room for expanding its product lines.
“We could sell sawdust and mulch to better utilize our wood waste,” Heimbach added. “The opportunities are endless.”
In less than 6 months, they have achieved what few others could. It must seem surreal as Corey joked that Heimbach reminds himself of their journey as he frequently uses a quote from the 1994 comedy “Dumb and Dumber”—a movie where two endearing best friends, Lloyd and Harry, travel across the country together.
“Just about every day Matt says to me, ‘We are really doing this Harry.’” she laughed.
The two might not be taking a road trip anytime soon, but together they are building a strong business based on their love for agriculture.
Corey concluded, “We are grateful for this opportunity.”
For more information, email Alina Corey at acorey12@yahoo.com or Matt Heimbach at mheimbach14@gmail.com.