Industrial Shelving Suppliers in Illinois — 20 Companies
Industrial shelving is the hand-loaded counterpart to pallet rack. Smaller items, lighter loads, and human-height access — no forklift needed. From open steel shelving in a parts room to high-density mobile shelving in a medical stockroom, it's the system you use when individual items matter more than full pallets. Chicago is the undisputed freight capital of North America. More rail freight passes through Chicago than any other city on the continent. The I-55, I-80, and I-88 corridors south and west of the city contain one of the densest concentrations of warehouses and distribution centers in the world.
Learn more about shelving in Illinois ↓Shelving Suppliers in Illinois (20)
Complete Warehouse Supply
Warehouse equipment distributor in Lake Saint Louis with nationwide distribution. Sells pallet rack, pallet flow, cantilever, shelving with factory-direct pricing and installation.
Container Systems Inc
Container Systems has over 50 years of experience providing material handling and storage solutions from their Westmont Illinois location.
Lyon Workspace Products
Lyon has been Americas leading manufacturer of steel storage products since 1901. They produce metal lockers cabinets shelving pallet racking and industrial workbenches from their Montgomery IL facility.
Thornel Associates
Thornel Associates has been providing material handling and storage solutions in the Chicago area since 1955.
West Suburban Innovative Storage
Warehouse shelving and storage rack supplier serving Minneapolis/St. Paul for 25+ years. Offers pallet racking, cantilever racks, wire shelving, mezzanines, and professional installation services.
JC Edwards & Son
JC Edwards & Son has been a master material handling distributor since 1947 serving central Illinois from their Peoria facility.
RMH Systems
RMH Systems is the largest Midwest material handling distributor with 80+ years of experience and multiple locations across Iowa and Illinois.
Arch Material Handling
One of the largest inventories of pre-owned pallet racking and warehouse equipment in the nation. Buys and sells used rack, shelving, and mezzanines in St. Louis.
Illinois Engineered Products, Inc. (IEP)
Illinois Engineered Products manufactures and distributes steel folding gates for security, safety and access control. Permanently mounted gates secure loading docks, lift-up doors, and storefronts. Portable gates control access and pedestrian traffic in hallways, elevator bays, schools, and institutions and can be rolled away not in use. IEP also produces a Hybrid gate model with twice the amount of steel as traditional heavy-duty gates for the ultimate in security and stability.
REB Storage Systems International
REB Storage Systems International has been a trusted name in rack and shelving system design and installation since 1962 with installers located throughout the country.
Interlake Mecalux
Interlake Mecalux is among the leading companies in the storage systems market specializing in the design manufacturing and sale of steel racking warehouse automation and warehouse management software.
Crown Lift Trucks
Crown Lift Trucks is a multi-location material handling distributor serving the Midwest and Southeast with Steel King pallet rack and warehouse storage solutions.
Cherry’s Industrial Equipment Corp.
Hassel Material Handling
Distributor of material handling systems, equipment, supplies, and ergonomic products for industrial applications. Established in 1968, they serve the upper Midwest with competitive pricing on pallet racking, shelving, mezzanines, and safety products.
Wolter Inc
Wolter Inc formerly Wisconsin Lift Truck has been providing material handling solutions since 1962 with 7 locations across Wisconsin and Illinois.
Worldwide Material Handling Products, LLC
Worldwide Material Handling provides warehouse pallet racking parts and accessories at competitive prices. They specialize in wire mesh decking rack protection products and industrial storage accessories from their Romeoville IL facility.
Little Giant by Brennan Equipment
Total Warehouse Solutions
Buys, sells, installs, and relocates new and used pallet racking, cantilever racks, steel shelving, and mezzanines in the St. Louis metro area.
Equipment Depot
Equipment Depot has over 80 years of experience with multiple Illinois locations providing racking design, layout optimization, and installation.
Associated Solutions
Associated Solutions is a full-service material handling supplier and exclusive Raymond Forklifts dealer in Illinois offering pallet rack inspection, repair, and installation.
When to Choose Shelving
- ✓Items are picked by hand, not by forklift
- ✓Individual units weigh under 50-100 lbs
- ✓You need to organize a high number of small SKUs in a compact area
- ✓Access needs to be fast and visual — workers need to see what's on the shelf
- ✓Your space doubles as a showroom, parts counter, or retail area
Key Specs to Ask About
- •Shelf width, depth, and height (standard widths: 36", 42", 48")
- •Shelf capacity per level (typically 200-800 lbs per shelf)
- •Open vs. closed shelving (closed has side and back panels)
- •Shelf material (steel, wire, particle board)
- •Post type and adjustment pitch (determines shelf spacing flexibility)
- •Mobile carriage option (for high-density configurations)
How It Compares
| Factor | Industrial Shelving | Pallet Rack |
|---|---|---|
| Loading method | Hand-loaded | Forklift-loaded |
| Item weight | Under 50-100 lbs per item | 1,000-5,000+ lbs per pallet |
| Typical height | 6-8 feet (standing reach) | 12-30+ feet |
| Best for | Small parts, cartons, hand-pick items | Full pallets, bulk storage |
| Cost per position | $15-$50 per shelf | $50-$150 per pallet position |
If a person is putting items on it by hand, it's shelving. If a forklift is loading pallets onto it, it's pallet rack. The dividing line is weight and loading method. Most warehouses use both — rack for bulk pallet storage, shelving for pick faces and small-item storage.
Every day, approximately 500 freight trains pass through the Chicago metro area. That's more than any other city in the world. The rail yards around Joliet and Elwood are why there's a warehouse every quarter mile along I-55.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between industrial shelving and pallet rack?
How much does industrial shelving cost?
What's high-density mobile shelving?
How many shelving suppliers are in Illinois?
The Library of Congress holds 170 million items on approximately 838 miles of shelving. Laid end-to-end, those shelves would stretch from Washington DC to Chicago.
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