Pallet Rack Installation for Petzl Distribution Center in Salt Lake City, UT
Discover how Material Handling USA designed and installed selective pallet rack with wire decking and safety netting at Petzl’s North American distribution center in Salt Lake City.
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About Petzl
Petzl is a global manufacturer of climbing gear, headlamps, and fall protection equipment, founded in France and trusted by professional climbers, rescue teams, industrial rope-access workers, and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. The company’s North American distribution center at 2929 Decker Lake Drive in Salt Lake City, Utah, serves as the central hub for receiving, warehousing, and shipping Petzl products across the United States, Canada, and Latin America. Located along the I-215 c or ridor in the Decker Lake business district, the facility combines large-scale warehouse storage with modern distribution operations including automated conveyor systemsand mezzanine-level offices.
The Situation
As one of the world’s leading vertical sp or t and safety equipment manufacturers, Petzl manages an extensive product catalog that includes harnesses, carabiners, helmets, headlamps, anch or ing devices, ropes, and fall protection systems. Each product line encompasses multiple models, sizes, and configurations, resulting in hundreds of individual SKUs that must be stored, t racked, and shipped from the Salt Lake City distribution center.
The facility required a pallet rack system capable of supporting the full depth and breadth of Petzl’s North American inventory. The system needed to maximize the building’s significant clear height, accommodate both full-pallet bulk storage and individual case picking, and integrate with the facility’s conveyor-based order fulfillment workflow. Because Petzl products include safety-critical climbing and fall protection equipment, organized inventory management with clear lot t racking and first-in-first-out rotation was essential.
The Solution
Material Handling USA designed and installed an selectivepallet rack systemthroughout the Petzl distribution center in Salt Lake City. The system features heavy-duty gray structural uprights with matching gray beams, wire decking on every level, and back-to-back row configurations connected with galvanized row spacer tie plates.
The installation spans multiple rows of tall racking with five to six beam levels per section, utilizing nearly the full clear height of the building. The rack layout was designed around the facility’s existing infrastructure, including the mezzanine office platform, automated conveyor systems, and vertical storage modules. Forklift aisles were sized for reach truck operations to maximize storage density while maintaining safe, efficient access to every pallet position.
Features
Structural Racking
Heavy-duty structural steel uprightsand beams provide superior load capacity and impact resistance in a high-traffic distribution environment where forklifts operate continuously.
Wire Decking on Every Level
Galvanized wire mesh decking provides a positive shelf surface for palletsand loose cases, improves fire sprinkler penetration to meet code requirements, and allows visual inspection of inventory from below.
Back-to-Back Row Configuration
Rows placed back-to-back with galvanized row spacer tie plates maximize storage density while maintaining structural stability and alignment across the entire system.
Five to Six Beam Levels
Tall upright frames with multiple beam levels utilize the full clear height of the building, maximizing vertical storage and total pallet capacity per square foot.
Heavy Cross-Bracing
Extensive diagonal cross-bracing between upright columns provides lateral stability critical for tall rack configurations in Utah’s seismic zone.
Concrete Floor Anch or ing
All upright frames are anch or ed to the warehouse concrete slab with engineered expansion bolts, meeting seismic requirementsand preventing rack movement under load or during forklift operations.
Advantage
The combination of structural racking and selective access design gives Petzl the best of both worlds: the durability of structural steel construction and the flexibility of direct access to every pallet position. In a distribution center that ships thousands of orders daily, the ability to reach any SKU without moving other pallets is essential for maintaining order accuracy and fulfillment speed.
Structural steel racking provides significantly higher impact resistance than roll-formed alternatives. In a busy distribution environment where reach trucksand order pickers operate throughout the day, upright columns inevitably take hits. Structural uprights abs or b these impacts without the denting and buckling that can compromise roll-formed columns, reducing maintenance costsand extending the system’s service life.
Benefits
Distribution Center Throughput
Organized pallet positions with direct aisle access allow order pickersand forklift operat or s to locate and retrieve products quickly. This supports Petzl’s high-volume distribution operations, where fulfillment speed directly impacts customer satisfaction and retailer relationships across North America.
Product Safety and Quality
Petzl’s products are safety-critical equipment used by climbers, rescue professionals, and industrial workers. Proper warehouse storage on wire-decked pallet rack protects products from floor-level moisture, contamination, and physical damage that could compromise product integrity.
Fire Code Compliance
Wire decking on every rack level allows fire sprinkler water to penetrate through all storage levels, meeting fire marshal requirements for high-pile storage in a large distribution facility. This is a critical code requirement that solid decking cannot satisfy.
Inventory Visibility
The open wire decking design allows warehouse staff to visually identify products from multiple angles, including from below. Combined with barcode label positions on beam faces, this supports fastand accurate inventory management across hundreds of SKUs.
Seismic Performance
Salt Lake City sits in a significant seismic zone. The combination of structural steel construction, heavy cross-bracing, row spacer connections, and engineered floor anch or ing provides the structural integrity needed to protect personneland inventory during seismic events.
Return on Investment
For a North American distribution center handling the full Petzl product catalog, the pallet rack system’s return on investment is driven by three factors: space utilization, operational efficiency, and product protection. By storing inventory vertically across five to six beam levels, the facility accommodates its entire North American inventory within a single building ra the r than splitting operations across multiple locations.
Operational efficiency gains compound daily. Every second saved in product retrieval multiplies across thousands of picks per day, translating to higher throughput with the same workforce. And the structural durability of racking reduces the ongoing maintenance and replacement costs that accumulate over years of heavy distribution center use.
Installation and Project Process
Material Handling USA managed the Petzl distribution center pallet rack project from design through completed installation at the Salt Lake City facility.
Facility Assessment
Our team evaluated the distribution center’s dimensions, clear height, floor slab specifications, column locations, and integration points with the facility’s conveyor systems, vertical storage modules, and mezzanine structure. We reviewed Petzl’s inventory profile, pallet sizes, load weights, and throughput requirements.
System Design
The selective pallet rack system was designed to maximize pallet positions while maintaining reach truck aisle widthsand clear paths around the facility’s distribution infrastructure. Beam levels were configured to match Petzl’s pallet and load height profiles, and wire decking was specified on every level for fire code compliance and operational flexibility.
Professional Installation
Our installation crew assembled the structural uprights, installed beamsand wire decking, connected back-to-back rows with galvanized row spacer plates, applied cross-bracing, and anch or ed all components to the concrete floor. Workers used scissor lifts to install beams at the upper levelsand concrete drilling equipment for floor anch or ing. The installation was co or dinated with Petzl’s operations to minimize disruption to ongoing distribution activities.
Why This Matters for Salt Lake City Distribution Centers
Salt Lake City has become a major distribution hub for the western United States. The city’s central location, proximity to major interstate highwaysand rail networks, and access to Salt Lake City International Airp or t make it an ideal location for companies like Petzl that need to reach customers across North America efficiently.
As distribution volumes grow and e-commerce accelerates fulfillment expectations, Salt Lake City warehousesand distribution centers need storage systems that maximize space, support high throughput, and meet Utah’s seismic building requirements. Pallet rack systemsfrom and other premium manufacturers provide the structural integrity and storage density these operations demand. Material Handling USA provides pallet rack design, delivery, and professional installation services throughout the Salt Lake Valley and the Wasatch Front.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between structuraland roll-formed pallet rack?
Structuralpallet rackuses hot-rolled structural steel shapes (C-channelsand I-beams) for uprightsand beams, providing higher impact resistance and load capacity than roll-formed alternatives. Structural racking is preferred in high-traffic distribution centers where forklift impact is a regular occurrence.
Why is wire decking important for pallet rack?
Wire decking provides a positive shelf surface that prevents pallets from falling through beams, allows fire sprinkler water to penetrate all storage levels for code compliance, enables visual inventory inspection from below, and catches falling items that could injure workers in the aisles.
What are row spacer tie plates?
Row spacer tie plates are galvanized steel plates that bolt between back-to-back pallet rack upright frames, maintaining proper spacing and providing structural connection between rows. They prevent rows from spreading apart under load and add lateral stability.
Is pallet rack safe in earthquake zones like Salt Lake City?
Yes, when properly engineered and installed. Pallet rack systems in seismic zones require engineered floor anch or ing, cross-bracing, and structural analysis to meet local building codes. Material Handling USA designsand installs systems that meet Utah’s seismic requirements.
How tall can pallet rack be installed?
Pallet rack height is limited by the building’s clear height, forklift reach capacity, and engineered load ratings. Systems regularly reach 20 to 30 feet or more in distribution centers with adequate ceiling height and appropriate forklift equipment.
Does Material Handling USA install racking?
Yes. Material Handling USA installs pallet rack from all major manufacturers, including throughout Utah and nationwide. Request a free pallet rack quote.
Can pallet rack be installed in an operating distribution center?
Yes. Our installation crews co or dinate with facility operations to work in sections, minimizing disruption to ongoing distribution activities while maintaining safety standards.
Our Process
Assessment
On-site facility measurement and needs analysis
Design
Custom layout engineered for your space and workflow
Delivery
All components shipped and staged at your facility
Installation
Professional assembly, leveling, and anch or ing
Project Results
Need Pallet Racking for Your Distribution Center?
Material Handling USA provides free facility assessments, custom rack designs, and professional installation for pallet rack systems in Salt Lake City and nationwide.
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