Case Study: Motion Industries
How Material Handling USA replaced damaged pallet rack uprights and installed new selective pallet rack with wire decking at Motion Industries’ distribution center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
About Motion Industries
Motion Industries is one of the largest industrial maintenance, repair, and operation (MRO) replacement parts distributors in North America. With over 550 operations including 12 distribution centers, the company serves more than 150,000 customers across food and beverage, pulp and paper, iron and steel, chemical, mining, automotive, pharmaceutical, and dozens of other industries. Their Salt Lake City facility at 1750 S 4370 W functions as a regional distribution hub, stocking thousands of bearings, power transmission components, electrical and industrial automation parts, hydraulic components, and industrial supply products that ship to customers throughout the Intermountain West.
The Situation
Motion Industries’ Salt Lake City distribution center relies on extensive pallet rack systems to organize and store thousands of industrial MRO parts — from heavy bearings and power transmission components to hydraulic assemblies and electrical automation equipment. Over years of continuous warehouse operations, forklift traffic had caused significant damage to multiple pallet rack uprights throughout the facility.
Inspection revealed bent and deformed upright columns, compromised baseplates, cracked concrete around anchor points, and structural damage to diagonal bracing. The existing racking included older MIRAK-branded uprights that had reached the end of their service life. Several uprights showed impact damage severe enough to compromise the engineered load capacity of the entire rack section — a safety concern for a facility that stores heavy industrial components on every shelf level.
Motion Industries needed a partner who could assess the damage, replace the compromised uprights, and install new pallet rack sections — all while minimizing disruption to their daily distribution operations serving customers across the region.
Before: Damaged Rack Documentation
⚠️ Before — Damage Assessment
Before photos document the condition of the existing rack system: Steel King Industries beams with aging uprights, damaged baseplates with compromised anchor points in cracked concrete, deformed upright columns in the warehouse aisles, and older MIRAK-branded uprights that had exceeded their useful life. The damage created load capacity concerns across multiple rack sections in the distribution center.
The Solution
Material Handling USA provided a comprehensive two-part solution for the Motion Industries distribution center. The first phase addressed the damaged uprights: compromised columns were removed and replaced with new teardrop-style selective pallet rack uprights, restoring the structural integrity and full load capacity of the existing rack runs. Each new upright was properly anchored to the warehouse floor with fresh baseplates and concrete anchors.
The second phase delivered a complete new rack installation along the warehouse wall. The new system features green powder-coated teardrop uprights with orange step beams spanning five or more beam levels, providing substantial vertical storage capacity against the cinder block perimeter wall. Every beam level is fitted with wire mesh decking for solid pallet support, fire sprinkler compliance, and visual inventory inspection from below. Cross-bracing between upright frames provides lateral stability for the full-height installation.
The completed installation runs the full length of the warehouse wall in Zone 25, creating a long continuous run of organized pallet positions. The rack configuration gives forklift operators direct aisle access to every storage position — critical for a distribution center that picks and ships thousands of individual orders daily to customers across the Intermountain West.
After: Completed Installation
✅ After — New Rack Installed
The completed installation shows new green teardrop uprights with orange step beams running the full length of the warehouse wall, with wire decking on every level and proper cross-bracing throughout. New baseplates are securely anchored to the concrete floor. The Zone 25 Aisle 1 signage and Raymond forklift in the aisle show the system integrated into Motion Industries’ active warehouse operations.
Features
Selective Pallet Rack
New teardrop-style selective rack with green powder-coated uprights and orange step beams provides direct forklift access to every pallet position — essential for a high-volume distribution center picking thousands of daily orders.
Pallet Rack Repair
Damaged uprights were removed and replaced with new columns and baseplates, restoring full structural load capacity to existing rack sections without requiring a complete system tearout.
Wire Mesh Decking
Wire decking on every beam level creates solid shelf surfaces for palletized industrial parts while maintaining fire sprinkler code compliance and allowing visual inventory checks from below.
Heavy-Duty Anchoring
Every upright is secured with engineered baseplates and concrete anchors, providing the stability needed to support heavy MRO inventory like bearings, motors, and hydraulic components at full height.
Our Process
Damage Assessment
Inspected the existing rack system throughout the distribution center, documenting damaged uprights, compromised baseplates, and areas needing replacement versus repair.
Solution Design
Engineered a combined repair-and-replace approach: new uprights for damaged sections and a complete new rack installation along the warehouse wall in Zone 25.
Upright Replacement
Removed damaged uprights and installed new teardrop columns with fresh baseplates and concrete anchors, restoring structural integrity to existing rack runs.
New Installation
Assembled and installed the complete new rack system with multiple beam levels, wire decking, and cross-bracing along the full warehouse wall length.
Results
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pallet rack repair?
Pallet rack repair replaces damaged upright columns, beams, or bracing without tearing out the entire rack system. Repair kits bolt onto existing frames to restore structural integrity and load capacity, keeping the warehouse operational with minimal downtime.
When should pallet rack uprights be replaced?
Uprights should be replaced when forklift impact has bent, cracked, or deformed the column beyond repair tolerances. Visible damage to the baseplate, anchor bolts, or diagonal bracing also signals that the upright has lost its engineered load capacity and needs replacement.
What causes pallet rack damage in warehouses?
The most common cause is forklift impact to the front columns of upright frames. Overloaded beams, seismic activity, improper installation, and general wear over years of use can also weaken rack components and create safety hazards.
What is selective pallet rack?
Selective pallet rack is the most common warehouse storage system. It uses vertical upright frames connected by horizontal beams to create shelf levels, providing direct forklift access to every pallet position from the aisle.
Can damaged pallet rack be repaired instead of replaced?
Yes. Column repair kits bolt onto damaged uprights to restore load capacity without replacing the entire frame. However, severely bent or cracked uprights typically require full replacement to maintain safety standards.
Does Material Handling USA do pallet rack repair in Utah?
Yes. Material Handling USA provides pallet rack repair, upright replacement, and new rack installation for warehouses and distribution centers throughout Utah and nationwide.
Need Pallet Rack Repair or Installation?
Material Handling USA inspects, repairs, and installs pallet rack systems for distribution centers, warehouses, and industrial facilities across Utah and nationwide.