Shelving Solutions — Industrial & Commercial Shelving Systems

From lightweight boltless shelving for stockrooms to heavy-duty industrial shelving for manufacturing, Material Handling USA delivers the full spectrum of shelving solutions. We partner with America’s leading shelving manufacturers — Jaken, Metro, Aurora Storage, and others — to offer every shelving type, load capacity, and material for any commercial or industrial application.

Our shelving consultants help you select the right system based on your load requirements, product dimensions, access frequency, and environmental conditions. Whether you need open wire shelving for healthcare, sealed boltless shelving for parts storage, or compact mobile shelving to maximize floor space, we have the solution.

Every order includes free layout design — our team produces detailed shelving plans showing aisle widths, unit placement, and load distribution to maximize your storage density while maintaining safe access and code compliance.

Jaken Corporation manufactures heavy-duty boltless and steel shelving systems from their New York production facility. Their signature boltless rivet shelving assembles in minutes without tools — just tap the beams into the posts and you’re done. Available in 15 standard sizes with shelf capacities from 300 to 1,500 pounds.

Jaken’s industrial steel shelving line features 18-gauge and 20-gauge shelves with closed backs and sides for contained storage. Units are available in single-face, double-face, and add-on configurations to build continuous shelving runs at lower per-unit cost. Standard colors are gray and tan with custom powder-coat colors available.

All Jaken shelving is made in America and ships from multiple distribution points for fast delivery. Starter-and-adder configurations minimize hardware costs on multi-unit installations.

Metro (Ali Group) invented adjustable wire shelving in 1965 and remains the world’s leading wire shelving manufacturer. Their Super Erecta line is the industry standard for healthcare, food service, and laboratory environments — NSF-certified, easy to clean, and available in chrome, stainless steel, and Metroseal epoxy finishes.

Metro’s wire shelving promotes air circulation and light penetration — critical for food safety, pharmaceutical storage, and healthcare supply management. Shelf capacities reach 800 pounds with reinforced trusses. Quick-adjust shelf clips allow height changes in 1-inch increments without disassembly.

The Metro product line extends beyond basic shelving to include mobile carts, heated cabinets, drying racks, and custom storage solutions for virtually any environment. Their Lifeline polymer shelving adds corrosion-proof performance for wet environments and outdoor applications.

When floor space is limited and static shelving can’t hold enough inventory, mobile shelving systems provide the answer. By mounting standard shelving units on wheeled carriages that roll along floor tracks, mobile systems eliminate fixed aisles and double storage capacity in the same footprint. Only one access aisle opens at a time — between the two rows you need — while all other rows remain compacted together.

Aurora Storage Products manufactures the mobile shelving systems we specify for office, healthcare, warehouse, and institutional applications. Manual systems use hand cranks or pull handles — no electricity required. Mechanical-assist models provide geared handles that reduce cranking effort by 3:1 for heavier loads. Powered systems use electric drive motors with push-button aisle access, integrated LED lighting, and safety sensors that detect obstructions and halt carriage movement.

Mobile shelving is particularly effective for records management, healthcare supply storage, museum collection storage, and evidence rooms where maximum storage density is critical. A properly designed mobile shelving system reduces the floor area needed for storage by 40–60%, freeing valuable real estate for revenue-generating or operational functions. The investment in mobile shelving pays for itself through avoided lease costs in 2–4 years at typical commercial rental rates.

Wire shelving is the preferred storage solution for environments where hygiene, air circulation, and visual inventory management are priorities. The open-wire shelf design allows air to circulate around stored items — preventing moisture buildup that promotes mold, bacteria, and corrosion. This characteristic makes wire shelving essential in food service walk-in coolers, hospital supply rooms, pharmaceutical storage areas, and laboratory environments where stagnant air can compromise product quality or patient safety.

Metro’s Super Erecta wire shelving — the original and still the industry-leading brand — is available in chrome, Metroseal (epoxy-coated for corrosion resistance), and stainless steel finishes. Chrome is the standard choice for dry storage areas. Metroseal is specified for walk-in coolers, freezers, and humid environments where chrome would corrode. Stainless steel is used in sterile processing, pharmaceutical, and food-contact applications where maximum corrosion resistance and cleanability are required.

NSF International certifies Metro wire shelving for direct food contact in food service applications. This certification is a health department requirement in most jurisdictions — using non-NSF-certified shelving in a food service operation can result in inspection violations and potential closure. Metro’s NSF-certified shelving satisfies ServSafe, HACCP, and health code requirements for food storage in restaurants, hospitals, schools, and institutional kitchens.

Beyond standard shelving, Metro offers a complete ecosystem of wire-based storage products including utility carts, tray drying racks, heated holding cabinets, transport carts, and sterile-processing instrument racks. Designing a facility’s storage system entirely within the Metro product line ensures dimensional compatibility, consistent aesthetics, and simplified procurement through a single manufacturer.

Effective shelving layout design maximizes storage capacity while maintaining safe, efficient access for workers. The process begins with an inventory profile — dimensions, weights, quantities, and access frequency for every product category you store. Fast-moving items go on easy-access shelving at waist-to-shoulder height in the most accessible locations. Slow-moving items can be stored on upper and lower shelves or in compacted mobile shelving where access frequency is low.

Aisle width is the primary variable in shelving layout optimization. Standard 36-inch aisles accommodate comfortable two-person passing and small cart access. Narrower 30-inch aisles work for single-person pick aisles where cart access isn’t needed — gaining 15% more shelving runs in the same floor area. Where maximum density is critical, mobile shelving on tracks eliminates fixed aisles entirely, doubling storage capacity versus static shelving in the same footprint.

Our free layout design service produces scaled floor plans showing unit placement, aisle dimensions, and capacity calculations for your specific space. We model multiple scenarios — different shelving types, aisle widths, and unit heights — and present the trade-offs between storage density, accessibility, and cost so you can make an informed decision. Layouts include electrical outlet locations, fire extinguisher clearances, and sprinkler head coverage to ensure code compliance.

Boltless rivet shelving is the most widely used storage system in American warehouses, stockrooms, and retail backrooms. Jaken Manufacturing produces the boltless shelving we specify for industrial applications — heavy-gauge steel uprights with die-cut rivet holes that accept particle board or wire mesh decks without tools. A single worker can assemble a complete 4-shelf unit in under five minutes using only a rubber mallet, making boltless shelving the fastest system to deploy, reconfigure, or relocate.

Load capacities range from 300 to 1,500 pounds per shelf depending on the upright gauge, beam depth, and deck type. Light-duty 20-gauge units handle boxes, parts bins, and general supplies. Medium-duty 16-gauge units support denser loads like paint cans, hardware, and bulk materials. Heavy-duty 14-gauge units hold the heaviest items — auto parts, steel components, and industrial supplies that would crush lighter shelving systems.

Standard unit sizes range from 36 to 96 inches wide, 12 to 36 inches deep, and 72 to 96 inches tall. Custom heights up to 120 inches are available for facilities with higher ceilings where maximum vertical storage is needed. Add-on units share uprights with adjacent starter units, reducing material cost and floor space consumption when building long shelving runs. Our design team specifies the optimal combination of widths, depths, and heights to maximize storage capacity within your available space while maintaining safe load ratings.

Boltless shelving is available in galvanized, powder-coated gray, and custom colors. Galvanized shelving provides corrosion resistance for outdoor storage, cold rooms, and humid environments. Powder-coated finishes offer a professional appearance for retail backrooms, showrooms, and office storage areas. All Jaken boltless shelving is manufactured in the USA with domestic steel — an important distinction for government, military, and Buy American-compliant procurement requirements.