Welter Storage Equipment

What Welter Storage Equipment does

Welter Storage Equipment Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-owned retailer and integrator of new, used, and reconditioned material handling equipment and office furniture, founded in 1987 by Lloyd and Joyce Welter in Monticello, Iowa. The company operates three retail showrooms across eastern Iowa (Monticello, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque) and ships nationwide via an e-commerce website and an eBay storefront, serving industrial/warehouse buyers, commercial offices, and educational institutions. Its core product lines span pallet rack (new and used, in selective, push-back, drive-in, and bulk configurations), shelving, mezzanines, forklifts, cantilever rack, wire decks, conveyors, dock equipment, lifting equipment, ladders and platforms, workbenches, carts, and modular cabinets, alongside office furniture from brands such as HON, Basyx Now, Gunlocke, Allsteel, and Steelcase.

The company's underlying technical capability is an in-house AutoCAD layout design service (staffed by Bruce Menster) that produces full-color project renderings and pairs with in-house installation of racking, shelving, and office workstations. Inventory is sourced from a mix of manufacturer-authorized distribution (SpaceRak, HON, Star Buildings, Starrco, Bluff Manufacturing, J&L Wire, Gillis Jarke, Meco Omaha, and others) and secondary-market channels including auctions, liquidations, bankruptcies, closeouts, and corporate relocations, which enables both new-product sales and a value-tier used offering.

Revenue mechanics are a blend of one-time equipment sales (with publicly listed unit pricing ranging from roughly $5 to ~$20,000 per item, including forklifts at $8,500-$20,000), professional installation services, and CAD layout design services. The go-to-market is primarily direct — phone-based sales from each store, walk-in retail traffic, and the e-commerce site — with the company positioned as a one-stop-shop for warehouse and office fit-out needs across the Midwest and, via shipping, all 50 states. The business remains entirely family-held and bootstrapped, with all four Welter sons (Ron, David, Dean, and Bob) participating in operations alongside approximately 60 non-family employees.

Name

Welter Storage Equipment

Legal name

Welter Storage Equipment Co., Inc.

Website

https://welterstorage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Welter Storage Equipment is a family-owned Iowa retailer and integrator of new, used, and reconditioned material handling equipment and office furniture, operating three showrooms and serving industrial, commercial, and educational customers across all 50 states with in-house CAD design and installation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Material Handling Equipment & Storage Solutions

NAICS

Showcase, Partition, Shelving, and Locker Manufacturing (337215)

SIC

Partitions, Shelvg, Lockers, & Office & Store Fixtures (2540), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Storage, Ladders & Material Handling Retail (Ladders, Carts, Shop Storage) (CRAIADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Garage, Basement & Utility Storage Retail (Workbenches, Cabinets, Heavy-Duty Storage) (CRAIAJAH), Moving, Packing & Seasonal Storage Retail (Boxes, Totes, Ornament Storage) (CRAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Material handling equipment
• Warehouse storage solutions
• Office furniture retail
• Pallet rack systems
• Warehouse installation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Monticello

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of new and used/reconditioned material handling equipment and office furniture acquired through auctions, liquidations, bankruptcies, closeouts, and company relocations
2. Installation Services: Installation of racking, shelving, and office workstations
3. CAD Layout Services: In-house CAD design services for office and warehouse layouts with professional renderings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Welter Storage Equipment is a family-owned retailer and integrator based in Iowa that sells new, used, and reconditioned material handling equipment (pallet rack, shelving, mezzanines, forklifts, cantilever rack, conveyors, dock equipment) and office furniture across three retail showrooms and an e-commerce website. The company complements product sales with in-house AutoCAD layout design services that produce full-color project renderings and with professional installation of racking, shelving, and office workstations performed by its own employees.

Product overview

Welter Storage Equipment Co., Inc. operates as a three-store warehouse and office equipment retailer and integrator based in Iowa, offering a broad portfolio of new, used, and reconditioned material handling and office furniture products. The core offering spans two divisions: (1) Material Handling — comprising new and used pallet rack systems (selective, push-back, drive-in, and bulk configurations), shelving, wire decks, cantilever rack, mezzanines, forklifts, pallet jacks, carts and carriers, conveyors, dock plates and levelers, lifting equipment, ladders and platforms, benches/workbenches, baskets and hoppers, flammable storage cabinets, and modular cabinets; and (2) Office Furniture — including desks, chairs, files, storage, tables, panel workstations, lockers, and presentation equipment from brands such as HON, Basyx Now, Gunlocke, Allsteel, Steelcase, and Inscape. The company complements its product sales with in-house CAD layout design services and professional installation of racking, shelving, and office workstations. It also acts as an authorized dealer for SpaceRak (new pallet rack), Star Buildings (steel buildings), and several other branded equipment lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pallet Rack (New & Used) Teardrop-style and standard pallet rack systems sold in new and used/reconditioned condition, including uprights, beams, and wire decks. Available in standard selective, push-back, drive-in, and bulk rack configurations for warehouse storage.
• Shelving Industrial and commercial shelving units including Triboro rivet-style, Republic Steel, Lozier, and wire shelving, available in new and used condition in various dimensions and duty ratings for warehouse and back-of-house storage.
• Mezzanines Structural mezzanine platforms for warehouse space maximization, including pallet rack supported, shelving supported, and custom-built configurations, with design, quoting, and installation services included.
• Forklifts Used forklifts and forklift accessories including Toyota, Uni-Carrier, Nissan, Crown, Raymond, and Bendi Landoll models in configurations such as turret trucks and stand-on forklifts for warehouse material movement.
• Cantilever Rack Single-sided and double-sided cantilever rack systems for storing long, bulky, or irregularly shaped materials, available in new and special order configurations.
• Office Furniture New and used office furniture including desks, chairs, files, storage cabinets, tables, panel workstations, lockers, and presentation equipment from brands including HON, Basyx Now, Gunlocke, Allsteel, Steelcase, and Inscape.
• Carts & Carriers Material handling carts and carriers including picking carts, shop carts, garment carts, TV carts, library carts, and specialty carts from brands such as Jamco, Bretford, and Meco, available in new surplus and used conditions.
• Conveyor Systems Material handling conveyors including gravity roller, powered, expandable/flexible, chain driven live roller, belt, slider-bed, and ball transfer tables from brands such as Best Flex, Roach, and Hytrol.
• Dock Plates & Levelers Warehouse dock equipment including aluminum dock boards, dock plates, and edge-of-dock levelers from brands such as Uline and Bluff Manufacturing.
• Baskets, Tubs & Hoppers Containers including plastic tub carts, dump hoppers, bulk containers, Gaylord boxes, wire baskets, and tilt trucks from brands such as Uline, Meco, and Work Saver.
• Benches & Workbenches Workbenches, welding tables, and industrial benches from Maximus brand, available with various top materials (galvanized, butcher block, laminate, stainless steel) and configurations including drawer units and casters.
• Pallet Jacks Manual pallet jacks and electric pallet positioners from brands such as Gillis Jarke and Rite-Way, used for pallet handling and positioning within warehouses.
• Ladders & Platforms Warehouse access equipment including rolling step ladders, safety ladders, dock ladders, crossover ladders, and rolling safety ladders from brands such as ULINE, SAF-T Ladders, and SPG-Gillis.
• Lifting Equipment Warehouse lifting equipment including electric chain hoists, lift tables, pallet positioners, jib cranes, load levelers, and hoists from brands such as Harrington, Southworth, American Lifts, Verti-Lift, and Presto.
• Flammable Storage Cabinets Safety storage cabinets for flammable and hazardous materials, including new flammable cabinets and cylinder storage cabinets from brands such as Jamco Fire Cabinets.
• Modular Cabinets Modular parts storage cabinets and drawer systems from Rousseau brand, available in multiple colors (red, blue, gray, orange/black) with various drawer configurations for industrial and workshop storage.
• Wire Decks for Pallet Rack Wire decking for pallet rack systems available in various depths, widths, and capacities (flared and step styles) in galvanized finish, sourced from J&L Wire.
• In-House CAD Layout Services Professional AutoCAD layout design services for offices and warehouses, including full-color project renderings in the colors and textures of actual office furniture, provided by in-house CAD designer Bruce Menster.
• Installation Services Professional installation of pallet racking, shelving, and office workstations performed by Welter Storage's own employees for customers.
• Steel Buildings (Star Buildings Dealer) Pre-engineered steel buildings offered through an authorized Star Buildings dealership, complementing warehouse storage solutions.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SpaceRakcoreTechnology or IntegrationSpaceRak is Welter's new pallet rack supplier, providing new inventory for the material handling product line.
• Meco OmahacoreTechnology or IntegrationMeco Omaha supplies cantilever rack, dump hoppers, and bar cradle carts to Welter Storage.
• J&L WirecoreTechnology or IntegrationJ&L Wire supplies wire decks for pallet rack systems.
• Star BuildingscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelter Storage is an authorized dealer for Star Buildings, offering steel building solutions.
• HONcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelter is a Showcase Dealer for HON office furniture, offering new office furniture from a major manufacturer.
• Basyx NowminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelter is a stocking dealer for Basyx Now office furniture.
• Harmony FurnitureminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelter is a stocking dealer for Harmony Furniture products.
• Oak Street ManufacturingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelter is a stocking dealer for Oak Street Manufacturing chairs, stools, and tables.
• Global IndustrialminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelter is a dealer for Global Industrial, offering a complete line of warehouse items through their online catalog.
• StarrcocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelter is a Starrco Modular Office Dealer, offering in-plant offices and modular office solutions.
• Bluff ManufacturingcoreTechnology or IntegrationBluff Manufacturing supplies new dock plates and dock boards to Welter Storage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Global Industrial: The dominant direct-to-customer national distributor of material handling equipment, storage products, office furniture, and janitorial/supplies; Welter itself is a local dealer for Global Industrial. Targets overlapping SMB and B2B warehouse/office customers with a comparable new-equipment-plus-supplies mix.
• Northern Tool + Equipment: Multi-channel retailer of new and used industrial equipment, storage, shelving, material handling, and workshop supplies. Closely comparable in product mix and customer (SMB/industrial buyer) to Welter's omnichannel model.
• Uline: Large e-commerce-led catalog distributor of material handling, storage, packaging, and warehouse equipment. Competes head-on with Welter's product categories (carts, shelving, dock equipment, bins, ladders) and pushes the same catalog/Internet price-transparency model that pressures regional dealers.
• Repalletrack (used pallet rack specialist): Online specialist in used and refurbished pallet racking with a national shipping model. Directly overlaps Welter's core used-pallet-rack business and is the kind of pure-play used-equipment e-tailer that Welter's e-commerce channel now competes against nationally.

Broad incumbents

• McMaster-Carr: Iconic e-commerce-first industrial supply distributor covering storage, shelving, material handling, carts, and workplace equipment. Not a direct used-equipment competitor, but its catalog breadth and shipping depth set the bar for the e-commerce experience Welter is building against.
• Grainger: National MRO distributor with a deep industrial-equipment and facility-maintenance catalog that overlaps Welter's shelving, storage, material handling, and workplace categories. A large incumbent rather than a direct competitor in used equipment, but a key reference point for the upper end of Welter's price/value curve.
• Fastenal: Large industrial and construction supplier with a national branch network selling fasteners, tools, and an expanding material handling and storage category. A broad incumbent whose scale and onsite-vending model dwarfs regional distributors and defines the scale end of the market.

Regional players

• National Equipment League / Warehouse Equipment dealers (regional): Network of regional material handling equipment dealers with similar showroom/installation/CAD service models. Useful benchmark for how Welter's services compare against peer dealerships of similar size operating in their own geographies.
• Bargain Barn / Used Office Furniture Liquidators (regional): Used office furniture liquidators operating in regional markets across the U.S. They compete with Welter for budget-conscious B2B and institutional office furniture orders, particularly with schools, churches, and small businesses.

Others

• Equipto (shelving & storage manufacturer): Manufacturer of industrial shelving, lockers, and storage products that dealers like Welter resell and integrate. Comparable as the upstream-maker side of the value chain Welter participates in for shelving and lockers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Welter Storage Equipment