Distribution Systems International

What Distribution Systems International does

Distribution Systems International (DSI), founded in 1990 and headquartered in Lake Forest, California, is a privately held provider of healthcare storage solutions serving hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and medical office buildings across the United States. The company designs and manufactures a portfolio of high-density mobile shelving, modular storage systems, and specialty medical carts organized around its MODU product family (MODU-MAX, MODU-MAX CTS, MODU-MAX CTS HD, MODU-CELL, MODU-CASE) and the Triton Case Cart, with complementary offerings in OR cabinets, wire shelving, workstations, and storage bins.

DSI's core technical differentiator is compliance-driven engineering: the flagship MODU-MAX CTS 'No-Tear System' is purpose-built to prevent blue wrap stacking and damage in sterile processing departments (SPDs) in line with AAMI ST79, HSPA, and Joint Commission standards. Products are manufactured and assembled at the Southern California facility, with newer additions including robotic instrument storage systems, SterileShelf antimicrobial surfaces, and a 2-Bin Kanban / LEAN inventory management overlay.

Revenue is generated primarily through custom-configured hardware sales combined with consultative professional services (on-site space/workflow assessment, CAD design, ROI calculation, installation, and after-sales support). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered via direct enterprise field sales using DSI's own nationwide employee base rather than independent reps, supported by free product trials and multi-year contracts. The company employs 11-50 people and reaches customers coast-to-coast, marketing through content, social channels, and industry podcast appearances.

Name

Distribution Systems International

Legal name

Distribution Systems International

Website

https://dsidirect.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Distribution Systems International (DSI), founded 1990 and based in Lake Forest, California, designs and manufactures high-density mobile shelving, modular storage systems, and specialty medical carts for US hospitals' sterile processing departments, operating rooms, and supply chain operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rancho Santa Margarita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Storage Equipment Sales: Sale of medical storage systems including mobile shelving, high-density storage units, modular shelving, case carts, medical carts, and specialized cabinets for healthcare facilities. Revenue is generated through product sales with custom configurations for each facility.
2. Consultation and Professional Services: Includes storage consultation, on-site space and workflow assessment, custom design and engineering (CAD drawings, ROI calculations), installation, and after-sales service. The company provides full turnkey implementation including inventory labeling, organization, and transfer from old systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Distribution Systems International (DSI) designs, manufactures, and sells high-density mobile shelving systems, modular storage products, medical carts, and surgical case carts for healthcare facilities, primarily hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and medical office buildings. The company complements its product sales with consultative services including on-site storage and workflow assessment, custom CAD design, ROI calculation, installation, and after-sales implementation. Its flagship MODU-MAX CTS (No-Tear) system is engineered specifically to prevent damage to sterile blue wrap instrument sets and support AAMI ST79 compliance.

Product overview

Distribution Systems International (DSI) is a healthcare storage solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of high-density mobile shelving systems, modular storage products, and medical carts for hospitals, surgical centers, and medical office buildings. The core product line includes the MODU-series (MODU-MAX, MODU-MAX CTS, MODU-MAX CTS HD, MODU-CELL, MODU-CASE) which form an integrated storage ecosystem. The flagship MODU-MAX CTS system (No-Tear System) combines storage, transport, and case cart functionality to prevent damage to sterile blue wrap packages. DSI also offers specialized product categories including Surgical Case Carts, OR Cabinets, Medical Carts (crash/medication/anesthesia/isolation), Medical Wire Shelving, Workstations, Medical Storage Bins, and Mobile Track Systems. The company provides end-to-end services including storage consultation, space/workflow assessment, design and engineering, and implementation. DSI has been operating since 1990 and serves healthcare facilities across the United States with products manufactured at their Southern California facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MODU-MAX CTS: Integrated no-tear storage system combining case cart, workstation, transport cart, and storage element for blue wrapped instrument sets in sterile processing departments.
• MODU-Cell
• MODU-MAX
• MODU-MAX CTS HD
• MODU-Case
• Triton Case Cart

Products and services

• MODU-MAX High-density mobile shelving system designed for healthcare facilities to maximize storage capacity in sterile processing departments and supply areas.
• MODU-MAX CTS (No-Tear Storage System) Integrated no-tear storage system combining case cart, workstation, transport cart, and storage elements to prevent damage to blue wrap sterile packages during handling and storage in healthcare environments.
• MODU-MAX CTS HD Heavy-duty variant of the MODU-MAX CTS system designed for high-capacity storage needs in healthcare environments.
• MODU-CELL Modular storage cell system for organizing and storing medical supplies with customizable configurations for healthcare facilities.
• MODU-CASE Modular case storage system for healthcare facilities to organize and protect medical supplies and instruments.
• Triton Case Cart Customized case cart with modular shelving system internally, featuring adjustable dividers in 3-inch increments to handle various sized wire shelves and prevent blue wrap stacking in sterile processing and operating room use.
• Surgical Case Carts Mobile carts for transporting surgical supplies and instruments to operating rooms, designed for efficient case preparation.
• OR Cabinets Storage cabinets designed for operating room environments to securely store surgical supplies and instruments.
• Medical Carts Mobile storage units including crash carts, medication carts, anesthesia carts, and isolation carts for healthcare facilities.
• Medical Wire Shelving Wire shelving solutions for medical supply storage including high-density basket systems.
• Workstations Ergonomic workstations designed for sterile processing departments and healthcare environments.
• Medical Storage Bins Storage bins and containers for organizing medical supplies within shelving systems.
• Mobile Track Systems Mobile storage track systems for healthcare facilities to maximize floor space utilization.
• Robotic Instrument Storage Systems Specialized storage solutions designed for robotic surgery instruments, including temperature and humidity controlled storage for sensitive equipment.
• 2-Bin Kanban System Lean inventory management system using two-bin methodology for efficient healthcare supply chain management.
• Storage Consultation and Design Services Consultative services including on-site storage and workflow assessment, PAR level measurement, custom CAD design and engineering, ROI calculation, architectural drawings, and turnkey installation and implementation for healthcare facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Construction cost avoidance of $300,000-$600,000 for 1,000-2,000 sq ft expansion versus comparable storage equipment investment of ~$100,000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Belintra: Belintra specializes in healthcare storage and logistics solutions, including sterile supply storage and transport systems for hospitals and SPDs—directly comparable to DSI's product portfolio and target customer base.
• Hänel Büro- und Lagersysteme: Hänel manufactures high-density rotary and vertical storage systems used in sterile processing, laboratories, and hospital supply rooms—closely overlapping DSI's high-density shelving value proposition for healthcare customers.
• Spacesaver Corporation: Spacesaver is a leading North American manufacturer of high-density mobile shelving and storage systems, including healthcare-grade configurations—directly competing with DSI's MODU-MAX mobile shelving line.
• InterMetro Industries: InterMetro (Metro) produces medical storage carts, shelving, and material handling solutions widely used in hospitals and ORs—overlapping with DSI's medical cart, wire shelving, and OR storage offerings.
• LogiQuip: LogiQuip provides healthcare-specific storage solutions including high-density shelving, sterile processing storage, and OR/ER organization systems—closely comparable to DSI's healthcare vertical focus.
• Capsa Solutions: Capsa Solutions manufactures medical storage carts, medication management systems, and healthcare workstations—competing in adjacent categories of DSI's medical cart and SPD storage portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• STERIS: STERIS is a large publicly-traded medical equipment company with a significant sterile processing division serving hospitals globally; while broader in scope, its SPD and infection prevention portfolio overlaps with DSI's core SPD customer base.
• Getinge: Getinge is a global medical technology company with a strong surgical workflows and sterile processing business serving hospitals; its broader portfolio competes for the same SPD capex budgets as DSI.
• Stanley Black & Decker (Vidmar / Lista): Stanley Black & Decker's industrial storage brands (Vidmar, Lista) provide high-density modular storage systems used across industrial and healthcare settings—a broader incumbent in adjacent storage categories where DSI also competes.

Emerging players

• Kardex Group: Kardex produces automated storage and retrieval systems and high-density shelving with applications in healthcare supply rooms and pharmacies; an adjacent rather than direct competitor targeting some of the same facility customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/dsidirect
• Facebookfacebook.com/dsidirect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1333584/admin/page-posts/published
• Instagraminstagram.com/dsidirect
• Pinterestpinterest.com/dsidirect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Distribution Systems International