MECO-Omaha

What MECO-Omaha does

Modern Equipment Company, Inc. (MECO-Omaha) is a family-owned US industrial manufacturer founded in 1907 (originally as the Omaha Folding Machine Company) and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The company designs and produces a complete line of material handling and storage equipment, including cantilever rack (Series 1000 through Series 5000 covering Medium Duty to Extra Heavy Duty), pallet rack, roll-out shelf racks, hoppers (self-dumping and Series 90), drum handling equipment (anchored by the patented WIZARD barrel lift, introduced in 1924), hand trucks, guards and bollards, cylinder storage equipment, shelf trucks and carts, and ancillary industrial equipment. Manufacturing is conducted at two advanced facilities in the USA using exclusively US-sourced steel, with recent capital investments in a coil line, advanced laser cutting, and robotic forming to enhance precision, efficiency, and capacity.

MECO's business model is a pure-play indirect distribution play: the company does not sell directly to end users, instead routing all sales through a nationwide network of thousands of material handling equipment dealers and distributors spanning all 50 US states, supported by an internal inside-sales team. Dealer relationships are characterized by multi-decade tenures (A Plus Warehouse since 1996, Welter Storage 25+ years, Jorgenson 30+ years), a Pricing Guarantee that locks the order price regardless of market fluctuations, free drop-shipping fulfillment, and a 2-year product warranty. Pricing is quote-based through dealers rather than publicly disclosed, and revenue is generated from one-time hardware purchases across the equipment portfolio. End customers, accessed via the dealer channel, include most Fortune 500 industrial companies across warehousing, lumber, steel, manufacturing, and distribution. The company has earned MHEDA's MVS (Most Valuable Supplier) Award three consecutive years (2023-2024-2025), a distinction fewer than 10% of MHEDA's ~600 member organizations achieve.

The firm is led by President Mitch Schlater, CFO Ryan Burke, VP Operations Brad Christenson, VP Sales & Marketing Steve McClintock (with the company since 1987), and Office Manager/HR Sam Chaudoin. No external funding has been raised; ownership remains entirely within the founding family. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and headcount is reported in the 51-100 employee range. The company's competitive positioning is anchored on US manufacturing, decades-long brand heritage, the WIZARD trademark, and the institutional stickiness of its dealer channel rather than on technology differentiation or scale advantages.

Name

MECO-Omaha

Legal name

Modern Equipment Company, Inc.

Website

https://meco-omaha.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MECO-Omaha (Modern Equipment Company, Inc.) is a family-owned US manufacturer founded in 1907 that designs and produces a complete line of American-made material handling and storage equipment — including cantilever racks, pallet racks, hoppers, drum handling, and hand trucks — sold exclusively through thousands of dealers across all 50 US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale hardware sales to dealers/distributors: MECO sells manufactured material handling and storage equipment exclusively through dealers and distributors (not direct to end users). Revenue is generated through one-time hardware purchases of cantilever racks, pallet racks, hoppers, drum handling equipment, hand trucks, roll-out shelf racks, guards & bollards, and cylinder storage equipment. The company offers a Pricing Guarantee that locks the price at order placement regardless of market fluctuations, plus a 2-year product warranty.
2. Drop-shipping fulfillment services: MECO accepts drop-shipping orders for dealers at no additional cost, providing an additional service that supports dealer channel fulfillment and could contribute incremental revenue/value to the channel relationship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Modern Equipment Company, Inc. (MECO-Omaha) manufactures a complete line of American-made material handling and storage equipment — including cantilever racks (Series 1000–5000), pallet racks, roll-out shelf racks, hoppers, drum handling equipment (including the WIZARD barrel lift), hand trucks, guards and bollards, cylinder storage equipment, and shelf trucks/carts. Products are produced at two advanced US manufacturing facilities using exclusively US-sourced steel and are sold exclusively through a nationwide network of material handling equipment dealers and distributors.

Product overview

MECO-Omaha (Modern Equipment Company, Inc.) offers a single integrated product portfolio of American-made material handling and storage equipment rather than a platform-plus-modules software architecture. The portfolio is organized around distinct physical product lines that share MECO's manufacturing capabilities and are sold exclusively through a dealer network: the Cantilever Rack (Series 1000 Medium Duty through Series 5000 Extra Heavy Duty), Pallet Rack, Roll-Out Shelf Rack (RSR), Hoppers (including Self Dumping and Series 90 Self Dumping Hoppers), Guards & Bollards, Cylinder Storage & Handling Equipment, Drum Handling & Storage Equipment (which features the historic WIZARD Barrel Lift and Stand introduced in 1924), Shelf Trucks/Tables/Carts, Hand Trucks, and ancillary Other Industrial Equipment and Other Storage Racks. Recent investments in a coil line, advanced laser cutting, and robotic forming support the unified manufacturing of this product family.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cantilever Rack Freestanding storage units with horizontal load-carrying arms extending from a single vertical column, permitting uninterrupted storage of long, bulky, or irregularly shaped items such as lumber, pipes, and steel bars. Manufactured in five capacity series — Series 1000 Medium Duty through Series 5000 Extra Heavy Duty — to fit varied storage requirements. Sold exclusively through MECO's dealer channel.
• Pallet Rack Storage systems for large quantities of palletized loads, offered in a wide range of frame heights, depths, beam lengths, and load capacities. Designed to withstand forklift impacts with fast, tool-free installation. Sold exclusively through MECO's dealer channel.
• Roll-Out Shelf Rack (RSR) Shelf rack providing 100% shelf extension for convenient storage of die, fixture, and tooling items, with each shelf (including the top) handling 2,000 lbs. Items can be loaded or unloaded by overhead crane or forklift. Sold exclusively through MECO's dealer channel.
• Hoppers Rugged, watertight welded steel hoppers that solve bulk handling and waste problems. Self Dumping Hoppers are designed for forklift handling and dump safely from any height; Series 90 Self Dumping Hoppers provide a full 90-degree dump angle for 100% discharge of viscous materials. Designed for wet and dry use.
• Guards & Bollards Equipment for machine, structure, and personnel protection. Includes low and high-profile corner pipe guards, safety bollards, and safety guardrails that help eliminate impact damage in high traffic areas.
• Cylinder Storage & Handling Equipment Provides orderly storage and protection of industrial gas cylinders. Cylinders can be effortlessly secured and moved with 6" and 8" caster options, supporting safe and durable cylinder handling.
• Drum Handling & Storage Equipment Equipment for metal, plastic, or poly drums covering mixing, draining, moving, and storing applications. Includes the original MECO OMAHA WIZARD barrel lift and stand, patented in 1907 and commercially introduced in 1924, described as the most versatile unit of its kind.
• Shelf Trucks, Tables & Carts A complete line of multi-use and heavy-duty shelf trucks, platform trucks, and service carts to meet material handling requirements. All trucks feature double welded construction along with heavy gauge steel shelving for years of industrial use.
• Hand Trucks A wide range of hand trucks to meet all handling needs, including a four-wheel warehouse truck for pallet loading and unloading, a 2-in-1 truck that converts from a hand truck to a platform truck, and 200 series deluxe trucks with steel stair guides. All hand trucks include a choice of different wheel options.
• Other Industrial Equipment A wide range of industrial equipment including pallet stands and panel movers, designed to make material handling tasks easier and workloads lighter.
• Other Storage Racks A variety of racking options for warehouse needs, from reel racks to steel racks and everything in between, to keep warehouse storage more organized.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fewer than 10% of MHEDA's ~600 member organizations earn the MVS Award — MECO has earned it three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025).
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• A Plus WarehousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLong-tenured MECO dealer since 1996 (29+ years). Initially sold MECO dumpers and material transport carts; more recently expanded into racking. Provides a public testimonial as a dealer reference.
• Welter Storage Equipment CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMECO dealer for over 25 years. Relationship cited in customer testimonial as built on assortment and quality of products, excellent customer service, and never missing shipping dates. Provides a public testimonial as a dealer reference.
• Xact Warehouse Solutions LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMECO dealer that leverages MECO's quality products and competitive lead times to meet tight deadlines and dynamic project requirements for warehouse customers. Provides a public testimonial as a dealer reference.
• Jorgenson Material HandlingflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMECO-Omaha partner for cantilever rack needs for over 30+ years. Featured prominently on the homepage with a logo link to jorgensoncompanies.com.
• Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA)coreOthersIndustry trade association of which MECO is a member. MHEDA serves close to 600 companies in material handling; MECO has earned the MVS Award in 2023, 2024, and 2025 through MHEDA.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Wesco Industrial Products: US manufacturer of hand trucks, platform trucks, carts, and dock equipment with product overlap to MECO's Hand Trucks and Shelf Trucks/Tables/Carts lines. Smaller specialty competitor in adjacent material handling subcategories.

Direct peers

• Damotech: Specialty manufacturer of rack protection products (column guards, end-of-aisle protectors) that directly competes with MECO's Guards & Bollards line. Comparable niche focus within the broader material handling equipment category.
• Western Pacific Storage Solutions: US-based manufacturer and distributor of new and used pallet rack, cantilever rack, and warehouse storage equipment. Overlaps with MECO's rack categories and competes for dealer and end-user relationships across the US market.
• Steel King Industries: US-based manufacturer of pallet rack, rack protection systems, and industrial storage products with comparable Made-in-America positioning and a multi-decade operating history. Overlaps directly with MECO's pallet rack and guards/bollards lines.
• Hannibal Industries: US manufacturer of steel pallet rack, structural rack, and selective rack systems sold through an authorized dealer network. Closest direct competitor to MECO's pallet rack product line with a similar indirect channel model.
• Tri-Boro Shelving & Partition Products: US manufacturer of industrial shelving, rack, and material handling products with overlapping product categories including hand trucks and storage racks. Comparable mid-sized domestic competitor.
• Ridg-U-Rak: North American manufacturer of pallet rack, structural rack, and cantilever rack with US manufacturing. Comparable product portfolio to MECO, particularly in heavy-duty cantilever and pallet rack storage categories.
• UNARCO Material Handling: US-based pallet rack manufacturer with dealer-channel distribution serving industrial and warehouse end users. Directly competes with MECO's pallet rack offering in overlapping dealer channels.

Broad incumbents

• Interlake Mecalux: One of the largest global manufacturers of pallet rack, cantilever rack, and warehouse storage systems with US manufacturing in Illinois. Direct product overlap with MECO's core rack portfolio, but at significantly greater scale and with broader geographic reach.

Regional players

• Nedcon (part of Böhm Group): European manufacturer of pallet rack, cantilever rack, and automated storage systems owned by the Böhm Group. Direct product overlap with MECO but primarily serves EMEA markets; potential competitor if MECO expands internationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mecoomaha
• Facebookfacebook.com/131379337233596
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mecoomaha

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 MECO-Omaha