It's a rare distribution center that doesn't employ some sort of rack. As a result, rack manufacturers may be uniquely positioned to provide insight into key trends taking place in the world of distribution.

Gail Spencer, marketing director for Advance Storage Products, highlighted three trends that her company as well as rack manufacturers as a group are seeing in the marketplace:

• Increased automation, especially for refrigerated facilities.
• Taller distribution centers as companies attempt to fit more storage space in a smaller footprint. This can also lead to more rack-supported buildings.
• More regional decentralized distribution centers, especially in the retail sector.

A family-owned company that has been around since the 1950s, Advance manufactures custom-engineered structural pallet racks, pushback racks, and flow systems.