I'm considering buying some heavy-duty/commercial-grade wire-frame
shelving for a room in my house. [
http://www.metro.com/ftp/foodservice/fspe008.jpg]   The "premier"
supplier of this kind of product seems to be Metro.  However,  I have
noticed 2 things:   1) Metro sells a cheaper "consumer" line of
products the quality of which is not up to my standards.  2) There
seem to be an endless variety of similar products made by different
manufacturers,  the quality of which also seems to vary.

My questions, therefore are:
Are there any objective data or reviews comparing the different kinds
of wire frame shelving  from different manufacturers?    and
What are some good suppliers for this kind of commercial-grade product
in or close to Berkeley, CA that will retail to individuals?

http://www.metro.com/ftp/foodservice/fspe008.jpg

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Request for Question Clarification by journalist-ga on 05 Jul 2002 10:39 PDT

Greetings!  I believe the product for which you are looking is the
type of industrial steel shelving used in restaurant kitchens.  It has
gridded wireframe shelves, and the quality of the steel is high and
normally rust-resistant and long-lasting.

These types of shelves are used for stacks of plates and other
kitchenware and supplies: the grid-style shelves allow for proper air
flow for the drying of damp dishes, and the shelves are extremely
sturdy.  Therefore, they are costly but the investment proves worthy
for long-term use.  A friend of mine in Nashville purchased a large
rack locally for use for his stereo and television equipment.  He
liked the contemporary look and the quality of the shelving, and he
felt it was a good investment.

I diligently searched all manner of key phrases including the terms
"berkeley california" and "restaurant supply"/"restaurant equipment"
but could not locate any place (available online) in Berkeley selling
those items.  I did discover Food Service Central, which terms itself
a search engine and marketplace for industry professionals. On their
main page, below the search boxes, were a list of national suppliers
registered with them.  Among them was a link to AC Paper and Supply in
Hercules, CA, but I am not certain if that is close to Berkeley. 
Clicking on the AC link took me to their home page where I discovered
the following contact information:

Telephone 
1 800-547-2737 or  510-964-0600 
  
FAX 
510-964-9100 
  
Postal address     
200 Linus Pauling Drive 
Hercules, CA  94547 
Electronic mail 

General Information: jeff@acpaper.com
Domestic Sales: jeff@acpaper.com

Customer Support: jeff@acpaper.com

They offer a catalog for $10.00 with a $20.00 product coupon to view
their products, however a call to them might reveal they carry the
product you seek.  If this is close to Berkeley, then perhaps you will
find high-quality shelves there.

Also, I would suggest you contact restaurants in the area to find out
if they use wireframe shelving and where they purchased their
shelving.


In looking for the studies of shelving, I searched "analysis steel
shelving" and found:

Alan Sharf, Javier Torrijos, Chang Sohn. Senior Design Project at
Drexel University:  Nonlinear, Large Displacement Analysis of Steel
Shelving Systems, 1987

You may be able to write Drexel for the completed study.


I hesitate to post this as an answer so, if you find this information
results in you finding the shelves locally, please comment or alert
the Google Answers team for this to be reposted as an answer.

Disclaimer: The following information is provided 'as is' as a free
service until my application has been approved with Google Answers. I
do not maintain that the quality provided in this answer is that of
the quality I expect to provide if/when my application is approved.
i.e. "Hey ga! Were's the beef?"

Hi glaser34

Unfortunately I did not find an objective comparison between shelves.
I am not sure if one exists, but I did the best I can for free.
I did however find 2 things of interest to you: the next best thing to
an objective comparison is a site that just lists a whole stack of
shelve manufacturers and a BRIEF description on what each manufacturer
has to offer.
Better yet, I have found one stable website that will give you
listings and prices for various types of shelving, and/or their types
of manufacturers. Unfortunately you will have to do the comparing
manually.

The main domain we're talking about is:
http://www.superiorshelving.com/
I found your Metro shelving here:
http://www.superiorshelving.com/Metro/MetroPages/default.html
->The superiorshelving website is searchable by category and by
manufacturer, and Metro seems to offer a solid variety, which may
suite your needs.
Should you decide to expand your limitations, this site will surely
offer you an alternative to the Metro product. In addition, on Metro's
page on the site, you'll find another 'model' of the shelves.
The good news Glaser, is that Metro is very happy to distribute to CA.

As aforementioned, if you're interested in a list of shelving
manufacturers and a BRIEF description of their products, I found this
interesting site:
http://www.galahlinks.com/Business_and_Economy/Industries/Retail/Store_Fixtures/Shelving/
-> Metro is even on the list

Another option for you that I'd look into (if I was an accepted
researcher) is to call Metro up and speak to one of its staff that's
more interested in helping you than trying their best to secure a
deal. I'd then ask them for a more 'industrially sound' alternative to
their shelving.



Good luck in your search for the perfect shelf, Glaser, and I hope
that I have been of some assistance.

Kind Regards,
-interval