Recognition Highlights the Importance of Safety-Focused Material Storage Solutions

We have great news to share! Our Vertical Coil Storage and Handling Racking System has been named a Silver Award winner in the Safety, Security and Risk Mitigation category of Plant Engineering’s 2026 Product of the Year Awards.

Now in its 38th year, the Product of the Year program recognizes the most innovative and impactful products introduced to the North American market. Unlike many industry awards, winners are selected by Plant Engineering readers, i.e., manufacturing professionals who evaluate products based on technological advancement, service to the industry, and real-world impact on plant operations. The program highlights solutions that help facilities improve reliability, efficiency, safety, and sustainability, all while addressing increasingly complex operational challenges.

This recognition underscores a challenge that manufacturers, steel service centers, and metal fabricators face every day: safely storing and handling heavy coils while maintaining accessibility, protecting valuable materials, and maximizing available floor space.

Solving a Common Manufacturing Challenge

Steel, aluminum, and other industrial coils present unique storage challenges. Traditional floor storage and stacked coil arrangements can consume valuable production space, increase material handling requirements, create accessibility issues, and introduce safety risks associated with rolling or shifting loads. Improper storage can also lead to material damage, inventory inefficiencies, and unnecessary handling.

Dexco’s Vertical Coil Storage and Handling Racking System was engineered specifically to address these concerns.

Constructed from heavy-duty structural steel, the system provides secure vertical storage through custom-designed coil cradles that safely support coils while preventing movement and roll-away incidents. The racks create organized, easy-access storage without relying on traditional last-in, first-out handling methods, allowing operators to quickly locate and retrieve specific materials when needed.

The system is compatible with a wide range of material handling equipment, including forklifts, booms, side loaders, stacker cranes, and automated retrieval systems, helping facilities improve workflow while reducing unnecessary material movement.

Built for Safety and Efficiency

The features that earned recognition from Plant Engineering readers reflect our company’s longstanding approach to industrial storage design: engineered solutions that improve both safety and operational performance.

Key benefits include:

• Secure cradle-style storage that helps prevent coil movement and roll-away incidents.
• Reduced risk of material damage caused by stacking, deformation, creasing, or excessive handling.
• Improved worker safety through organized storage and easier material access.
• Better utilization of vertical space, freeing valuable manufacturing and warehouse floor area.
• Modular, customizable designs tailored to specific facility requirements and coil sizes.
• Compatibility with both conventional and automated material handling systems.

Because every facility has unique storage requirements, Dexco custom engineers each system to accommodate specific load capacities, material dimensions, handling methods, and operational workflows. The result is a storage solution that not only protects inventory but also supports long-term productivity improvements.

Recognition from the Manufacturing Community

What makes the Product of the Year award particularly meaningful is that it reflects the perspective of the engineers, maintenance professionals, and plant managers who rely on these technologies every day.

As manufacturing facilities continue to focus on uptime, workforce safety, inventory control, and operational efficiency, storage and racking will play an increasingly important role. This recognition highlights the value of solutions that address multiple challenges at the same time, improving safety, protecting materials, optimizing space utilization, and streamlining operations.

We’d like to warmly thank the Plant Engineering community and say that we remain as committed as ever to helping manufacturers create safer, more efficient facilities. To learn more about our coil storage solutions and how they can improve your existing or future facility, please visit our Coil Page.