Rack Manufacturers Institute (RMI) embraces a new look for 65th anniversary

Posted on Aug 8, 2023 in Shifting Gears

RMI has unveiled a new logo and fresh branding to coincide with its 65th year of promoting rack safety. Founded in 1958, RMI is an MHI Industry Group and the leading racking industry association. It currently boasts 38 members, who are identified as leaders in the rack manufacturing and material handling industry space.

RMI selected the advertising firm Birdsong Gregory, LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina to assist in a multi-phase brand articulation. With the introduction of a new logo and website updates, the agency has completed the first steps of rebranding. Although members eagerly anticipated the new logo, they also ensured nostalgia was built into it. RMI opted to keep the classic black and orange color palette for the new logo with a “cross beam” line through the center while adding new lettering that showcases a Serif pattern reminiscent of anchor plates on a racking system.

Some of the new elements of the RMI site include the newly minted logo, a refreshed infographic design, and a fresh look for its free informational blog site, www.rmiracksafey.org. The blog newsletter also received an overhaul; readers can subscribe for free updates at www.rmiracksafety.org/newsletter-signup.

“RMI has a long-established 65-year history in the industry, and it was important to the group to honor our original logo while giving a nod to the future for our new look and branding. We wanted to provide a fresh take on the widely recognized, black and orange logo, which end-users have trusted with confidence for decades to know that their project adheres to the highest engineering and design standards,” said Paul Neal, RMI President and Unarco President & CEO.

An additional refresh on the horizon is the R-Mark® Certification program update and logo. Industry should expect to see the new R-Mark® logo stamp debut on member sites, as well as digital and print platforms, as early as September 2023.

“The timing for a style evolution for RMI couldn’t be better as it really coincides with an industry push to integrate a variety of automation and technologies into existing facilities and rack structures as well as new ones, stated Jonathan Hirst, RMI Marketing Chair and both the Vice President and General Manager of North American Storage Equipment Inc. “Rack has evolved to meet the needs of the industry and we wanted our branding to strongly reflect that.”