Motion Industries acquires Braas Co.

Birmingham, Alabama – Motion Industries Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Co., has acquired Braas Co. The transaction was effective Oct. 3, 2016. 

Braas Co. is a distributor of products and services for industrial automation and control. Braas was founded in 1961, and has been an employee-owned company with headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Braas has more than 150 employees and enjoys a strong automation leadership position throughout the Midwest and Southeastern U.S., with five offices and three warehouses. The company specializes in pneumatics, motion control, industrial networking, machine safety, robotics, and related industrial parts. In addition, Braas has a strong reputation in the market as a solutions-provider, supported by a team of experienced application engineers to assist customers from concept to equipment installation, providing productivity improvements across the plant floor. 

Joe Schwartz, Braas CEO, commented about the acquisition, "After meeting with several potential buyers, we found a cultural fit with Motion Industries and are very pleased to become part of their team. Becoming part of Motion assures that our employees will be well-cared for in the future and that we will have the ability to continue to service our customers and represent our supplier partners in the way which they are accustomed. At the same time, we’ll now have access to even greater capability and resources, enabling us to accelerate the growth of our already successful business." 

"We are very pleased about the addition of this well-established company, which will open up new opportunities for Motion Industries in the area of industrial plant floor automation," said Kevin Storer, Motion Industries' senior vice president of U.S. operations. 

"We welcome all Braas Co. employees to the Motion family, and we look forward to the contributions they will make to our company in upcoming years," added Tim Breen, president and CEO of Motion Industries. 

Paul Donahue, president and CEO of Genuine Parts Co., stated, "Braas Co. is a well-established distributor of products and services in the industrial automation and control categories. The growth prospects for this segment of the industrial marketplace are compelling, and the addition of such a well-positioned business serves to substantially enhance our automation capabilities. We are pleased to welcome the Braas Co. team to the Motion Industries and GPC family, and we look forward to their future contributions to our collective success." 

With annual sales of $4.8 billion, Motion Industries is an industrial parts distributor of bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical and industrial automation, hydraulic and industrial hose, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial products, safety products, and material handling. Motion Industries has more than 550 operations including 15 distribution centers throughout North America and serves more than 150,000 customers.

Source: Motion Industries Inc.