Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Motion Industries to acquire International Conveyor and Rubber

Alabama company has been on a buyout roll, acquiring six other industrial supply companies during 2024.

conveyor carrying e-commerce boxes

Motion Industries Inc., a Birmingham, Alabama, distributor of maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) replacement parts and industrial technology solutions, has agreed to acquire International Conveyor and Rubber (ICR) for its seventh acquisition of the year, the firms said today.

ICR is a Blairsville, Pennsylvania-based company with 150 employees that offers sales, installation, repair, and maintenance of conveyor belts, as well as engineering and design services for custom solutions.


From its seven locations, ICR serves customers in the sectors of mining and aggregates, power generation, oil and gas, construction, steel, building materials manufacturing, package handling and distribution, wood/pulp/paper, cement and asphalt, recycling and marine terminals. In a statement, Kory Krinock, one of ICR’s owner-operators, said the deal would enhance the company’s services and customer value proposition while also contributing to Motion’s growth.

“ICR is highly complementary to Motion, adding seven strategic locations that expand our reach,” James Howe, president of Motion Industries, said in a release. “ICR introduces new customers and end markets, allowing us to broaden our offerings. We are thrilled to welcome the highly talented ICR employees to the Motion team, including Kory and the other owner-operators, who will continue to play an integral role in the business.”

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. But the deal marks the latest expansion by Motion Industries, which has been on an acquisition roll during 2024, buying up: hydraulic provider Stoney Creek Hydraulics, industrial products distributor LSI Supply Inc., electrical and automation firm Allied Circuits, automotive supplier Motor Parts & Equipment Corporation (MPEC), and both Perfetto Manufacturing and SER Hydraulics.

More Stories

photo of self driving forklift

Cyngn gains $33 million for its self-driving forklifts

The autonomous forklift vendor Cyngn has raised $33 million in funding to accelerate its growth and proliferate sales of its industrial autonomous vehicles, the Menlo Park, California-based firm said today.

As a publicly traded company, Cyngn raised the money by selling company shares through the financial firm Aegis Capital in three rounds occurring in December. According to forms filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the move also required moves to reduce corporate spending for three months, including layoffs that reduced staff from approximately 80 people to approximately 60 people, temporarily suspended certain non-essential operations, and reduced or eliminated all discretionary expenses.

Keep ReadingShow less
noblelift forklift trucks

Noblelift North America names Pedriana as president

Material handling equipment provider Noblelift North America on Tuesday named Bill Pedriana as its new president, charging him with leading the Des Plaines, Illinois-based company into “a new era of innovation, growth, and customer-centric success.”

He replaces Loren Swakow, the company’s president for the past eight years, who built a reputation for providing innovative and high-performance material handling solutions, Noblelift North America said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yale robotic stacker application
Photo courtesy of Yale Lift Truck Technologies

Group chat

Picture a busy DC, with manually operated forklifts, people, and pallets in constant motion. At the same time, the stationary equipment they interact with, such as conveyors and palletizers, is industriously whirring away. Together, they are performing something akin to a carefully choreographed ballet.

Now add driverless forklifts to the mix. Shuttling along without a human operator on board, they may look like they’re operating independently, but they’re not. They’re actually in constant contact with other equipment and software, making sure they perform their part in the dance at the right moment. Without that ability to communicate, the forklifts—and other warehouse operations—could come to a standstill.

Keep ReadingShow less
brightpick robots in a warehouse

Zebra acquires maker of Brightpick warehouse robots

Logistics tech provider Zebra Technologies today said it has acquired Photoneo, a Kentucky provider of 3D vision and AI-powered robotics that makes the Brightpick line of warehouse robotics for automating fulfillment tasks like order picking, consolidation, dispatch, and stock replenishment.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the companies said that proceeds of the sale will be reinvested to accelerate Brightpick’s expansion across the U.S. and Europe. Following the sale, Photoneo will be renamed Brightpick, and continue operating as a separate entity focused on developing and deploying AI robots to automate warehouse operations, they said.

Keep ReadingShow less
forklift driving through warehouse

Hyster-Yale to expand domestic manufacturing

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling today announced its plans to fulfill the domestic manufacturing requirements of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act for certain portions of its lineup of forklift trucks and container handling equipment.

That means the Greenville, North Carolina-based company now plans to expand its existing American manufacturing with a targeted set of high-capacity models, including electric options, that align with the needs of infrastructure projects subject to BABA requirements. The company’s plans include determining the optimal production location in the United States, strategically expanding sourcing agreements to meet local material requirements, and further developing electric power options for high-capacity equipment.

Keep ReadingShow less