newsworthy
what the Intelligrated/FKI deal means to you
With Intelligrated’s $40 million purchase of FKI Logistex’s
North American operations last month, old friends were
reunited and new life was breathed into some venerable
material handling brands.
“It is very exciting for us for a whole host of reasons,” says
Chris Cole, CEO of Intelligrated. “It gives us a much broader tool chest to solve the material handling needs of our
customers.”
Cole was the chief operating officer of Pinnacle
Automation when it was bought by U.K.-based FKI PLC in
December 1999—a purchase that resulted in the formation
of FKI Logistex North America. Among the well known
brands in the Pinnacle arsenal were Buschman, Alvey,
White Systems (sold by FKI in 2005), Crisplant, and Real
Time Solutions. In 2001, Cole and Jim McCarthy, who was
then president of Buschman, co-founded Intelligrated.
McCarthy now serves as Intelligrated’s president and chief
operating officer.
For Cole and McCarthy, acquiring the brands they once
managed makes the purchase particularly gratifying. “It’s a
great homecoming, joining with so many people we have
worked with in the past,” says Cole. “We hope to build a
good future together.”
But what exactly will that future look like and how will the
purchase affect current Intelligrated and FKI customers?
Cole says there will be no immediate impact for customers
of either company’s products. Long term, there are reasons
for the company and its customers to be optimistic.
For one, Intelligrated brings hands-on experience in
material handling that was lacking in FKI’s previous ownership by the British investment firm Melrose. Intelligrated
also acquires many experienced managers in the United
States, including Steve Ackerman, the former
president of FKI North America, who has been
appointed executive vice president of
Intelligrated. It also gains a wide range of manufacturing capabilities, including plants in
Ohio, Missouri, and Kentucky, as well as operations in Canada and Mexico. This greatly
expands Intelligrated’s reach throughout the
continent and further enhances its existing ISO
9001:2008-certified manufacturing capabilities.
Customers should see increased offerings
from Intelligrated as it integrates the new
brands into its portfolio. For example,
Intelligrated gains the Crisplant tilt tray and
cross-belt sorting technologies to round out its
existing sliding shoe offerings. It also acquires
the pick-to-light, pick-to-cart, and voice picking
technologies of Real Time Solutions, which
makes it a player in the wireless picking market
for the first time. Intelligrated also acquires
Alvey’s stable of palletizing systems and other
technologies, and enhances its software offerings and integration capabilities.
At this time, Intelligrated plans to market the
Crisplant, Alvey, and Real Time Solutions
brands under the Intelligrated banner and will
aggressively promote the brands, according to
McCarthy.
Along with expanding its product offerings,
the deal also gives Intelligrated reach into sectors like the postal, pharmaceutical, and consumer non-durable goods manufacturing markets. “It allows us an opening into new markets
and strengthens our work in other markets,”
says Cole. ;
—David Maloney and Mark Solomon
; From the land of Lincoln. Ann Drake, CEO of DSC Logistics, has
received the Outstanding Leader in Industry award from the Illinois
Institute of Technology. The award recognizes alumni of the institution
for business leadership.
accolades
; The royal treatment. Crown Equipment Co. has honored its top man-ufacturer-owned branches and independent dealers with its annual
Summit Awards. This year’s honorees are North West Handling Systems
of Seattle, Wash.; Crown Lift Trucks of Dayton, Ohio; Gregory Poole
Equipment of Raleigh, N.C., Crown Lift Trucks of Grand Rapids, Mich.;
NorthWest Handling Systems of Portland, Ore., and Action Lift Inc. of
Pittston, Ga. Crown Lift Trucks of Dayton was also named the top Crown
branch, and North West Handling Systems of Portland was honored as
the top Crown dealer. Both received the James F. Dicke Pioneer Award.
; How Fortunate for them. Fortune magazine has named Toyota
Industries Corp., the parent company of Toyota Material Handling,
U.S.A., one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.” This is the
fourth year in a row that Toyota has made the list.
; Kleen sweep. DSC Logistics’ McDonough I Logistics Center in
Georgia has received the Kimberly-Clark Health Care 2008 Distribution
Center of the Year Award. This is the 11th year DSC Logistics has won
this type of award.
; Best in Bluegrass. Big Ass Fans has been voted one of the best
places to work in Kentucky, ranking first in the manufacturing sector
and 23rd overall in 2009. The selection process, managed by Best
Companies Group, is based on an assessment of the company’s
employee policies and procedures, and the results of an internal
employee survey.
