What Material Handling Systems does

Material Handling Systems, now operating as FORTNA, is a North American material handling systems integrator founded in 1999 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company designs, develops, and delivers end-to-end automated warehouse and distribution solutions for enterprise customers across 11 verticals, including e-commerce and retail, third-party logistics, food and beverage, life sciences, aerospace and defense, and electronics. Its offering integrates hardware (AGVs, AMRs, AS/RS, AutoStore, conveyor systems, robotics, sortation) with proprietary intelligent software, marketed under the FORTNA Distribution Optimization Framework, FORTNA WES (Warehouse Execution System), FORTNA WCS (Warehouse Control System), and FORTNA OptiSlot DC. The company pursues a vendor-agnostic integrator model, partnering with best-of-breed technology vendors (AutoStore, Geekplus, Hai Robotics, OTTO Motors, Jacobi Robotics) to assemble best-fit automation stacks for each customer.

FORTNA monetizes through three primary revenue streams: (1) system design and integration professional services, (2) automation technology hardware sales integrated into customer facilities, and (3) software licensing and recurring lifecycle services including maintenance, modernizations, retrofits, parts, and 24/7 support. Pricing is custom-quoted per project under multi-year enterprise contracts, with no public pricing tiers. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales, supported by content marketing, industry events, webinars, and PR. The customer base includes L.L.Bean, Canadian Tire, MSC Industrial, Fisher Auto Parts, TTI Electronics, Mr Price, Pepkor Speciality, Journeys, Frasers Group, and Amazon.

In April 2022, MHS Global merged with Fortna to form the combined FORTNA entity, backed by private equity sponsors Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL) and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). The company had earlier executed a buy-and-build strategy with acquisitions including Advanced Production Systems (2017), Atronix Engineering (2017), VanRiet (2018), and OCM Intralogistic Systems (2018). Headcount is in the 1,001-5,000 range, and the company continues to expand internationally, with web presence in English (UK) and German and active enterprise contracts in North America, the UK, and Africa.

Name

Material Handling Systems

Legal name

FORTNA Inc.

Website

https://mhsglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

FORTNA (formerly Material Handling Systems) is an enterprise warehouse automation systems integrator that designs and delivers end-to-end automated distribution solutions, proprietary WES/WCS software, and lifecycle services to large retail, 3PL, and industrial customers across 11 verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Warehouse Automation Systems Integration

NAICS

Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Warehouse & Intralogistics Automation Systems (AS/RS, Sortation, Conveyance Controls) (IMAHAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) & Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) (IMAHABAB), Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Warehouse automation systems
• Material handling integration
• Distribution center design
• Warehouse execution software
• Supply chain robotics

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. System Design and Integration Services: End-to-end design-build services including strategy development, operations design, and implementation of automated material handling solutions. The company designs, develops and delivers automated and intelligent software solutions.
2. Automation Technology Sales: Sale and integration of automation technologies including AGVs, AMRs, AS/RS, conveyor systems, robotics, and sortation systems.
3. Software Licensing and Maintenance: Intelligent software solutions (WES, WCS, OptiSlot DC) with ongoing lifecycle services, maintenance, optimization assessments, modernizations, retrofits, parts and training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Material Handling Systems (operating as FORTNA) is an end-to-end design-build integrator of warehouse and distribution automation, combining proprietary software (WES, WCS, OptiSlot DC) with best-fit automation technologies such as AGVs, AMRs, AS/RS, AutoStore, conveyor systems, robotics, and sortation systems. The company delivers strategy, assessments, operations design, implementation, and lifecycle services for distribution facilities serving e-commerce, retail, 3PL, and industrial customers.

Product overview

FORTNA operates as an end-to-end design-build firm providing warehouse distribution solutions through a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core software platform includes FORTNA WES™ (Warehouse Execution System), FORTNA WCS™ (Warehouse Control System), and FORTNA OptiSlot DC™ (slotting optimization). These are unified under the proprietary FORTNA Distribution Optimization Framework™ methodology. The company also offers diverse automation technology solutions including AGVs/AMRs, ASRS, AutoStore, conveyor systems, robotics, and sortation systems, implemented across 11 industry verticals including e-commerce fulfillment, omnichannel, micro-fulfillment, and parcel operations. Lifecycle services support the entire operational lifespan of implemented solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FORTNA Distribution Optimization Framework™: Proprietary processes, tools and algorithms to design and deliver solutions using best-fit automation technologies and intelligent software.
• FORTNA WES™
• FORTNA WCS™
• FORTNA OptiSlot DC™

Products and services

• FORTNA WES (Warehouse Execution System)

Quantifiable outcome

• Frasers Group partnered with FORTNA to redefine distribution performance with AutoStore automation

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Jacobi RoboticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to deliver AI-powered mixed-case palletizing solution. Combines FORTNA's distribution optimization expertise with Jacobi Robotics' AI capabilities for automated palletizing in warehouse operations.
• AutoStorecoreTechnology or IntegrationFORTNA is an authorized AutoStore AS/RS technology integrator offering AutoStore cube-based storage and retrieval systems as part of warehouse automation solutions.
• GeekpluscoreTechnology or IntegrationFORTNA offers Geekplus mobile robotics solutions including warehouse robots for order fulfillment, carrying, and sorting operations.
• Hai RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationFORTNA offers Hai Robotics automated storage solutions including HaiPick systems for warehouse automation.
• OTTO MotorscoreTechnology or IntegrationFORTNA offers OTTO AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) for autonomous material handling solutions in warehouse environments.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Symbotic: Symbotic develops AI-enabled robotics and software platforms for warehouse automation, with a strong retail/wholesale customer base including Walmart. An emerging competitor and potential alternative for customers evaluating FORTNA's automation solutions.
• AutoStore: AutoStore is the cube-based AS/RS technology provider partnered with FORTNA. While a current integration partner, AutoStore's direct sales motion and expanding integrator network positions it as both ally and partial competitor.
• Geekplus: Geekplus is a global AMR and mobile robotics vendor partnered with FORTNA. As it builds direct enterprise sales and integrator alternatives, it represents both a key technology partner and an emerging source of competition.

Broad incumbents

• Manhattan Associates: Manhattan Associates is a leading supply chain and omnichannel commerce software provider with WMS, TMS, and WES offerings. Competes with FORTNA's software layer (WES/WCS) and increasingly partners or competes in integrated warehouse automation deals.
• Blue Yonder: Blue Yonder offers end-to-end supply chain planning and execution software, including WMS and warehouse execution capabilities. A broad incumbent competing with FORTNA on the software/intelligence layer of warehouse operations.

Direct peers

• Dematic: Dematic is a global leader in intelligent intralogistics and supply chain solutions, offering integrated automated warehousing, materials handling, and software (WMS/WCS). Directly competes with FORTNA in the same enterprise design-build integrator category.
• Swisslog: Swisslog provides automated warehouse and distribution center solutions, including AS/RS, goods-to-person, AGVs, and WMS/WCS software. A KUKA subsidiary competing head-to-head with FORTNA for enterprise warehouse automation projects.
• Vanderlande: Vanderlande specializes in integrated warehouse automation, parcel sortation, and baggage handling systems. A direct competitor serving similar enterprise customers across retail, e-commerce, and 3PL verticals.
• SSI Schäfer: SSI Schäfer is a global intralogistics specialist offering modular warehousing, AS/RS, conveyors, and software. Competes directly with FORTNA in large-scale distribution center design-build projects.
• Honeywell Intelligrated: Honeywell's Intelligrated division designs, builds, and integrates warehouse automation, conveyor, sortation, AS/RS, and robotics solutions. A direct competitor with overlapping technology partnerships and enterprise customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/material-handling-systems-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Material Handling Systems