Motion

What Motion does

Motion Industries, Inc. (operating as Motion) is a U.S.-incorporated industrial distribution business headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC). It is North America's largest bearing distributor and serves industrial and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) customers across the United States, Canada, and Mexico through 462 physical branches and shops, complemented by a unified e-commerce platform at motion.com.

The company's product catalog spans 19 major categories — bearings, hydraulics, mechanical power transmission, pneumatics, adhesives and sealants, abrasives, cutting tools, electrical, hose and fittings, linear motion, material handling, process pumps, raw materials, seals and gaskets, tools and testing instruments, chemicals and lubricants, facility maintenance, janitorial supplies, and a full suite of safety/PPE — distributed under authorized relationships with over 100 industrial brands including SKF, Timken, Dodge, Schaeffler (FAG), Gates, Rexnord, U.S. Tsubaki, 3M, SMC, ABB, and Loctite. Four wholly-owned service subsidiaries extend the core offering into automation and robotics (Motion Automation Intelligence), conveying systems (Motion Conveyance Solutions), onsite inventory management (Motion Onsite Solutions), and aftermarket repair (Motion Repair & Services).

Motion monetizes primarily through per-unit hardware sales on motion.com (with publicly listed pricing ranging from under $1 to over $7,000) plus account-based B2B procurement with discount pricing, Saved Lists, Approval Routing, and Quick Quotes & Ordering. Go-to-market is a hybrid e-commerce plus field/branch sales model targeting vertical end-markets including Aggregate & Cement, Automotive, Food & Beverage, Data Center, Mining, Government, Oil & Gas, and broader industrial MRO. Dedicated capability is offered through a "Motion Can Find It" hard-to-source service and digital resources via the Knowledge Hub and Motion Learning and Development programs.

Name

Motion

Legal name

Motion Industries, Inc.

Website

https://motion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Motion Industries, the industrial distribution arm of Genuine Parts Company, is North America's largest bearing distributor, selling 19 categories of MRO and industrial products across 462 branches in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Distribution

NAICS

Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (423810), Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42344), Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612)

SIC

Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Ball & Roller Bearings (3562), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial MRO Supplies for Vehicle/Equipment Workshops (Bearings, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Fasteners) (TLAKAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal & Utility Specialty Vehicle MRO (Refuse Trucks, Sweepers, Bucket Trucks) (TLAKAHAF), Clutch, Torque Converter & Flywheel Rebuild/Remanufacturing (TLAKALAL)

Keywords

• Industrial distribution
• MRO supplies
• Bearings distribution
• Hydraulic components
• Power transmission

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Product Distribution: Motion generates revenue through the distribution of industrial supplies including bearings, hydraulics, pneumatics, mechanical power transmission components, safety equipment, janitorial supplies, and facility maintenance products. Products are sold at per-unit prices ranging from under $1 to thousands of dollars depending on complexity. The model combines one-time transactional sales with repeat business from MRO customers.
2. Bearings Distribution: As North America's largest bearing distributor, Motion sells ball, roller, plain, sleeve, and mounted bearings from major brands like SKF, Timken, Dodge, NSK, Sealmaster, and FAG. Products range from $20-$700+ per unit.
3. Hydraulics Distribution: Distribution of hydraulic components including accumulators, cylinders, pumps, valves, motors, and accessories from brands like Hydac, Enerpac, Vickers, Danfoss, and Power Team. Products range from under $50 to over $7,000.
4. Mechanical Power Transmission Distribution: Sale of belts, chains, pulleys, couplings, speed reducers, clutches, brakes, and U-joints from brands including Gates, U.S. Tsubaki, Rexnord, Martin, and Falk. Unit prices typically range from under $20 to several hundred dollars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Motion Industries distributes industrial supplies and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) products to businesses and individuals through its motion.com e-commerce platform and 462 physical branch locations across North America. The company distributes bearings, hydraulics, pneumatics, mechanical power transmission, safety equipment, material handling, janitorial, adhesives, abrasives, and other industrial components from major brands. It offers business and personal accounts with features like Saved Lists, Approval Routing, Quick Quotes & Ordering, and the specialized Motion Can Find It sourcing service for hard-to-find parts.

Product overview

Motion is North America's largest industrial supplies distributor offering a comprehensive catalog of industrial products and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) solutions. The company operates as a single unified e-commerce platform with account-based ordering features (Business Accounts, Personal Accounts) offering capabilities like Saved Lists, Approval Routing, and Quick Quotes & Ordering. The core product portfolio spans Bearings (their largest category, including ball, roller, and linear bearings with repair services), Hydraulics (accumulators, cylinders, pumps, valves, motors), Mechanical Power Transmission (belts, chains, couplings, speed reducers), Pneumatics (compressors, cylinders, valves), Adhesives & Sealants, Material Handling equipment, and a full suite of Safety/PPE products (Hand Protection, Hearing Protection, Eye/Face Protection, Head Protection). Supporting categories include Abrasives, Chemicals/Lubricants, Cutting Tools, Electrical, Facility Maintenance, Hose & Fittings, Linear Motion, Process Pumps, Seals & Gaskets, Tools & Testing Instruments, and Janitorial supplies. Motion serves industries including Aggregate & Cement, Automotive, Chemical, Data Center, Equipment & Machinery, Food & Beverage, Government, Mining, Oil & Gas, Pulp & Paper, Semiconductor, and Water Treatment across 462 locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bearings

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• W.W. Grainger: W.W. Grainger is the largest MRO industrial distributor in North America, operating the KeepStock program, Grainger.com e-commerce, and a deep branch network. It is Motion's most direct and largest competitor across nearly every product category Motion carries, including bearings, safety, and fluid power.
• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial is a large US-focused MRO distributor selling metalworking, bearings, power transmission, safety, and fluid power products through catalogs, e-commerce, and direct sales. It directly overlaps with Motion's core bearings and power-transmission categories.
• Fastenal: Fastenal distributes fasteners, tools, safety supplies, and increasingly higher-margin industrial vending and on-site solutions. Its on-site and vending strategies overlap with Motion's Motion Onsite Solutions subsidiary, and it competes head-to-head in fasteners, safety, and general MRO.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Applied Industrial Technologies is a leading North American distributor of bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and industrial rubber products with a branch network and technical service capabilities. It is one of Motion's closest peers in the bearings and mechanical power transmission categories where Motion claims market leadership.
• Kaman Distribution Group (now part of Motion Industries acquisition history): Kaman Distribution Group (historically a Motion competitor in bearings, power transmission, and fluid power distribution) was actually acquired by Motion Industries' parent in the broader consolidation trend, illustrating the consolidation pressure in this peer set. Comparable on product mix and customer base.
• McMaster-Carr: McMaster-Carr is a leading direct/e-commerce industrial supplier known for extreme breadth of MRO, hardware, and material-handling products with a best-in-class digital catalog. It competes with Motion particularly in maintenance, material handling, and fastener categories for technical buyers who prefer self-service digital procurement.
• Zoro (Grainger subsidiary): Zoro is Grainger's SMB-focused e-commerce arm offering a broad assortment of industrial supplies at competitive price points. It targets the same smaller-account customers Motion serves through motion.com and competes aggressively on digital UX and pricing transparency.
• Würth Industry North America: Würth Industry is the North American industrial division of the global Würth Group, focused on fasteners, tools, and MRO supplies with significant direct-sales and on-site service models. It overlaps with Motion in fasteners, tools, and on-site industrial supply services.

Regional players

• ERIKS (a private-equity-owned industrial distributor): ERIKS is a major European industrial distributor of bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and sealing products, primarily serving EMEA. While geographically distinct, it competes with global Motion parent GPC and is a comparable industrial-MRO peer in product breadth and customer types.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Business: Amazon Business is the B2B arm of Amazon offering industrial MRO, office, and facility supplies with fast fulfillment and aggressive pricing. While not a specialist industrial distributor, it competes with Motion on catalog breadth, price transparency, and digital procurement experience, particularly in lower-complexity MRO and consumables.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MIMotionInd
• Facebookfacebook.com/MotionInd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/motionindustries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Motion