What Exotic Automation & Supply does

Exotic Automation & Supply is an industrial distributor and custom manufacturer founded in 1963 and headquartered in New Hudson, Michigan. The company operates as a premier Parker Hannifin motion and control partner in the Midwest, distributing fluid connectors, hydraulics, pneumatics, filtration, electromechanical components, engineered systems, and lubrication products through 19 ParkerStore retail/service locations across Michigan and Indiana. Beyond distribution, Exotic runs an in-house Engineered Rubber & Plastics division performing compression molding, injection molding, urethane casting, CNC machining, and 3D printing for OEM and defense customers; supports an Exotic Air Systems division covering Kaishan compressed air equipment, system design, and maintenance; and markets alternative fuels (CNG/LPG/LNG) components through a dedicated e-commerce storefront.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: Parker Hannifin product distribution, custom-manufactured rubber and plastic components, Exotic Air Systems equipment and service contracts, 24/7 emergency repair (Hose Doctor program), and Vendor Managed Inventory contracts (CMI, EMI, consignment). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with customer relationships supported by direct account managers, inside sales, and channel partners (ParkerStore Product Centers). End markets span industrial manufacturing (OEM and MRO), automotive (including Ford Motor Company), aerospace, pharmaceutical, water infrastructure (e.g., Des Moines River Waterpark), and U.S. Department of Defense ground vehicle programs (Abrams M1, Stryker, Bradley, M88, MRAP, RCV).

Exotic holds AS9100D/ISO 9001:2015 quality certification, ITAR/EAR compliance, SBA Small Business status, and CSA certification for CNG hose assemblies, enabling its defense and alternative fuels businesses. Distribution partnerships beyond Parker Hannifin include Kaishan Compressors, SKF, Enerpac, ACE Controls, Techman Robot, 80/20 Inc., WEG, DESTACO, Tube-Mac, and PYPLOK. Recent strategic activity includes the December 2025 acquisition of West Michigan Rubber & Supply (now a 17th Michigan location), the October 2022 acquisition of Bond Fluidaire, and entry into data center liquid cooling through DC-powered 48V mobile hydraulic power units alongside partnered Transair condition-monitoring sensors.

Name

Exotic Automation & Supply

Legal name

Exotic Rubber and Plastics Corp.

Website

https://exoticautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Exotic Automation & Supply is a Parker Hannifin motion and control distributor and custom rubber/plastics manufacturer serving industrial OEM, MRO, and U.S. Department of Defense customers across Michigan and Indiana through 19 ParkerStore locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fluid Power Distribution & Industrial Automation

NAICS

Fluid Power Pump and Motor Manufacturing (333996), Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing (333995), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Filtration, Condition Monitoring & Fluid Management (Filters, Breathers, Oil Analysis, Cooling) (IMAHAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motion Control Components (Servos, Drives, Motors, Encoders) (IMAHAHAG), Industrial Rubber Products (Hoses, Belts, Seals, Gaskets) (IMANAOAM)

Keywords

• Fluid power distribution
• Motion control products
• Hydraulic and pneumatic components
• Industrial automation supplies
• Custom rubber manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Farmington Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Distribution - Parker Hannifin Products: Revenue from distribution of Parker Hannifin motion and control products including fluid connectors, hydraulics, pneumatics, filtration, electromechanical components, and engineered systems. Products are sold through 19 ParkerStore locations and direct account management.
2. Custom Rubber & Plastics Manufacturing: Revenue from custom molded rubber, urethane, and plastic products including compression molding, injection molding, die cutting, and precision machining for industrial customers across automotive, defense, aerospace, and general manufacturing sectors.
3. Service, Repair & Emergency Response: Revenue from 24/7 emergency service (Hose Doctor mobile technicians), preventative maintenance contracts, installation services, and system assessments for fluid power, hydraulic, compressed air, filtration and lubrication systems.
4. Exotic Air Systems: Revenue from compressed air equipment sales (Kaishan compressors and supporting brands), design and installation services, maintenance and repair contracts, air audits and assessments, and associated consumables for industrial air systems.
5. Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): Managed inventory programs including CMI, EMI, and consignment models where Exotic manages customer inventory levels, monitors usage via barcode scanning, and provides regular usage analysis and restocking.
6. Compressed Air Systems - Filtration Products: Revenue from compressed air and gas treatment products including dryers, filters, gas generators, industrial process chillers, dust/mist/fume collectors, spin-on filters, and portable filter carts.
7. Defense & Government Contracts: Revenue from supplying the U.S. Department of Defense since 1980, including custom hoses, seals, gaskets, machined and molded components for military ground vehicles (Abrams M1, Stryker, Bradley, etc.) with ITAR/EAR compliance and quick turnaround.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Exotic Automation & Supply is an authorized Parker Hannifin motion & control distributor that supplies hydraulic, pneumatic, filtration, electromechanical, lubrication, and engineered system components to industrial manufacturers, OEMs, and MRO customers. The company also operates a custom rubber and plastics manufacturing division producing molded rubber, urethane, polyurethane, sheet rubber, seals, gaskets, and conveyor rollers, along with Exotic Air Systems for compressed air and alternative fuel solutions.

Product overview

Exotic Automation & Supply is a premier Parker Hannifin motion and control distributor offering a comprehensive industrial product portfolio organized into four main divisions: Motion & Control Solutions (fluid connectors, hydraulics, pneumatics, filtration, electromechanical, engineered systems, lubrication, hydraulic safety, crimpers, Transair piping), Engineered Rubber & Plastics (molded rubber/urethane, polyurethane products, seals, gaskets, conveyor rollers, in-system damage protection), Exotic Air Systems (Kaishan compressors, compressed air equipment, installation, maintenance), and Alternative Fuels (CNG/LPG/LNG products and fleet management). The company operates 19 ParkerStore locations across Michigan and Indiana, serving automotive, aerospace, defense, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing industries. Key value-added services include EDI processing, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), custom engineered systems, and 24/7 emergency support. Recent acquisitions include West Michigan Rubber & Supply (December 2025) and Bond Fluidaire (2022).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Exotic Air Systems: Full service air solutions division providing products, service and support for air equipment needs including compressors, compressed air monitoring, filtration, design, installation and maintenance.

Products and services

• Motion & Control Solutions Authorized Parker Hannifin distribution of hydraulics, pneumatics, filtration, electromechanical, lubrication, and engineered system components for industrial OEMs, manufacturers, and MRO operations.
• Engineered Rubber & Plastics Custom manufacturing of molded rubber, urethane, polyurethane products, sheet rubber, seals, gaskets, and conveyor rollers for industrial applications.
• Exotic Air Systems Compressed air solutions including Kaishan compressors, plus alternative fuel systems (CNG/LPG/LNG) and air piping infrastructure.
• Control Reliable Hydraulic Safety Valves Hydraulic safety valve solutions for industrial machinery requiring fail-safe and reliable fluid power control.
• In-System Damage Protection (ISD) Hydraulic contamination protection technology that prevents system damage from particulate ingress in fluid power systems.
• Conveyor Rollers Industrial conveyor rollers manufactured in-house for material handling applications.
• Thermal Management Solutions for Data Centers Fluid power-based thermal management and cooling solutions engineered for data center applications.
• ParkerStore Service Centers Authorized Parker Hannifin retail and service centers providing walk-in component sales, hose assembly, and technical support.
• Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) Outsourced inventory management service where Exotic monitors and replenishes customer stock of fluid power components.
• Defense Market Solutions Fluid power and motion control solutions tailored for defense and government contractor applications.
• Parker Transair Aluminum Air Pipe Modular aluminum compressed air piping system distributed as a Parker Hannifin product line.
• EDI Processing Services Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processing for procurement integration between Exotic and its B2B customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Order processing cost reduction from $38 (manual) to $1.35 (EDI) per order — approximately 96% reduction.
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature13 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Michigan Rubber & Supply CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2025Muskegon-based industrial supplier acquired by Exotic Automation & Supply effective December 1, 2025. The deal united two Parker Hannifin distributors and expanded Exotic's Michigan locations to 17. The acquisition brought expanded product offerings including Parker Hannifin pneumatic, hydraulic, filtration and electromechanical products, ACE Controls, SKF, Perma, Enerpac, Dixon, NOSHOK, and Exotic Air Systems product lines to the West Michigan market.
• Bond FluidairecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2022Michigan-based Parker Hannifin distributor acquired by Exotic Automation & Supply in October 2022 to strengthen presence in Michigan. The acquisition expanded product offerings, locations, and customer service capabilities across Michigan and Indiana, adding Grand Rapids NW, Grand Rapids SE, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Traverse City locations to Exotic's network.
• Parker HannifincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1972Exotic Automation & Supply is a premier Parker Hannifin motion & control distributor and partner in the Midwest, holding Certified Connector Center designation (one of few in the country). The company distributes the full line of Parker Hannifin fluid connectors, hydraulics, pneumatics, filtration, electromechanical, and engineered system products through 19 ParkerStore locations. Became a Parker Hannifin distributor in 1972 and has grown to become the premier motion & control partner in the Midwest.
• Kaishan CompressorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic Air Systems is an authorized distributor and Premier Kaishan Distributor. Kaishan is the 3rd largest compressor manufacturer in the world, manufacturing over 70,000 compressors yearly including Rotary Screw Air Compressors (oil-injected and oil-free), Industrial Vacuum Pumps, and Centrifugal Air Compressors.
• Consumers EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExotic Air Systems is an authorized Consumers Energy Trade Ally, coordinating with the utility for energy savings and rebate opportunities for compressed air system upgrades including VSD compressor installations, dryer retrofits, heat recovery systems, and air leak repairs.
• DTE EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExotic Air Systems partners with DTE Energy for commercial business energy financing and rebate programs for compressed air system upgrades serving DTE's commercial and industrial customers in Michigan.
• Michigan SavesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExotic Air Systems is an authorized Michigan Saves contractor providing flexible financing solutions for energy upgrade projects including compressed air system improvements.
• SKFminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic distributes SKF lubrication systems, fuel transfer pumps, and bearing-related products. SKF CLK Lubrication System and SKF product overview materials are available through Exotic's catalogs.
• ACE ControlsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic distributes ACE Controls products including EB63-EB160 Safety Shock Absorbers for emergency stop situations and ACE Controls Defense Solutions products.
• EnerpacminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic distributes Enerpac hydraulic products including hydraulic gantries for heavy load lifting and positioning, and split flow manifolds.
• Techman RobotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic distributes Techman collaborative robots (cobots) for industrial automation applications, with dedicated Techman case study and product overview materials available.
• 80/20 Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic is an authorized 80/20 distributor providing T-slot aluminum framing systems including safety guarding, ergonomic workspaces, custom machine frames, guarding, enclosures, displays and workstations. Catalog of over 8,500 products.
• WEGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic distributes WEG gearboxes and gearmotors as part of its electromechanical product offerings.
• DESTACOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExotic distributes DESTACO products including pull-action clamps as documented in case studies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Air Hydro Power: Regional Parker Hannifin distributor specializing in hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical components across Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Closely comparable to Exotic in product mix, customer base, and field-sales-led go-to-market, and a relevant peer given overlapping Indiana service territory.
• Brennan Industries: Manufacturer and supplier of hydraulic fittings, adapters, and fluid connection products serving industrial and mobile hydraulics customers. Comparable to Exotic's fluid connector and custom hose assembly business on the components side.
• Ryer & Associates: Industrial distributor of fluid power, motion control, and automation products in the upper Midwest. Closely aligned with Exotic on product portfolio (Parker and competing fluid power lines) and customer profile, operating in adjacent territory.

Broad incumbents

• Motion Industries: Largest U.S. industrial distributor of motion control, fluid power, bearings, and MRO products, owned by Genuine Parts Company. A direct competitor to Exotic on the Parker Hannifin product line and beyond, but operating at national scale with a much larger branch network and full e-commerce catalog.
• Grainger: Large broad-line industrial MRO distributor with national e-commerce platform and a fluid power offering that overlaps with Exotic's MRO product set. Comparable on customer base (industrial MRO buyers) if not on depth of motion control specialization.
• Kaman Industrial Technologies: Long-standing industrial distributor of fluid power, motion control, and automation products, now part of Motion Industries. A historically direct competitor to Exotic with similar product lines and a similar field-sales-driven model.
• Applied Industrial Technologies: Major industrial distributor of bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and maintenance products across the U.S. Directly comparable to Exotic's motion and control and fluid power distribution model, with a national footprint and broader product breadth.

Emerging players

• Airtec Corporation: Compressed air systems specialist offering compressor sales, service, and energy assessments. Directly comparable to Exotic's Exotic Air Systems division in product line and recurring-service revenue model, though typically smaller-scale and more regional.

Others

• Parker Hannifin (Industrial Segment): Principal supplier of essentially all of Exotic's core fluid connector, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical products. Comparable as a counterparty whose channel strategy directly shapes Exotic's growth, profitability, and defensibility.
• 80/20 Inc. Manufacturer of modular T-slot aluminum framing systems that Exotic distributes as an authorized partner. Adjacent in the supply chain rather than a competitor, but comparable on product category presence in Exotic's catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/exoticcng
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVWZBFvkTz-vWFWriEjgGrA
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Exotic-Automation-Supply/168510666498593
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/exotic-automation
• Instagraminstagram.com/exoticautomation

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A3 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Exotic Automation & Supply