Fori Automation
Fori Automation, a Lincoln Electric subsidiary, designs and builds custom turnkey industrial automation systems — including material handling AGVs, robotic welding cells, chassis marriage systems, and end-of-line testing equipment — for automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and aerospace manufacturers across eight global locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersShelby, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Fori Automation does
Fori Automation, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Shelby Township, Michigan, designs and builds custom industrial automation systems for automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and aerospace/defense manufacturers. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lincoln Electric. Its product portfolio spans four core categories: Automated Material Handling (AGVs, AGCs, RGCs, Tuggers, and High Capacity AGVs up to 330,000 lb pair capacity); Assembly & Automation Systems (module assembly and alignment, chassis marriage, 7th axis linear belt robots, suspension module alignment, axle assembly); End of Line Testing Systems (3D wheel alignment, camera-based headlamp aiming, roll and brake testing, driver assist calibration); and Welding Systems (MIG, spot, projection, laser, and drawn arc stud welding for body and chassis structures). All products are custom-engineered turnkey solutions rather than standardized catalog items.
The company's business model is project-based enterprise sales: solutions are scoped, quoted, and built to customer specification with multi-year contracts and no recurring software/SaaS revenue component, though aftermarket installation, training, and support services provide a secondary revenue stream. Sales are handled directly through regional offices across eight global locations spanning the USA, China, Germany, South Korea, India, Mexico, and Spain, giving Fori in-region engineering, manufacturing, and service presence alongside its customers. Proprietary technology including the backlash-free 7th axis robot, patented servo-controlled chain lifts for chassis marriage, and the Fori Vision headlamp aiming system — combined with three consecutive years (2018-2020) ranked a Top 5 System Integrator Giant by Control Engineering — form the core technical and reputational moat. Revenue was $240M in 2018, up 46% from $164M in 2015, and the company employs over 700 people globally.
Fori Automation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fori Automation
- Legal name
- Fori Automation, LLC
- Website
- https://foriauto.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Fori Automation, a Lincoln Electric subsidiary, designs and builds custom turnkey industrial automation systems — including material handling AGVs, robotic welding cells, chassis marriage systems, and end-of-line testing equipment — for automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and aerospace manufacturers across eight global locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fori Automation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Automation Systems
- NAICS
- Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Packaging Line Automation, Robotics & Integration (Controls, Turnkey Lines) (IMALAOAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian) (IMAHAHAJ), Process & Batch Control Software (Recipe Management, ISA-88) (IMAGABAH)
Keywords
Where Fori Automation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shelby
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Fori Automation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Automation Systems: Fori generates revenue through the design, build, and integration of custom industrial automation systems. Projects are custom-engineered solutions sold on a project basis to automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and non-automotive manufacturers. Revenue is project-based with no recurring component from these systems.
- Aftermarket Services & Support: Ongoing support services including installation, training, maintenance, and system upgrades after initial deployment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Fori Automation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fori Automation designs, engineers, and manufactures custom industrial automation systems for material handling, assembly, welding, and end-of-line testing. Core product families include Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Automated Guided Carts (AGCs), Rail Guided Carts (RGCs), Rail Guided Vehicles (RGVs), robotic welding cells with 7th-axis robots, module assembly and chassis marriage systems, and end-of-line testing equipment such as wheel alignment, headlamp aiming, and leak test stations.
Product overview
Fori Automation designs and builds custom industrial automation systems as a turnkey solution provider. The product portfolio consists of four core categories: Automated Material Handling (AGVs, AGCs, RGCs, Tuggers, High Capacity AGVs), Assembly & Automation Systems (Module Assembly & Alignment Systems, Chassis Marriage Systems, Custom Assembly Automation, 7th Axis Robots), End of Line Testing Systems (Wheel Alignment, Headlamp Aiming, Roll & Brake Testing, Driver Assist Calibration), and Welding Systems (MIG, Spot, Projection, Laser, and Drawn Arc Welding for body and chassis structures). All products are customizable turnkey solutions designed, built, and integrated from conception to implementation, supported by seven global locations across four continents with over 700 employees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Cycle time reduction through robotic and material handling integration
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Fori Automation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Fori Automation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Fori Automation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fori Automation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Comau: Italian-headquartered automation systems integrator (part of Stellantis ecosystem historically) specializing in body shop welding, assembly, and EV manufacturing solutions. Direct competitor to Fori in automotive turnkey automation lines, with comparable customer base and similar product breadth across welding, assembly, and material handling.
- Grob-Werke: German family-owned manufacturer of automation and assembly systems, with deep penetration into automotive body-in-white and powertrain assembly. Directly comparable to Fori on turnkey robotic welding lines and modular assembly cells, particularly in the European OEM market.
- Dürr AG: German mechanical and plant engineering group with a large automotive finishing and EOL testing business (Dürr, Schenck, HOMAG). Overlaps directly with Fori's end-of-line testing and assembly automation offerings, and competes on similar automotive OEM and Tier 1 accounts globally.
- ATS Corporation: Canadian-listed custom industrial automation solutions provider with similar business model: project-based turnkey systems for automotive, aerospace, and other industrial customers. Directly comparable on engineering services, custom integration, and recurring lifecycle support revenue mix.
Broad incumbents
- KUKA AG: German-headquartered global leader in industrial robots and automated production systems, owned by Midea. Larger and broader than Fori, but directly competes in automotive body shop welding and assembly integration, with overlapping customer set among European and U.S. OEMs.
- ABB Robotics: Division of ABB providing industrial robots and automation solutions, including automotive painting, welding, and assembly cells. Significantly larger and more diversified than Fori, but competes on the same automotive OEM automation programs and global footprint.
- FANUC Corporation: Japanese global leader in CNC, robotics, and factory automation. While primarily a robot OEM, FANUC's systems integration and automotive welding/assembly cells overlap with Fori's integration business, particularly through Tier 1 partners in North America and Asia.
- Yaskawa Electric: Japanese industrial robot and motion control manufacturer with a strong automotive welding and material handling presence. Larger and more diversified than Fori, but directly competes on robotic welding cells and motion-control integration for OEM assembly lines.
Emerging players
- BTD Manufacturing: Minnesota-based custom automation and metal fabrication company serving industrial customers with welding, assembly, and material handling systems. Smaller and more regional than Fori, but operates a comparable custom turnkey model targeting similar industrial OEM customers.
Others
- Eisenmann (now part of Dürr): Former German automotive finishing and intralogistics specialist whose systems integration business was absorbed into Dürr AG. Historically a direct competitor to Fori in automotive assembly and material handling, now consolidated under the Dürr umbrella.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fori Automation social profiles
Digital presenceFori Automation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Fori Automation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fori Automation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Fori Automation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Fori Automation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fori Automation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fori Automation
What does Fori Automation do?
Fori Automation designs, engineers, and manufactures custom industrial automation systems for material handling, assembly, welding, and end-of-line testing. Core product families include Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Automated Guided Carts (AGCs), Rail Guided Carts (RGCs), Rail Guided Vehicles (RGVs), robotic welding cells with 7th-axis robots, module assembly and chassis marriage systems, and end-of-line testing equipment such as wheel alignment, headlamp aiming, and leak test stations.
Is Fori Automation a public or private company?
Fori Automation is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Fori Automation founded?
Fori Automation was founded in 1984. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Fori Automation based?
Fori Automation is headquartered in Shelby, United States, in the North America region.
How does Fori Automation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Custom Automation Systems are the primary driver. The others are aftermarket Services & Support.
Who are Fori Automation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Comau, Grob-Werke, Dürr AG and ATS Corporation. Broad incumbents are KUKA AG, ABB Robotics, FANUC Corporation and Yaskawa Electric. BTD Manufacturing is listed as an emerging player. Eisenmann (now part of Dürr) is listed as an others.
Does Fori Automation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fori Automation.
What industry is Fori Automation in?
Fori Automation's product category is Industrial Automation Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAOAL, Packaging Line Automation, Robotics & Integration (Controls, Turnkey Lines), with a secondary code of IMAHAHAJ, Industrial Automation Software (SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian). Its NAICS code is 3332 and its SIC code is 3550.