Power/mation
Power/mation is a privately held industrial automation distributor headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, selling robotics, motion control, pneumatics, IIoT, process automation, VFD drives, and customized enclosures to Midwest manufacturers across food & beverage, life sciences, paper converting, OEM, and industrial sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Power/mation does
Power/mation Division, Inc. is a privately held industrial automation distributor headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, with operations tracing to 1958 as Craighead and Associates and continuous operation under the Power/mation brand since 1961. The company distributes advanced automation hardware and software across eight product categories — robotics (ABB and Doosan industrial and collaborative robots), safety (light curtains, interlocks, controllers, custom hard guard fencing), pneumatics (Festo), motion control (actuators, servo drives, servo gearboxes), industrial internet/IIoT (remote access, cybersecurity, cellular networking), process automation (control systems, hazardous location equipment), VFD migration (ABB and Control Techniques drives), and customized enclosures (Rittal Platinum Modification Partner with in-house Perforex machining). It maintains a line card of more than 100 automation suppliers, supported by 7 office locations and 6 fulfillment centers that enable same-day shipping on stocked items and worldwide shipping.
The firm serves manufacturers across multiple verticals — Food & Beverage, Life Sciences, Paper Converting, OEMs/Machine Builders, broader Industrial Manufacturing (oil & gas, mining, energy, automotive), and Water & Wastewater — through a vertically-segmented go-to-market with primary focus on Food & Beverage, Life Sciences, and Paper Converting. Customer engagement is led by a technical field-sales force drawn from engineering backgrounds, supported by an inside-sales team under a Director of Customer Experience and an e-commerce storefront at shop.powermation.com for transactional purchases.
Revenue is generated primarily through hardware and software distribution on quote-based pricing, supplemented by a Solutions Group that provides value-added professional services including custom kits, enclosure modification, safety fencing design, cable assemblies, and full DIN rail assemblies. The firm follows a hybrid multi-channel approach combining regional field sales, inside sales, e-commerce, and direct engineering-solution engagements, with ownership having transitioned in 1990 from founder Don Craighead to members of the salesforce.
Power/mation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Power/mation
- Legal name
- Power/mation Division, Inc.
- Website
- https://powermation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Power/mation is a privately held industrial automation distributor headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, selling robotics, motion control, pneumatics, IIoT, process automation, VFD drives, and customized enclosures to Midwest manufacturers across food & beverage, life sciences, paper converting, OEM, and industrial sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Power/mation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Automation Distribution
- NAICS
- Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Switchgear and Switchboard Apparatus Manufacturing (335313)
- SIC
- Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industrial Control Cabinets & Power Distribution (Panels, Switchgear for Automation) (IMAHAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Control Room HMI/Visualization, Alarm & Event Management (EUADAEAJ), Medium/Low-Voltage Power Distribution (MCCs, Panels, UPS, Grounding) (EUAEAFAB), AC-DC Power Supplies (Industrial PSUs, DIN-rail, enclosed/open-frame) (IMAGADAA)
Keywords
Where Power/mation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Power/mation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Automation Hardware Distribution: Power/mation operates as a nationally recognized distributor specializing in advanced automation hardware and software. The company stocks U.S. inventory for automation manufacturers and resells products through their sales force and e-commerce platform.
- Custom Solutions and Value-Added Services: Power/mation Solutions Group provides custom kits, enclosure modification, safety fencing design, and assembly services. The group accelerates businesses with custom assemblies for various applications.
- E-commerce Sales: Online shop (shop.powermation.com) for direct product purchases with same-day shipping available on stocked items like ABB and Control Techniques drives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Standard product pricing through distribution |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Power/mation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Power/mation is a nationally recognized industrial automation distributor that resells advanced automation hardware and software from 100+ manufacturers (ABB, Festo, Rittal, Banner, Phoenix Contact, Control Techniques, Horner APG, and others) across robotics, motion control, pneumatics, machine safety, sensing, IIoT, process automation, enclosures, and VFD migration. The Power/mation Solutions Group provides value-added custom engineering, enclosure modification, safety fencing design, cable kits, and DIN rail assemblies. The company stocks U.S. inventory across 6 fulfillment centers and serves industrial manufacturers primarily in the Midwest.
Product overview
Power/mation is a nationally recognized industrial automation distributor specializing in advanced automation hardware, software, and comprehensive custom solutions. The company offers a portfolio of products organized around core automation categories: Robotics (ABB and Doosan industrial and collaborative robots), Safety (light curtains, interlocks, controllers, custom fencing), Pneumatics (Festo products), Motion Control (actuators, servo drives, gearboxes), Industrial Internet/IIoT (remote access, cybersecurity, networking), Process Automation (control systems, sensors, data management), VFD Migration (ABB and Control Techniques drives), and Customized Enclosures (Rittal products). The product portfolio spans sensing and inspection, panel components, enclosures, logic control and visualization, industrial internet and networking, motion control and robotics, power transmission, connectors and cabling, and machine safety categories. The Power/mation Solutions Group provides value-added custom assembly services including custom kits, enclosure modification, safety fencing, and cable assemblies. With over 100 suppliers on their line card, the company operates 7 office locations and 6 fulfillment centers serving the Midwest region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Robotics
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced part cycle time through machine tending automation
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Power/mation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Power/mation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Power/mation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- FestocorePower/mation has partnered with Festo, described as a unique automation supplier, to offer a full range of pneumatic, electromechanical, and process automation products. Festo's continual technology advancements and R&D from German headquarters provide strong pneumatic components for lifting, moving and pressing applications. Power/mation also joined the Festo Assembly Program to ensure right products in stock for pneumatic assemblies.
- RittalflagshipRittal Platinum Modification Partner status means more enclosures in stock at Power/mation warehouse locations, faster turnaround on custom requests, and ability to rely on Power/mation for enclosure essentials. Rittal Perforex machine at Power/mation executes precise cuts on all enclosure materials. Stocked enclosures ready to be customized to specifications.
- ABB RoboticscoreABB is Power/mation's leading robot supplier offering multiple six-axis variants, SCARA (IRB 910SC), Delta (IRB 360 FlexPicker), collaborative robots (ABB YuMi Family), and more. Power/mation offers complete turnkey solutions for robotics and machine safety led by ABB.
- ABB DrivescorePower/mation stocks multiple ABB drive SKUs including ACS380, ACS580, and ACS880 series for same-day shipping. Partnership provides VFD hardware, software, and implementation expertise for migration to current generation drive solutions with Rockwell Automation AOI compatibility.
- Control TechniquescorePower/mation stocks Control Techniques drives including Commander C200, Commander C300, and M700 Unidrive for same-day shipping from fractional to 300 horsepower. Drives designed for compatibility with easy integration and cold configuration tools.
- Doosan RoboticscoreCollaborative robots from Doosan Robotics applied to various production processes from simple to precision tasks, providing optimized solutions with a variety of lineups.
- RRAMAC Connected SolutionscorePartnership with RRAMAC for 60-day free Industrial Internet trial where Power/mation connects customer equipment to EdgeScout server through secure internet tunnel to collect machine data and display on live dashboard. Includes consultation analyzing findings and recommendations for productivity improvement.
- Association for High Technology Distribution (AHTD)minorOrganizational membership for industry networking and advancement of high technology distribution.
- Association for Advancing Automation (A3)minorOrganizational membership supporting automation industry advancement and standards.
- Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA)minorOrganizational membership for motion control and motor industry representation.
- Banner EngineeringcoreSnap Signal from Banner Engineering for Industrial Internet Solutions, providing IoT and data acquisition capabilities for manufacturing environments.
- Phoenix ContactcoreIndustrial networking, cybersecurity, and automation control products for network infrastructure including routers, firewalls, VPNs, and Ethernet switches.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Power/mation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Festo: Power/mation's flagship pneumatics and process automation supplier; included as both a key partner and an adjacent player since Festo also sells direct to large accounts and through its own distribution channels, creating a partner-competitor dynamic.
Direct peers
- AutomationDirect: Direct-to-customer industrial automation retailer selling PLCs, drives, sensors, and motion components online; overlaps with Power/mation's product portfolio but competes primarily on price/e-commerce rather than technical sales support and engineered solutions.
- Radwell International: Specialty distributor of new and surplus industrial automation parts including PLCs, drives, and motor controls; comparable niche-focus on automation aftermarket, but competes primarily on parts availability rather than engineered solutions.
- Kaman Industrial Technologies: Specialty industrial automation distributor offering bearings, power transmission, motion control, and automation products with engineering-driven sales support — closely comparable on model and customer profile, though larger and multi-region.
- Allied Electronics & Automation (RS Group): Distributor of automation and control products (PLC, sensors, drives, motion) with strong e-commerce presence; comparable catalog breadth and target customers to Power/mation, particularly in process and discrete automation.
Broad incumbents
- Graybar: Large employee-owned electrical and automation distributor in the U.S., like Power/mation — similar ownership structure and customer focus on industrial and commercial accounts, though with a wider product portfolio and more national coverage.
- WESCO International: Fortune 500 electrical, communications, and utility distribution company offering automation, controls, and IIoT products; comparable on solution-based selling and supplier breadth, with much larger balance sheet and international footprint.
- Rexel USA: Large global electrical and industrial automation distributor with U.S. branches across multiple regions; competes directly with Power/mation on industrial controls, motor controls, and automation products, but at significantly greater scale and broader geographic reach.
- Applied Industrial Technologies: Public industrial/MRO distributor with deep motion control, fluid power, and automation offerings; comparable on motion and engineered services with Power/mation, but with a national service network and far larger scale.
Regional players
- McNaughton-McKay Electric Company: Regional electrical and automation distributor headquartered in the Midwest serving industrial customers with controls, drives, and engineered solutions — same regional base as Power/mation but historically more concentrated in Ohio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Power/mation social profiles
Digital presencePower/mation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Power/mation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Power/mation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Power/mation 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 Power/mation
What does Power/mation do?
Power/mation is a nationally recognized industrial automation distributor that resells advanced automation hardware and software from 100+ manufacturers (ABB, Festo, Rittal, Banner, Phoenix Contact, Control Techniques, Horner APG, and others) across robotics, motion control, pneumatics, machine safety, sensing, IIoT, process automation, enclosures, and VFD migration. The Power/mation Solutions Group provides value-added custom engineering, enclosure modification, safety fencing design, cable kits, and DIN rail assemblies. The company stocks U.S. inventory across 6 fulfillment centers and serves industrial manufacturers primarily in the Midwest.
Is Power/mation a public or private company?
Power/mation is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Power/mation founded?
Power/mation was founded in 1961. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Power/mation based?
Power/mation is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does Power/mation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Automation Hardware Distribution is the primary driver. The others are custom Solutions and Value-Added Services and E-commerce Sales.
Who are Power/mation's main competitors?
Festo is listed as an others. Direct peers are AutomationDirect, Radwell International, Kaman Industrial Technologies and Allied Electronics & Automation (RS Group). Broad incumbents are Graybar, WESCO International, Rexel USA and Applied Industrial Technologies. McNaughton-McKay Electric Company is listed as a regional player.
Does Power/mation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Power/mation.
What industry is Power/mation in?
Power/mation's product category is Industrial Automation Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAK, Industrial Control Cabinets & Power Distribution (Panels, Switchgear for Automation), with a secondary code of EUADAEAJ, Control Room HMI/Visualization, Alarm & Event Management. Its NAICS code is 335314 and its SIC code is 3613.