Industrial Automation

What Industrial Automation does

Industrial Automation Co. is a privately held, U.S.-based distributor and reseller of industrial automation components headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded by Will Jacobsen, the company specializes in mature, legacy, and end-of-life automation products that are difficult or impossible to source through authorized distributors, stocking over 25,000 SKUs across 50+ brands including Siemens, Mitsubishi, FANUC, Yaskawa, Schneider Electric, OMRON, ABB, Delta Electronics, and Dobot. Product categories span servo drives, spindle drives, CNC servo drives, servo motors, spindle motors, AC servo motors, HMIs, PLCs and PLC batteries, variable frequency drives, I/O modules, circuit breakers, terminal blocks, and collaborative robots. The company runs an in-house refurbishment operation staffed by industrial electronic engineers, with all products (new, new surplus, and refurbished) backed by a 2-year warranty.

The business operates a hybrid digital-plus-assisted go-to-market model. Customers browse a self-serve e-commerce catalog on a Shopify storefront, request quotes (typically answered within 5 minutes during business hours), and place orders online or via phone. The company ships same-day from in-stock items with free UPS Ground on orders under 50 lbs, and serves the United States, Canada, Mexico, and most of Europe. Beside transactional sales, IAC runs two surplus-liquidation programs: Asset Recovery (24-48 hour payout at 40-60% of market price) and Consignment (30-90 day sale with 65% to the seller). The customer base exceeds 65,000 and includes marquee enterprise logos (Ford, Coca-Cola, Cummins, U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, MSC Industrial, Motion Industries, Union Pacific, LSC Communications) alongside a long-tail of MRO and OEM buyers served through self-serve channels.

The company is bootstrapped and founder-owned with no disclosed funding, M&A, or institutional investment. The team of 15+ includes a Director of Sales, Director of Operations, Controller, Marketing Manager, Inventory Manager, and engineering/sales support staff. IAC has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list, holds EASA membership, and operates a 49+ post Resource Center blog for SEO/content marketing. Limited explicit AI capabilities exist beyond a product-page chatbot and analytics-driven inventory staging.

Name

Industrial Automation

Legal name

Industrial Automation Co.

Website

https://industrialautomationco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Industrial Automation Co. is a U.S.-based distributor of legacy and current industrial automation parts, selling over 25,000 SKUs from 50+ brands to MRO and OEM customers via e-commerce, phone, and quote-based channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Parts Distribution

NAICS

Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance (811310)

SIC

Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065), Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Controllers & Control Systems (PLCs, PACs, CNC Controllers) (IMAHAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC)

Keywords

• Industrial automation parts
• Servo drives distributors
• PLC replacement parts
• Industrial electronic refurbishment
• Legacy automation components

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Parts Sales: One-time sale of industrial automation parts including new, new surplus, open box, and refurbished conditions. Products include servo drives, servo motors, PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, CNC controllers, I/O modules, power supplies, circuit breakers, terminal blocks, counters, timers, and PLC batteries. Products are sold individually at per-unit prices.
2. Surplus Asset Recovery: Asset Recovery Program — IAC purchases surplus industrial automation parts directly from sellers at 40-60% of market price, with 24-48 hour payout. IAC then resells the parts through its catalog.
3. Consignment Program: Sellers ship equipment to IAC's facility for evaluation and listing on the IAC platform. IAC handles marketing, selling, packaging, and shipping. Sellers receive 65% of the final sale price once the item is sold. Timeline is 30-90 days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Industrial Automation Co. distributes and refurbishes industrial automation replacement parts — including servo drives, servo motors, spindle drives, spindle motors, AC servo motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), HMIs, PLCs, PLC batteries, I/O modules, circuit breakers, terminal blocks, and collaborative robots — across 50+ brands (Siemens, Mitsubishi, FANUC, Yaskawa, Schneider Electric, OMRON, ABB, Invertek, Delta, Benshaw, Altech, Dobot, and others). Products are offered in new, new surplus, and IAC Certified Refurbished conditions, every unit backed by a 2-year warranty. The company also runs an Asset Recovery Program (buying surplus at 40-60% of market with 24-48 hour payout) and a Consignment Program (30-90 day sale, seller receives 65% of proceeds).

Product overview

Industrial Automation Co. is a U.S.-based global distributor and reseller of industrial electronics, specializing in mature, legacy, and end-of-life automation products. The company operates a platform-plus-catalog model offering over 25,000 products from more than 50 brands including Siemens (SINAMICS S120, SIMATIC S7-1200 G2, SIMODRIVE 611), Mitsubishi (MR-J2/MR-J3/MR-J4 servo drives, Q/FX PLCs, GOT HMIs), FANUC (servo amplifiers, spindle drives, robot parts), Yaskawa (Sigma-series drives), OMRON (PLCs, servo drives), Schneider Electric, ABB, Invertek, Dobot (collaborative robots), Delta Electronics, Benshaw, and Altech. The product portfolio spans servo drives and motors, spindle drives, variable frequency drives, HMIs, PLCs and PLC batteries, circuit breakers, terminal blocks, and collaborative robots. All products are backed by a 2-year warranty with options for new, new surplus, and refurbished conditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Servo Drives High-performance servo drives for precise control of servo motors in industrial automation applications. Available in new, new surplus, and IAC Certified Refurbished conditions from brands such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, FANUC, and Yaskawa. Purchasable per unit via the e-commerce catalog or quote request.
• Spindle Drives Variable frequency drives designed specifically for spindle motor control in CNC and machining applications. Distributed under the Drives product category for manufacturers and MRO buyers.
• CNC Servo Drives Servo drives optimized for CNC machine tool applications providing precise motion control for cutting and machining operations. Offered in new and refurbished conditions for OEM and MRO buyers.
• Servo Motors High-precision servo motors for automation and motion control applications across industrial sectors. Distributed from brands including Mitsubishi, Yaskawa, FANUC, and Siemens in new and refurbished conditions.
• Spindle Motors Motors designed for high-speed machining operations in CNC and industrial applications. Distributed as part of the Motors product category for machine builders and MRO buyers.
• AC Servo Motors Alternating current servo motors providing precise speed and position control for industrial automation systems. Distributed from brands such as Mitsubishi, Yaskawa, and FANUC.
• Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) Operator interface panels including touchscreens and display modules for industrial automation visualization and control from brands such as Siemens (SIMATIC), Mitsubishi (GOT), Schneider (Magelis/Harmony), and ABB.
• PLC Parts Programmable Logic Controller components including CPUs, I/O modules, and communication modules for industrial control systems from Siemens, Mitsubishi, Allen-Bradley-equivalents, Schneider, OMRON, and ABB.
• PLC Batteries Memory-backup batteries for PLCs, CNC machines, servo drives, and robotics controllers that preserve programs, RAM, and real-time clock settings during power loss.
• Siemens SINAMICS S120 Series Multi-axis Siemens servo drive system engineered for precision and power in demanding environments with multi-axis coordination, comprehensive safety protocols, and PROFINET integration. Sold as a product series with new and refurbished SKUs.
• SIMATIC S7-1200 G2 PLCs & Modules Next-generation compact Siemens PLCs with advanced diagnostics, built-in NFC functionality, and seamless TIA Portal integration for basic to mid-level automation applications. Sold as a product series.
• Siemens SIMODRIVE 611 Series Dynamic motion control solution for sophisticated applications from precision machine tooling to advanced handling systems with robust design. Sold as a product series.
• Mitsubishi MR-J2-200CT Servo Amplifier MELSERVO-J2 series servo amplifier for higher-capacity motor control, 3 HP / 2 kW / 11 AMP, 200-230 VAC 3-phase, with built-in dynamic brake and closed-loop feedback support. Listed at $1,137 as an example individual SKU.
• Siemens 6AV2124-0MC01-0AX0 SIMATIC HMI TP1200 Comfort Panel 12-inch widescreen TFT SIMATIC HMI panel with 16 million colors, PROFINET interface, MPI/PROFIBUS DP interface, 12 MB configuration memory, and Windows CE 6.0. Listed at $3,605 as an example individual SKU.
• FANUC A06B-6096-H106 Servo Amplifier Module ALPHA SVM1-130 series single-axis servo amplifier module with 130 amp maximum current capacity, compatible with Model 22 alpha servos. Available new at $2,468 or IAC Certified Refurbished at $1,490.
• Asset Recovery Program Industrial Automation Co. purchases surplus, obsolete, or used industrial automation parts directly from manufacturers, plant managers, and equipment dealers at 40-60% of market price, with payout within 24-48 hours. Acquired parts are resold through the IAC catalog.
• Consignment Program Sellers ship industrial automation equipment to IAC's Raleigh, NC facility for evaluation, listing, marketing, packaging, and shipping on the IAC platform. Timeline is 30-90 days; sellers receive 65% of the final sale price. Reaches 30,000+ monthly website visitors.
• IAC Certified Refurbishment In-house refurbishment and testing of industrial automation components performed by expert industrial electronic engineers. Each refurbished unit is professionally restored to perform like new and backed by a 2-year IAC warranty.

Quantifiable outcome

• Quote response time: within 5 minutes during business hours
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA)minorOthersIndustrial Automation Co. is a member of the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA), an international trade organization for independent service firms in the electrical apparatus industry. EASA membership provides industry standards, training resources, and networking for service companies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Galco Industrial Electronics: Distributor of new, surplus, and refurbished industrial electronics with cross-brand catalog and in-house repair services. Closely overlaps IAC's product categories, supplier base, and target customers.
• Titus Industrial: Distributor of surplus and obsolete industrial automation products, including legacy PLCs, drives, and HMI components. Direct competitor in the end-of-life and discontinued-parts niche.
• Control Tech USA: Industrial automation parts supplier focused on hard-to-find and obsolete components for PLCs, drives, and motors. Competes with IAC on legacy SKUs and customer support responsiveness.
• Higgason Automation: Supplier of new, used, and refurbished industrial automation parts and equipment with emphasis on legacy and hard-to-find SKUs across major brands. Directly comparable to IAC's core catalog model.
• Industrial Control Repair: Provides repair, refurbishment, and resale of industrial electronic controls including drives, PLCs, and circuit boards. Closely aligned with IAC's in-house refurbishment and 2-year warranty positioning.
• Radwell International: Large-scale distributor and refurbisher of industrial automation and MRO parts with in-house repair facilities. Operates a similar model of new/surplus/refurbished sales plus asset recovery, but at significantly larger scale than IAC.
• MRO Electric: Distributor of new and surplus industrial automation components (PLCs, drives, motors, HMIs) with in-house repair and refurbishment capabilities. Direct competitor in legacy and hard-to-find automation parts.
• Fox River Systems: Specializes in surplus and remanufactured industrial automation controls including PLCs, motor controls, and drives. Competes directly with IAC's refurbishment and legacy-parts offering.
• AX Control, Inc. Specializes in surplus and refurbished industrial automation parts across major brands (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, GE Fanuc), competing head-to-head with IAC in the same legacy/obsolete parts niche. Closely matched in product, customer base, and business model.

Broad incumbents

• MSC Industrial Supply Co. Multi-billion-dollar broad-line MRO distributor with extensive industrial product catalog. While not specializing in IAC's legacy automation niche, MSC overlaps on industrial supplies procurement for IAC's enterprise customers and is a major competitive force in any expansion of IAC's addressable market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/industrialautomationco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/industrial-automation-co
• Instagraminstagram.com/industrialautomationco
• TikToktiktok.com/@industrialautomationco
• Xx.com/indautoco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Industrial Automation