AAP Automation
AAP Automation is a US-based, privately held industrial automation distributor founded in 1982, reselling pneumatic, electrical, motion control, and robotic components from SMC, Bosch Rexroth, KUKA, ABB, Piab, and Tosibox to manufacturers across the Mountain West and broader US.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersEnglewood, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What AAP Automation does
AAP Automation is a privately held, value-added industrial automation distributor founded in 1982 and headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. The company resells components and integrated solutions from six premier automation OEMs — SMC (pneumatics), Bosch Rexroth (factory automation, motion control), KUKA (robotics), ABB (drives), Piab (cobot grippers), and Tosibox (secure remote access) — covering electrical, pneumatic, robotic, and motion control product categories. It operates four physical branches across Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho, alongside an e-commerce storefront at order-online.aapautomation.com and an online SMC Part Configurator tool that enables self-serve component selection.
The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining hardware resale of catalog automation components (actuators, valves, sensors, air preparation, drives, grippers, networking gear) with professional services revenue from designing and delivering complete automation systems for customers building automated products or projects. Customer segments are reported as horizontal-industrial, spanning manufacturing, automotive (including e-mobility and battery), electronics, metals and plastics, consumer goods, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare, served through inside sales (phone), the online storefront, and supplier co-marketing channels. No public revenue, headcount figures, certifications, patents, or external funding are disclosed, and ownership remains private with no parent company, M&A activity, or leadership changes on record.
AAP Automation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AAP Automation
- Legal name
- AAP Automation
- Website
- https://aapautomation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AAP Automation is a US-based, privately held industrial automation distributor founded in 1982, reselling pneumatic, electrical, motion control, and robotic components from SMC, Bosch Rexroth, KUKA, ABB, Piab, and Tosibox to manufacturers across the Mountain West and broader US.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AAP Automation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Automation Distribution
- NAICS
- Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables (334513), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, Nec (5065), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Factory Automation Cells & Integrated Systems (Assembly, Welding, Painting Lines) (IMAHAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK), Electrical Controls, PLC & Industrial Automation (EDAOABAE)
Keywords
Where AAP Automation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Englewood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
AAP Automation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Automation Component Sales: Revenue generated from selling automation components including pneumatic equipment, electrical controls, robotic systems, and motion control products from partner brands.
- Automation Systems & Integration: Revenue from designing and delivering complete automation systems for customers developing automated products or automation projects.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
AAP Automation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AAP Automation is a value-added distributor and full-service automation solutions provider that resells automation components and systems from premier brands including SMC, Bosch Rexroth, KUKA, ABB, Piab, and Tosibox. The company supplies electrical, pneumatic, robotic, and motion control products to industrial manufacturers, and supports customers through an e-commerce storefront, an SMC Part Configurator tool, and regional sales/technical support offices.
Product overview
AAP Automation is a full-service automation distributor and solutions provider established in 1982, offering a comprehensive portfolio of automation components and systems. The company distributes major brands including SMC pneumatic components, Bosch Rexroth factory automation solutions, KUKA robotics, Piab cobot grippers, ABB drives, and Tosibox networking equipment. Their product portfolio spans electrical automation, pneumatic automation, robotics, and motion control. The company provides an online SMC Part Configurator tool for component selection and ordering. Core product categories include actuators, directional control valves, vacuum products, electric actuators, chiller systems, fluid process equipment, static control (ionizers, sensors), air preparation equipment (dryers, filters, auto drain valves), and industrial filters. AAP serves diverse industries including manufacturing, automotive, electronics, healthcare, and e-commerce.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SMC Pneumatic Components Full range of SMC pneumatic automation components including actuators, valves, connectors, sensors, air preparation equipment, chillers, and fluid process products, distributed by AAP to industrial manufacturers.
- Bosch Rexroth Factory Automation Solutions Bosch Rexroth factory automation portfolio including components, digital engineering tools, and customized support for electrical, pneumatic, and motion control applications, resold by AAP.
- KUKA Robotics KUKA intelligent automation solutions including robots, cells, and fully automated systems for automotive (e-mobility and battery), electronics, metal and plastic, consumer goods, e-commerce, retail, and healthcare markets, distributed by AAP.
- ABB ACS580 Drives ABB ACS580 variable frequency drives ranging from 200-700HP for industrial automation applications, sold by AAP.
- Piab KCS Cobot Gripper Piab KCS series flexible gripper solution tailor-made for collaborative robots (cobots), offering the flexibility to handle a variety of objects, distributed by AAP.
- Tosibox Lock 500 Tosibox Lock 500 secure remote access and networking solution for industrial automation and IoT applications, distributed by AAP.
- SMC Part Configurator Online configuration and search tool for SMC automation components including pneumatic equipment, filters, valves, actuators, and fluid process products, enabling customers to find and order parts directly.
Companies that use AAP Automation
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
AAP Automation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
AAP Automation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Bosch RexrothcorePremier supplier partner offering the broadest selection of factory automation solutions including components, digital engineering tools and customized support. AAP resells Bosch Rexroth products for electrical, pneumatic, and motion control applications.
- KUKAcoreOne of the world's leading suppliers of intelligent automation solutions. AAP offers KUKA robots, cells, and fully automated systems for automotive (e-mobility & battery), electronics, metal & plastic, consumer goods, e-commerce, retail and healthcare markets.
- SMCcoreMajor supplier partner specializing in pneumatic automation components. AAP offers SMC Part Configurator tool and full range of SMC products including actuators, valves, sensors, air preparation equipment, chillers, and fluid process components.
- ABBmajorSupplier partner providing ABB ACS580 drives in 200-700HP range for industrial automation applications.
- PiabminorSupplier partner offering KCS Cobot Gripper - a flexible gripper solution tailor-made for cobots characterized by flexibility to handle a variety of objects.
- TosiboxminorSupplier partner offering Tosibox Lock 500 secure remote access solution for industrial automation applications.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AAP Automation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WESCO International: Global electrical, communications, and utility distribution business with a meaningful industrial automation footprint — competes for the same manufacturer customers on electrical controls and motion products.
- Rexel: Global electrical and automation products distribution company operating across multiple geographies. Comparable in product categories (electrical automation, drives, controls) though primarily non-US footprint.
- Grainger: Massive MRO and industrial supply distributor with a substantial motion control and automation product portfolio alongside broad facility/maintenance offerings — overlap on automation components but much broader scope.
- Applied Industrial Technologies: One of the largest industrial/MRO distributors in North America offering bearings, fluid power, motion control, and automation products — overlapping with AAP's pneumatic, motion, and electrical automation categories.
Direct peers
- Sager Electronics: Specialty distributor of electromechanical, interconnect, and industrial automation components serving OEMs and manufacturers — comparable supplier-partner economics and customer profile to AAP.
- McMaster-Carr: Industry-leading industrial supply catalog distributor with a broad SKU range including pneumatic, motion, and electrical components used in factory automation. Competes directly with AAP on transactional component sales.
- AutomationDirect: A direct e-commerce competitor specializing in factory automation components (PLCs, pneumatics, drives, motors, sensors). Competes head-to-head with AAP on the same product categories across a national storefront.
- Mouser Electronics: Authorized distributor of electronic components and industrial automation products with a global e-commerce platform. Overlaps with AAP on sensors, controls, and industrial networking SKUs.
- Kaman Industrial Technologies: Industrial distribution business focused on bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and automation components with technical sales coverage across multiple US regions — directly comparable to AAP's distribution + integration model.
Regional players
- FCX Performance (now part of Applied Industrial): Specialty fluid power and automation distributor with deep process control expertise, historically serving similar industrial automation customers with engineered solutions — comparable integration-plus-distribution mix to AAP.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AAP Automation social profiles
Digital presenceAAP Automation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AAP Automation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AAP Automation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AAP 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 AAP Automation
What does AAP Automation do?
AAP Automation is a value-added distributor and full-service automation solutions provider that resells automation components and systems from premier brands including SMC, Bosch Rexroth, KUKA, ABB, Piab, and Tosibox. The company supplies electrical, pneumatic, robotic, and motion control products to industrial manufacturers, and supports customers through an e-commerce storefront, an SMC Part Configurator tool, and regional sales/technical support offices.
Is AAP Automation a public or private company?
AAP Automation is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was AAP Automation founded?
AAP Automation was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AAP Automation based?
AAP Automation is headquartered in Englewood, United States, in the North America region.
How does AAP Automation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Automation Component Sales are the primary driver. The others are automation Systems & Integration.
Who are AAP Automation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WESCO International, Rexel, Grainger and Applied Industrial Technologies. Direct peers are Sager Electronics, McMaster-Carr, AutomationDirect, Mouser Electronics and Kaman Industrial Technologies. FCX Performance (now part of Applied Industrial) is listed as a regional player.
Does AAP Automation have an API?
No public API is recorded for AAP Automation.
What industry is AAP Automation in?
AAP Automation's product category is Industrial Automation Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAHAL, Factory Automation Cells & Integrated Systems (Assembly, Welding, Painting Lines), with a secondary code of IMAGABAK, Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits). Its NAICS code is 334513 and its SIC code is 5065.