Forward Motion, Inc.
Forward Motion, Inc. is a privately held, small electromechanical design-and-build firm in Avon, Ohio that delivers custom machine building, industrial automation, and control system integration services to manufacturing clients throughout Northeast Ohio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAvon, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Forward Motion, Inc. does
Forward Motion, Inc. is a privately held, small electromechanical design-and-build engineering firm headquartered at 1220 Moore Rd, Suite D, Avon, Ohio. The company delivers custom machine building, industrial automation, and control system integration services to manufacturing clients throughout Northeast Ohio, with a stated service area spanning the Cleveland and Akron metropolitan regions. Its service portfolio is integrated end-to-end: custom machine design using SolidWorks 3D and AutoCAD 3D, UL 508A-certified control panel fabrication, PLC and HMI programming across Allen-Bradley, Automation Direct, B&R, GE/Proficy, Ignition SCADA, and Rockwell platforms, FANUC-trained robotic integration, machining, fabrication, and welding (including Georg Fischer IR63 PVC welding), process piping and skid fabrication, platform and mezzanine design, machine safety services (OSHA, ANSI, ISO), and turnkey installation and commissioning.
The firm operates a project-based professional services model with no public pricing; each engagement begins with a consultation to scope requirements and concludes with delivery and commissioning. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales engagement supported by a content website and local SEO service pages for Cleveland and Akron. The reported headcount is 1-10 employees, indicating a boutique regional integrator rather than a scaled automation provider. There are no disclosed financials, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, no parent company, no patents, no named customer logos, and no management team information in the source material. The firm's differentiated position rests on integrated mechanical, electrical, and process capabilities under one roof, multi-platform certifications (UL 508A, Georg Fischer IR63, FANUC), and decades of regional operating experience.
Forward Motion, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forward Motion, Inc.
- Legal name
- Forward Motion Inc.
- Website
- https://fwdmotioninc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Forward Motion, Inc. is a privately held, small electromechanical design-and-build firm in Avon, Ohio that delivers custom machine building, industrial automation, and control system integration services to manufacturing clients throughout Northeast Ohio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forward Motion, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Automation & Custom Machinery
- NAICS
- Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)
- SIC
- Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers) (IMAGABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Motion Control Components (Servos, Drives, Motors, Encoders) (IMAHAHAG), Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH)
Keywords
Where Forward Motion, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Avon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forward Motion, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Machine Design and Build: Design and build custom machinery tailored to specific operational needs. Projects include standalone machines and integrated systems for manufacturing. Pricing is project-based and requires consultation.
- Control System Integration Services: Custom automation solutions including hardware design, control panel building, PLC/HMI programming, robotic integration, and SCADA design. Professional services billed per project.
- Installation and Commissioning: Delivery, rigging, installation, and startup of equipment. Includes coordination with contractors and site management as part of turnkey solutions.
- Machining, Fabrication, and Welding Services: Industrial machining, custom fabrication, contract welding (MIG, TIG, stud welding), and prototyping/small batch production. Also includes on-site welding and repairs.
- Process Piping and Skid Fabrication: Design, fabricate, and install skids for CIP systems, standalone processing, or machine interconnection. Includes stainless steel piping, tanks, vessels, valves, and pumps.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Forward Motion, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forward Motion, Inc. designs and builds custom industrial machinery, automation cells, and integrated control systems for manufacturing clients. The company provides end-to-end services including mechanical design, machining and fabrication, welding, UL 508A control panel assembly, PLC/HMI programming, VFD and servo commissioning, robotic integration, and on-site installation. It operates as a UL 508A-certified panel shop with FANUC robotic integration training and Georg Fischer IR63 welding certification.
Product overview
Forward Motion, Inc. is an electromechanical design-and-build firm offering integrated custom machine building and automation services. The portfolio centers on a comprehensive suite of interconnected services: Custom Machine Design (using SolidWorks 3D and AutoCAD 3D) feeds into UL 508A Panel Shop (for control panels), Machining/Fabrication/Welding (for components), Process Piping/Skids (for fluid systems), and Platform Design/Fabrication (for access structures). Control System Design provides the automation brain (PLC/HMI programming, robotic integration), while Installation and Commissioning handles deployment. Supporting capabilities include Machine Safety (OSHA/ANSI/ISO compliant), VFD and Servo Troubleshooting, and dedicated Welding Services. Together, these form a turnkey design-build-deliver capability for standalone and integrated manufacturing systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Control System Design
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces installation and permitting time through UL 508A compliance
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Forward Motion, Inc.
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Forward Motion, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Forward Motion, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Rockwell AutomationcoreRockwell Automation logo displayed on website indicating partnership or preferred vendor relationship. Rockwell is a major industrial automation and control company providing PLCs, HMIs, and industrial software that Forward Motion integrates into their custom control systems and automation solutions.
- Inductive Automation (Ignition SCADA)coreIgnition by Inductive Automation is promoted on the website with a partner badge. Ignition is a cross-platform SCADA/HMI software platform that Forward Motion uses for supervisory control and data acquisition system design and implementation.
- FANUCcoreForward Motion is FANUC trained in robotic integration. FANUC is a leading industrial robotics company. Forward Motion provides end-of-arm tooling design and build, collaborative robot (Cobot) programming and integration, and PLC-to-Robot communication using FANUC technology.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Forward Motion, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bastian Solutions: Large materials handling and automation integrator (Toyota Industries-owned) with custom automation, robotic integration, and controls capabilities. Overlaps with Forward Motion on custom machine and controls work but operates at a meaningfully larger scale.
- JR Automation: Large-scale custom automation and robotic integration provider (Hitachi-owned) serving manufacturers across multiple end markets. Competes with Forward Motion on turnkey custom machine and robotic integration projects but at substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
- Rockwell Automation: Global industrial automation OEM whose Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI platforms form the core of Forward Motion's control system stack. Comparable in industrial automation and motion control, but as a platform vendor and OEM service provider rather than a regional integrator.
- Yaskawa America: Manufacturer of motion control, servo drives, robotics, and variable frequency drives. Overlaps with Forward Motion's VFD/servo and FANUC-adjacent motion control integration work as a supplier of key components and competing in the broader automation stack.
Direct peers
- Cross Company: Mid-Atlantic/Ohio-based industrial automation integrator offering control system design, custom machinery, machine safety, and fabrication services. Comparable in turnkey design-build delivery and mid-sized manufacturing customer profile.
- Gray Solutions: Industrial automation and process integration arm of Gray, delivering custom control systems, panel fabrication, and process skid integration to manufacturers. Directly comparable in control system design, UL panel shop capability, and turnkey project delivery.
- Genesis Systems Group: Custom robotic integration and engineered systems provider specializing in welding, material handling, and assembly automation. Directly comparable on FANUC robotic integration, custom machine build, and manufacturing customer base.
- RoviSys: Ohio-headquartered (Aurora) independent automation integrator with multi-vendor expertise in PLC/SCADA, robotic integration, and process control — highly comparable to Forward Motion's vendor-agnostic control system integration and regional manufacturing customer base.
- Matrix Technologies: Ohio-based (Maumee) industrial automation and control system integrator providing custom machine design, control panel fabrication, and process skid integration to manufacturers — directly comparable to Forward Motion's integrated design-build model in the same region.
Regional players
- Astro Machine Works: Custom machine builder and contract manufacturer based in Illinois serving Midwest manufacturers with custom automation, machining, and fabrication. Comparable in custom machine design and build, though operating in a different Midwest geography.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Forward Motion, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceForward Motion, Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Forward Motion, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forward Motion, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Forward Motion, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forward Motion, Inc. 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 Forward Motion, Inc.
What does Forward Motion, Inc. do?
Forward Motion, Inc. designs and builds custom industrial machinery, automation cells, and integrated control systems for manufacturing clients. The company provides end-to-end services including mechanical design, machining and fabrication, welding, UL 508A control panel assembly, PLC/HMI programming, VFD and servo commissioning, robotic integration, and on-site installation. It operates as a UL 508A-certified panel shop with FANUC robotic integration training and Georg Fischer IR63 welding certification.
Is Forward Motion, Inc. a public or private company?
Forward Motion, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Forward Motion, Inc. founded?
Forward Motion, Inc. was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Forward Motion, Inc. based?
Forward Motion, Inc. is headquartered in Avon, United States, in the North America region.
How does Forward Motion, Inc. make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Custom Machine Design and Build is the primary driver. The others are control System Integration Services, installation and Commissioning, machining, Fabrication, and Welding Services and process Piping and Skid Fabrication.
Who are Forward Motion, Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bastian Solutions, JR Automation, Rockwell Automation and Yaskawa America. Direct peers are Cross Company, Gray Solutions, Genesis Systems Group, RoviSys and Matrix Technologies. Astro Machine Works is listed as a regional player.
Does Forward Motion, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forward Motion, Inc..
What industry is Forward Motion, Inc. in?
Forward Motion, Inc.'s product category is Industrial Automation & Custom Machinery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGABAG, Motion & Machine Control (CNC, Robotics Controllers, Servo/Motion Controllers), with a secondary code of IMAHAHAG, Motion Control Components (Servos, Drives, Motors, Encoders). Its NAICS code is 3339 and its SIC code is 3550.