KPI grows systems integration toolbox with double acquisition

The private equity-backed systems integration firm KPI Integrated Solutions today said it has broadened its supply chain consulting capabilities through the acquisition of Precision Distribution Consulting Inc. (PDC) and Simcon Solutions LLC.

Belton, Missouri-based KPI says it now offers a complete range of services and customized solutions, ranging from strategic network analysis and consulting, facility layout and warehouse simulation to automation design, robotic technology implementation, and lifetime maintenance services.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The double acquisition marks the latest maneuver for KPI, which was created eight months ago when the investment firm Ares Management Corp. bought three logistics industry firms—Kuecker Logistics, Pulse Integration, and QC Software—and rolled them into a new corporation called Kuecker Pulse Integration L.P. (KPI).

Buying York, Pennsylvania-based PDC now adds to that recipe with attributes like independent network modeling, last-mile delivery strategies, facility sizing and design, pick area slotting, work process definition, and time standard development/labor planning, PDC said. Likewise, Plano, Texas-based Simcon brings additional ingredients like designing, developing, and implementing data-driven simulation and scheduling solutions, the firm said.

“Today’s supply chain, warehousing, and distribution professionals are under extreme pressure to efficiently manage their operations to maximize performance, improve agility, and build resilience,” KPI CEO Larry Strayhorn said in a release. “Bringing the analytics, network strategy, warehouse design, and simulation expertise of PDC and Simcon together with KPI’s operational and automation design skills will provide our clients with exceptional end-to-end operational flexibility, productivity, and resilience.”