Private equity firm merges Robex and Mid-State Engineering

A private equity firm has bought the two logistics systems integrators Robex LLC and Mid-State Engineering LLC in a move to create an industrial automation integration platform to drive consolidation in the material handling space, Angeles Equity Partners LLC said today.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Santa Monica, California-based investment firm has high aims for the combined entities, with Mike Kay, operating partner at Angeles, saying in a statement: “We are excited to partner with such a talented team. We believe that Robex has the ability to become the leading robotic material-handling integrator in the U.S.”

Founded in 2015, Perryburg, Ohio-based Robex has customers in the food, glass, beverage, plastics, building products, and tissue industries. The firm defines itself as a precision integrator of industrial robots for the material handling space. In order to serve the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), logistics, and 3PL (third-party logistics) industries, Robex is an authorized system integrator for FANUC and a key distributor for Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), Plus One Robotics, AutoGuide Mobile Robots, and Seegrid AMRs.

In fact, Robex announced its deal with Seegrid Corp. on the same day it was acquired, saying the robotics vendor would provide a full portfolio of Seegrid Palion autonomous mobile robots and Fleet Central enterprise software solutions. “The ongoing labor shortage and heightened consumer demands continue to be a challenge, in turn making reliable automation solutions extremely critical to our customers’ success,” David Griffin, Seegrid’s chief sales officer, said in a release. “We are thrilled to collaborate with RōBEX to deliver on our mutual commitment of providing seamless end-to-end robotic solutions that transform the world’s supply chain.”

Robex will now combine that growing stable of tools with equipment from Mid-State Engineering, a Tipton, Indiana-based firm that says it specializes in mechanical and electrical engineering and design, custom fabrication, and integration of custom engineered solutions. “Mid-State’s deep technical experience within robotic automation enables us to expand into new customer segments. We are excited to welcome them to the Robex family,” Robex president and COO Craig Francisco said in a release.

We're excited to announce a new partnership with RōBEX! This strategic collaboration enables their customers to quickly get up and running with our scalable #automation solutions to increase productivity, improve #safety, and enhance quality. Read on: https://t.co/PQiJxDQXfK

— Seegrid (@Seegrid) March 1, 2022