Electro-Matic Ventures Inc., a supplier of high-tech automation components and services headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., in March announced it had acquired RAF Fluid Power, a provider of advanced automation with a focus on pneumatic and robotic solutions. RAF, located outside Cleveland in Solon, Ohio, is the first acquisition for Electro-Matic Ventures, which has three other subsidiaries: Electro-Matic Products, Electro-Matic Integrated, and Electro-Matic Visual.
“We are very excited to announce the addition of our newest subsidiary: RAF Automation. This subsidiary is the result of the combination of our acquisition of RAF Fluid Power and our existing Electro-Matic Products, Ohio sales and technical staff,” said Jim Baker, CEO of Electro-Matic Ventures. “RAF brings a strategic basket of products and capabilities to the Electro-Matic Ventures group of companies. They also provide us with a firm foundation and geographic presence in the Northern Ohio region as well as the ability to grow into the Western Pennsylvania market.”
The acquisition rounds out the companies’ offerings for their customers. RAF’s key product lines — Festo, Cognex, Universal Robots and Gast — focus on pneumatic and robotic solutions. Electro-Matic’s key product lines — Siemens, Rittal, Fortress, Lapp, Turck and TE Connectivity — include solutions for automation, controls, drives, enclosures, safety components and connectivity.
RAF Fluid Power was privately held by Tom Koly, president, and Bill Frissell, vice president. Koly and Frissell will remain in their current positions as RAF becomes a subsidiary of Electro-Matic Ventures.
“We are excited to become part of Electro-Matic Ventures,” said Koly. “I have been part of exciting and challenging times in my 36 years with RAF. Our marketplace has changed significantly in that time, but the pace and magnitude of the changes we have seen in the last 3 years have been dramatic. The experience and expertise of the Electro-Matic staff as well as partners like Siemens and Rittal will help us meet the demands of our customers amidst these changes.”
Electro-Matic’s distribution subsidiary, Electro-Matic Products, holds a sales office with 11 employees in Brecksville, Ohio. This office will close and all staff will join RAF’s 28 employees at its 23,000-square-foot facility in Solon, OH which will include local inventory, training and manufacturing/value add capabilities. Included in the purchase is Miniature Plastic Molding, an injection molding machine business run out of the facility.
