In a move company officials said will expand its efforts to build a connected automation company, Rockwell Automation announced June 25 that it has acquired Plex Systems, a cloud-based smart manufacturing platform provider, for $2.22 billion in cash.
Based in Troy, Mich., Plex Systems focuses on a scaled approach to manufacturing execution systems, supply chain management and quality. The company has more than 700 employees.
“This acquisition will accelerate our strategy to bring the Connected Enterprise to life, driving faster time to value for our customers as they increasingly adopt cloud solutions to improve resilience, agility, and sustainability in their operations,” said Blake Moret, chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation, in a press release.
“Combining Plex’s cutting-edge cloud technology with Rockwell’s existing software portfolio and domain expertise will add customer value and create more ways to win. The acquisition will also accelerate our software revenue growth and strengthen our annual recurring revenue streams,” he added.
“Plex has always been more than a company,” said Plex CEO Bill Berutti. “We have been a leader in the movement to smart manufacturing and a trusted partner to more than 700 manufacturing companies around the globe. Joining forces with Rockwell is great for our customers, our partners and our employees as we move to expand our reach and impact and accelerate our mission to bring manufacturing to the cloud.”
“Rockwell believes in the power of data and technology to transform manufacturing and industrial operations,” said Brian Shepherd, Rockwell Automation senior vice president, software and control, the division that will now include Plex Systems. “Together with the advanced asset maintenance and management capabilities provided by our recent Fiix acquisition, Rockwell will have a strong portfolio of cloud-native solutions for our customers’ production systems.”