Why This Matters to Distributors: The new platform reflects growing investment interest in automation distribution as manufacturers increase spending on factory automation, controls and connected industrial systems that require technical sales and engineering support.
Shore Capital Partners is building a new industrial automation distribution platform focused on automation hardware, components and technical support services for manufacturers and industrial customers.
The Chicago-based private equity firm named Aurelio Banda as executive operating partner to lead the effort. Banda previously served as president and CEO of Turck USA and earlier led the automation business unit at Motion Industries.
According to Shore Capital, the platform will focus on distributing industrial automation hardware and components while providing applications support, technical expertise, and manufacturer relationship management across automation product categories. Banda will oversee acquisition strategy, operating plans, and commercial development.
The strategy is expected to focus on acquiring and combining automation distributors and related businesses into a larger specialty distribution company.
Industrial automation has become an increasingly active area for investment as manufacturers adopt more robotics, sensors, connectivity systems, and process automation technologies to improve productivity and modernize operations.
Before joining Shore Capital, Banda spent more than 35 years in industrial automation across distribution, manufacturing, and private equity-backed companies. Earlier in his career, he founded Controls Plus Inc., a wholesale distributor and software application engineering company serving industrial manufacturing customers in the United States and Mexico.
“What sets Aurelio apart is a combination of deep technical fluency across the automation hardware stack, first-hand experience in building strong channel relationships at both the manufacturer and distributor level, and a track record of scaling businesses,” John Sznewajs, partner and co-head of Shore Capital’s Industrials Fund, said in a statement.
Shore Capital already has investments in industrial automation through ONDEX Automation, a systems integrator platform where Banda has served on the board since 2024.
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