The AutomationDirect Way
Value, variety, and convenience define a commitment to supporting industrial automation end users, OEMs, and systems integrators.
AutomationDirect has been named “Top Automation Products Distributor 2024” by Manufacturing Outlook magazine for “groundbreaking contributions to the manufacturing sector”.
In a the Manufacturing Outlook April 2024 cover story titled AutomationDirect: Where Value, Variety and Convenience Align, AutomationDirect’s Jeff Payne describes the business imperatives which have led the organization to be a premier distributor of industrial automation and electrical products.
“What defines our success is the continuous refining of processes, striving for excellence and never settling for ‘good enough’,” says Payne, who has served in multiple roles during his 25 years with AutomationDirect, where he is now the Director of Business Development.
Customers appreciate a stocking strategy that makes most products eligible for immediate shipment, along with a website providing clear online visibility of availability. The company’s B2B shopping experience closely aligns with the convenience and ease of a typical B2C transaction. While the company’s initial product offerings back in 1994 were primarily PLCs, today the portfolio has expanded to include a wide variety of industrial controllers, HMIs, sensors, communication devices, pneumatic/hydraulic and mechanical components, and much more.
AutomationDirect product managers with deep industry experience and strong vendor relationships introduce items to meet market needs. Users can easily order these products via the website, phone, email, and/or fax. Furthermore, customers are encouraged to rate products on the website as a form of community feedback to help all users make informed decisions, and to guide AutomationDirect’s product development efforts. Due to these and other activities, AutomationDirect has secured top spots in Control Design’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards in the PLC and HMI programming category for over 15 years.
Other pain points common throughout the industry—but addressed head-on by AutomationDirect—are associated with burdensome licensing costs and service contracts. At AutomationDirect, most development software is free or low-cost, and extensive support documents, training materials, and videos are available online. Complimentary technical support is also available. This makes the products more accessible to all users in general, but especially those new to automation projects.
Company founder Tim Hohmann has consistently emphasized a culture of servant leadership from the very beginning in the pursuit of customer satisfaction. This concept is reaffirmed by Payne, who states “We’ve been conducting our business with the same intensity since our first day. It’s not just a trend for us. It is one of the foundational principles we have upheld—supporting our customers through both prosperous times and challenging economies.”
AutomationDirect will continue its relentless focus on customer satisfaction by delivering the best combination of products and services.
