Merriam, KS — IBT, Inc. announced today that it is now IBT Industrial Solutions. IBT Industrial Solutions provides industrial products, engineering expertise, and inventory management to plants and warehouses in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, food processing, packaging, bottling, aggregate, and power generation.
“We felt that the new name better reflects who we are today, and who we are going to be tomorrow,” said Jeff Cloud, a Regional Manager for IBT.
Anthony Akin, Director of Marketing at IBT, agreed. “The new name provides a much more comprehensive picture of our services,” he said. “We’re not just about selling parts. Our true value is in the ‘total package’ of what we provide—whether it’s systems design, engineering, troubleshooting, or training—to help our customers operate the most efficient industrial systems possible, with the least amount of downtime.”
History of the Name
IBT opened its doors in 1949 as Industrial Bearing and Transmission. Over time, it grew from one store in Kansas City to 40 locations across 9 Midwestern states, expanding its product offerings to include conveyor belting, electric motors, pneumatics, hydraulics, and safety. At that time, the decision was made to change the name to “IBT” to reflect the expansion.
Now, the company is adding “Industrial Solutions” to that name. “By keeping the ‘IBT’ first, we maintained all of the existing brand equity,” said Cloud. “The word ‘industrial’ helps define our main customer base and core product offering, while ‘solutions’ identifies that we are more than just a parts supplier.”
Akin said that over the years, customer needs have grown more complex as machinery becomes more complicated. "The addition of ‘industrial solutions’ reflects the ever-increasing demand of our customers to supply a broader range of products and services—and to be able to deliver holistic solutions,” he said.
A Changing Marketplace
The need for a name change also reflects the increasingly competitive nature of the industrial supply marketplace, said Elton Mayfield, a Partner at ER Marketing. His team has assisted the IBT marketing department with their website, customer events, and internal communications.
“Today, marketing has become more important than ever,” said Cloud. “You never want to miss an opportunity to reach a potential customer if they happen to come across your website.”
“The shift to ‘industrial solutions’ was an internal decision that came about from a brand workshop that involved several members of management at various levels,” Mayfield said. “The consensus was that IBT’s true strength goes way beyond a catalog of products.”
Mayfield added that updating a company’s marketing collateral and website provides the perfect opportunity to refresh the brand. “It’s the drive and willingness of IBT representatives to provide solutions to problems that truly sets the company apart,” he said. “The most important factors of the IBT brand are the team members who answer phones, visit customers, and solve their problems,”
“This really reflects who we’ve been for decades,” said Cloud. “Now we’ve just formalized it by writing it down.”
