Rockwell Automation Changing CEOs July 1, Acquires MagneMotion

President and CEO Keith Nosbusch will step down effective July 1, to be replaced by company veteran Blake Moret, while Rockwell has made another move to build its motion control business.

Milwaukee-based industrial equipment and software maker Rockwell Automation announced Tuesday that Keith Nosbusch is stepping down as company president and CEO, and that its board of directors has elected Blake Moret to replace him effective July 1.

Nosbursch, 65, will remain with the company as board chairman. He has been president and CEO since 2004.

Nosbusch said: “It has been an honor and privilege to lead Rockwell Automation over the past 12 years," Nosbusch said. "While as a team we enjoyed tremendous success, I have no doubt that we are well positioned for an even greater future. Blake is the ideal executive to move Rockwell Automation forward in its next chapter."

Moret, 53, is a 30-year veteran of Rockwell Automation, which designs and buids the controls for assembly lines that produce everything from car parts, to semiconductors to food. He is currently serves as senior vice president of the company's Control Products & Solutions segment.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Rockwell Automation and its talented employees into an exciting future," Moret said. "We have a deep management team, unmatched technology solutions, domain expertise across a broad range of industries, and enduring customer relationships around the world. We are committed to continue to deliver customer and shareowner value in the years ahead.”

Rockwell Automation also announced that it has expanded its motion control business with the acquisition of MagneMotion, a Devens, MA-based manufacturer of high-performance conveyor systems with servo-controlled independent cart technology.

Rockwell said the new offering will integrate into its existing control, safety and sensing solutions to help manufacturers more safely, quickly and easily transport products and heavy loads between machines and throughout a plant.

The move follows Rockwell's 2014 acquisition of Jacobs Automation as a means of building its motion control business.

“This innovative technology complements our current offering and is particularly useful for customers in automotive manufacturing and general assembly, packaging, and medical device manufacturing, where there is a significant need for careful and precise movement of many different products and parts,” said Marco Wishart, Rockwell's motion control vice president and general manager. “The acquisition allows Rockwell Automation to expand its motion control offering in additional regions and use its global infrastructure to support this business as it continues to grow."

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