Birmingham, Ala. – Motion Industries, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company, announced today that it has acquired Braas Company. Execution of the transaction was effective October 3, 2016. Braas Company is a leading distributor of products and services for industrial automation and control. Braas was founded in 1961, and has been an employee-owned company with headquarters in Eden Prairie, MN. Braas has more than 150 employees and enjoys a strong automation leadership position throughout the Midwest and Southeastern U.S., with five offices and three warehouses. The company specializes in pneumatics, motion control, industrial networking, machine safety, robotics and related industrial parts. In addition, Braas has a strong reputation in the market as a solutions-provider, supported by a team of experienced application engineers to assist customers from concept to equipment installation, providing productivity improvements across the plant floor. With annual sales of $4.8 billion, Motion Industries is a leading industrial parts distributor of bearings, mechanical power transmission, electrical and industrial automation, hydraulic and industrial hose, hydraulic and pneumatic components, industrial products, safety products, and material handling. Motion Industries has over 550 operations including 15 distribution centers throughout North America and serves more than 150,000 customers from the food and beverage, pulp and paper, iron and steel, chemical, mining and aggregate, petrochemical, automotive, wood and lumber, and pharmaceutical industries. Motion Industries is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company. for more information, visit www.motionindustries.com.