Motion a Two Promotions to EVP
Birmingham, Ala. – Motion Industries, Inc., a leading distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions, is pleased to announce the promotion of James Howe to Executive Vice President – eCommerce, Sales Excellence, Strategic Pricing and Corporate Accounts, and of Joe Limbaugh to Executive Vice President – Supply Chain, Operations Support, Marketing and Enterprise Excellence, effective April 1, 2021.
James Howe most recently served as SVP – eCommerce, Sales Excellence and Strategic Pricing throughout 2020, and as of January 1, 2021, took on the additional responsibilities of our Corporate Accounts group. He has been with Motion since 2002 and has held numerous field roles – including Group Executive for the West Group. In the last couple of years, Mr. Howe has led the strategy and development of all aspects of Motion’s digital strategy, including the new Motion.com website released last year. He has also transformed Motion’s pricing strategy, delivering immediate and consistent impact across all aspects of the Company’s business. As EVP, Mr. Howe will continue to lead in his respective areas, while also assisting in other strategic areas of the business and customer development.
Joe Limbaugh began his career with Motion in 1983 in Bourbonnais, Illinois. During his time with Motion, Mr. Limbaugh has held numerous field and corporate positions, giving him a unique perspective on Motion and its customers. He most recently served as SVP, responsible for Motion’s procurement and inventory, distribution center operations and productivity, branch support, facilities and lease management, and marketing strategy. In 2018, Mr. Limbaugh led the renovation of Motion’s corporate campus, finishing the project on time and under budget in late 2019. In 2020, under his leadership and guidance, Motion installed the first “goods-toperson” automated retrieval systems in the Birmingham distribution center, resulting in a 540% productivity improvement. As EVP, Mr. Limbaugh will continue to lead strategic initiatives throughout the company to improve customer service levels and increase Motion’s productivity in an effort to create additional stakeholder value.
“With their expertise and substantial achievements, James and Joe are both proven, integral leaders and key to Motion’s success,” said Motion President Randy Breaux. “Both promotions are well-deserved, and we look forward to seeing continued Company success under their guidance.”
About Motion
With annual sales of over $5.5 billion, Motion is a leading industrial distributor of bearings; mechanical power transmission products; electrical and industrial automation components; hose, belting, and gaskets; hydraulic and pneumatic components; process pumps; industrial and safety products; seals and accessories; and material handling products and solutions. To increase customers’ productivity, the Company offers many valued-added services, including engineering, fabrication, repair, and Industry 4.0 solutions across these product groups. In addition, Mi Automation Solutions and Mi Conveyance Solutions were formed to offer a wide range of specialized, related products and innovative solutions for many applications.
Motion has over 500 locations, including 16 distribution centers in North America, and Mi Asia Pacific has nearly 200 locations, including eight distribution centers in Australasia. Motion serves more than 170,000 customers from the food and beverage, pulp and paper, iron and steel, chemical, mining and aggregate, petrochemical, automotive, semiconductor, wood and lumber, medical and pharmaceutical industries.
Motion is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC). Visit our website at Motion.com. Contact us toll-free at (800) 526-9328.
Media Contact:
Brenda Miller – Motion (205) 956-1122
