HISTORY

Rankin Automation Company was founded as a manufacturer’s representative organization in 1937. The founder was Walter A. Rankin and he named the company after himself. The primary products were hydraulic and they served the heavy industry then found in the Philadelphia and Baltimore markets.

After World War II, the company transformed into a stocking distributor representing both hydraulic and pneumatic products with offices in Broomall, PA and Baltimore, MD. As the company grew, they added additional sales personnel serving thousands of customers from northern Virginia through central New Jersey. The business passed in to the hands of Walter Rankin’s two sons, Tom and Richard.

The sons ran the business for more than twenty years. They decided to sell the business rather than pass the business down to the third generation in the 1980s. The business was first sold to an investor group who tried to diversify the company into various manufacturing enterprises. This did not prove successful and the company was sold again in 1987. The new owner was Rick Ware who still owns the business today.

Under new ownership, the company reviewed its primary business and decided to go in a new direction, since much of the heavy industry in its markets had either closed or moved south, there was little growth foreseen in its traditional hydraulics business. The company decided to emphasize automation products to target the growing opportunities for the younger industries now locating in the mid-Atlantic market.

The new emphasis was on pneumatic, electric, and robotic products to be supported by trained sales and technical personnel. The emerging ability to control sophisticated products with programmable solutions led the company to a complete makeover. The company was renamed Rankin Automation Company in 1998 and began promoting itself to the market as an “Automation Solutions Provider”.

Today, Rankin Automation represents some of the most innovative companies in the automation world. Festo, Yamaha, 80/20, Balluff and other represented companies allow Rankin to provide customers with comprehensive cutting edge solutions to their need to be world competitive. We invite you to click to the Products tab to review all of the companies we represent.

Thank you for reading about our history. We know that our past guarantees us nothing for the future. We are working hard to help our customers grow and prosper, thus assuring ourselves a successful future.