Kaman and Schneider Electric Announce National Distributor Agreement

Kaman Industrial Technologies (KIT), the industrial distribution business Kaman Corp. has built up in recent acquisitions of Minarik, Zeller Electric and others, has entered into a national distributor agreement with Schneider Electric. KIT, one of the largest power transmission and motion control distributors in the United States, immediately becomes a distributor for Schneider Electric’s line of industrial automation and control products as well as select power control and protection products commonly used in motor control applications.

It was the acquisition of Zeller in August that opened the door for KIT to forge a wider relationship with Schneider. KIT made a similar agreement with fluid power giant Parker-Hannifin after acquiring Catching Fluid Power last year. At the time of the Zeller deal, KIT head Steve Smidler said a similar deal with Schneider wasn't the plan, and expressed the company's support for manufacturers' efforts to maintain distributor exclusivity, but Schneider execs separately expressed interest in an expanded relationship with KIT.

As part of the agreement, Schneider Electric will become KIT’s primary line of AC drives, sensors, low voltage controls and automation. The deal also authorizes the sale of Schneider Electric programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human machine interface systems and signaling equipment. KIT will begin stocking these products at its more than 200 locations throughout the U.S. in the first quarter of 2013. Details.