Former JR Automation CEO brings over 35 years of innovation and passion for robotics applications across key end markets.
LOS ANGELES — (BUSINESS WIRE) — January 21, 2025 — Angeles Equity Partners, LLC ("Angeles"), a private investment firm focused on value creation through operational transformation, announced the appointment of former Hitachi, Ltd. company JR Automation Technologies, LLC (“JR Automation”) CEO and board member Craig Ulrich as CEO of Acieta LLC ("Acieta"). Headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with additional operations throughout the U.S. and Mexico, Acieta is an automation systems integrator serving a diverse set of commercial and industrial end markets. Naming Ulrich as CEO is the latest step to support the company’s strategic plan to accelerate growth in the industrial automation and robotics sector.
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Acieta CEO Craig Ulrich. (Photo: Business Wire)
"Craig is a leading figure in the automation and system integration market. Craig has been an active member of the Acieta board, architecting and driving positive change since his appointment in early 2024. Craig brings a unique perspective to manufacturing operations and go-to-market strategies," said Matt Hively, operating partner at Angeles Operations Group. “I’m confident Craig will accelerate the delivery of even better business outcomes and return on investment for Acieta’s customers and partners.”
Ulrich joins Acieta at an exciting moment in its history as the company continues its growth with recent tuck-in acquisitions, enhanced service and capability offerings, and expanded turnkey automation solutions. With over 200,000 square feet of manufacturing floor space across six facilities, Acieta is an innovative production automation and operations technology integrator at scale in North America. Angeles believes Ulrich’s focus on innovation with customers positions Acieta to guide the future of operations automation across aerospace, agriculture, automotive, building products, consumer packaged goods, energy, heavy industry, and life sciences sectors. Under Angeles’ ownership, the Acieta platform has more than doubled in size while extending service capabilities and expanding end-market diversity and capacity.
Ulrich has been a leader in robotics and automation, previously serving as the CEO of JR Automation, a Hitachi, Ltd. company. Prior to JR Automation, Ulrich was vice president of Esys Automation, which was acquired by JR Automation. Before that, Ulrich was director of automation deployment engineering at Amazon, and began his career at General Motors holding multiple senior-level positions developing strategic manufacturing technologies and tools.
"I am excited and honored to join the dedicated and talented Acieta team to lead the company into the next chapter of growth, as we seek to achieve our full potential. The platform has made incredible progress bringing together Acieta, Capital Industries, Mid-State Engineering, RōBEX, and +Vantage. I believe the growth of the company, and industry, will be further fueled as the manufacturing sector continues to face labor shortages and increased manufacturing complexity. As we continue to support our customers’ automation needs, I see significant growth potential,” said Acieta CEO Craig Ulrich.
About Acieta
Acieta is a leader in industrial robotic technology and automation solutions, dedicated to enhancing manufacturing processes for over 40 years. With 100+ years of combined expertise and over 10,000 automation systems integrated across North America, Acieta provides comprehensive support and innovative solutions to manufacturers in various industries. Learn more online at www.acieta.com.
About Angeles Equity Partners, LLC
Angeles Equity Partners, LLC is a specialist private investment firm headquartered in Los Angeles. The firm’s investment philosophy is to partner with niche manufacturing, critical industrial services, and specialty distribution businesses to help unlock their full potential through operational transformation and strategic repositioning. Learn more online at www.angelesequity.com.
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