E Tech Group announced the acquisition of Automation Group, a California-headquartered system integrator specialized in automation, robotics and cybersecurity. Terms were not disclosed.

Automation Group will operate under the name “Automation Group, an E Tech Group Company.” Founder Brad Stegmann will step down from his CEO role but will consult with the business during the transition. Automation Group president Randy Ruano will remain with the company and no significant employment changes are anticipated in any of Automation Group’s locations. 

Automation Group’s 12 locations are spread throughout northern and southern California, as well as Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Indianapolis and Williamsburg, Va. Together, the combined company is one of the largest independent automation engineering and system integration firms in North America, with approximately 30 locations and 600 team members. 

This is E Tech’s second acquisition in 2023, which began with the acquisition of E-Volve Systems in February. 

“With the addition of Automation Group, E Tech Group expands its market-leading positions in automation of Life Sciences, Data Centers, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Food and Beverage industries,” says E Tech Group CEO Matt Wise. “The addition also brings significant cybersecurity expertise, accelerating our rapid growth in this segment and enabling us to better serve our clients with IT/OT vulnerability assessments and remediation.” 

Says Stegmann and Ruano in a joint statement, “We have tremendous respect for the E Tech Group platform and are confident this will be a seamless transition that will quickly pay dividends for clients of both companies. We’re also excited about the career opportunities members of the Automation Group team will enjoy as part of a larger, fast-growing organization like E Tech Group.”