Fluid power, automation and industrial supplies distributor Motion & Control Enterprises (MCE) has acquired Air Automation Engineering (AAE). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

AAE — a Fridley, MN-based distributor of automation products and automated tooling solutions — was founded in 1978 and serves customers across the Upper Midwest with a secondary location in Fargo, ND.

“We are very excited to welcome Brian, Paul, and the talented AAE team to the MCE family,” MCE Chairman & CEO Charley Hale said in a Aug. 1 news release. “AAE expands our automation business into new markets, products, and served geographies. The partnership will deepen our offering of automation solutions from leading automation OEMs in the market.”

AAE will continue to operate under its company name with its current leadership — Brian Steele and Paul Wood.

“We are very excited to join MCE and feel this will be a great opportunity for our employees, customers, and suppliers,” Steel said. “We view MCE as a growth partner to expand our automation capabilities going into the future.”

Zelienople, PA-based MCE — No. 42 on MDM’S Top Distributor’s Industrial Supplies and No. 9 for Fluid Power — serves customers from 58 facilities located in 17 states across the U.S.