Kaman signs nationwide distribution agreement with Rittal

Kaman Distribution Group, a leading distributor of industrial products, services and solutions, announced today a national distribution agreement with Rittal GmbH & Co. of Germany (www.rittal.us).

Founded in 1961, Rittal is a global provider of enclosures, power distribution, climate control, IT infrastructure, software and services. The company has grown to more than 10,000 employees in 70 countries worldwide, with production on four continents. Rittal’s effective solutions have been in use for years in data centers, manufacturing facilities, CNC machining operations, and industrial locations where power supply is critical.

With a U.S. headquarters outside of Chicago, a manufacturing center of excellence in Urbana, Ohio, distribution hubs in Texas and Nevada, and a new Oil & Gas Competency Center in Houston, Rittal is well-positioned to expand its distribution footprint in North America. This agreement is an extension of a relationship that began more than 20 years ago with Zeller, a business Kaman acquired in 2012. The new agreement includes all Kaman locations including Minarik, Zeller, and Kaman Industrial Technologies’ locations.

“This relationship is a great fit for both Kaman and Rittal. They are aggressively developing new product innovations, and have a solid history of marketing those products very well. Over the past few years, Rittal has quickly grown to have industry-leading lead times, configuration tools, best in class products, and 50-70% higher efficiency ratings than their competitors,” said Steve Smidler, President of Kaman Distribution. “These factors, and the longstanding relationship with Zeller, convinced both parties this relationship will be mutually beneficial.”

Rittal’s product lines—including standard enclosures, fans, climate control equipment and a variety of custom enclosures and accessories—will now be carried in more than 250 Kaman locations nationwide, including all former Zeller locations. While Rittal will maintain smaller, regional distribution agreements, Kaman will be Rittal’s only nationwide distributor.

“We’re very excited to expand our partnership with Kaman, long recognized as one of the industry’s premier distributors in our sector,” noted Rittal Corporation President Gregg Holst.  “Their legacy of outstanding customer service combines so well with our own company’s passion for innovative engineering, allowing us to create together a particularly powerful combination for our customers.”