
Motion, formally Motion Industries, is the industrial distribution brand of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), a publicly traded American distribution company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1946 in Birmingham, Alabama, Motion distributes industrial maintenance, repair, and operations supplies to more than 180,000 customers and will become a standalone public company in Q1 2027.
Parent Company
Acquired
1972
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | Genuine Parts Company | Subsidiary |
Motion Industries began as Owen Richards Company, an industrial supply business purchased in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1946 by Caldwell Marks and William Spencer III. The founders renamed it Motion Industries, saying "everything we do moves," a nod to its bearings and power-transmission focus.
The company grew through the postwar industrial expansion as a distributor of bearings, drives, motors, and related MRO products. It was one of the first industrial distributors to adopt a central warehouse and electronic parts database, which became its operational edge.
Genuine Parts merged with Motion in 1972, bringing the industrial distributor under the same corporate umbrella as NAPA. Over the following decades, Motion expanded through acquisitions and greenfield branches into a continental network, becoming the largest part of GPC's industrial business. In 2018, GPC's EIS electrical products subsidiary was folded into Motion's Electrical Specialties Group before EIS was sold separately in 2019.
The brand entered its next chapter in February 2026 when GPC announced the spin-off plan. In September 2026, the company confirmed the new company will trade under the Motion name, with investor days scheduled for December 2026 and the separation targeted for Q1 2027.
What does Genuine Parts Company own?
Genuine Parts Company owns NAPA Auto Parts (automotive aftermarket distribution in North America), Repco (automotive aftermarket in Australasia), Motion Industries (industrial parts distribution), UAP Inc. (Canadian automotive parts), and TruckPro (heavy-duty truck parts). The company operates over 10,000 automotive locations globally and approximately 600 industrial service centers.
Is Genuine Parts publicly traded?
Yes, Genuine Parts Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker GPC. The company has been publicly traded since 1968 and has paid dividends for over 65 consecutive years, qualifying it as a Dividend King. Major institutional shareholders include Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street.
What is Genuine Parts' annual revenue?
For fiscal year 2025 (ended December 31, 2025), Genuine Parts reported sales of $24.3 billion, up 3.5% from $23.5 billion in FY2024. Net income was $66 million ($0.47 per diluted share), down significantly from $904 million ($6.47 per diluted share) in FY2024. Adjusted net income was $1.0 billion ($7.37 per diluted share).
Who is the CEO of Genuine Parts?
Will Stengel serves as Chair-Elect and Chief Executive Officer. Stengel led the announcement of the planned separation of GPC's automotive and industrial businesses into two independent public companies in February 2026.
Is Genuine Parts splitting up?
Yes. In February 2026, Genuine Parts announced a plan to separate its Automotive Parts Group ("Global Automotive") and Industrial Parts Group ("Global Industrial") into two independent publicly traded companies via a tax-free spinoff. Global Automotive generated over $15 billion in sales and $1.2 billion in EBITDA in 2025. Global Industrial generated approximately $9 billion in revenue. The separation is targeted for completion in Q1 2027.
What is NAPA Auto Parts?
NAPA Auto Parts is the primary automotive aftermarket brand operated by Genuine Parts Company's North America Automotive segment. With 6,864 locations across the U.S. and Canada, NAPA is one of the largest automotive aftermarket distribution networks in North America. The NAPA network includes a mix of approximately 35% company-owned and 65% independently-owned stores, plus over 20,000 NAPA Auto Care repair centers.
Does Genuine Parts pay a dividend?
Yes. Genuine Parts is known for its long track record of dividend increases, with over 65 consecutive years of annual dividend increases as of 2024, qualifying it as a Dividend King under the standard definition of 50-plus years of consecutive increases.
Motion has no independent sustainability certifications at the brand level; programs are reported under Genuine Parts' corporate commitments, including distribution efficiency and supplier standards.
The brand's environmental profile is that of a distributor: emissions from a large vehicle fleet and warehouse network, packaging waste from millions of shipped SKUs, and safety/labor compliance across a global workforce. Motion sells products supporting customers' efficiency and emissions goals but does not market itself as a green brand.
Ethics issues are typical for industrial distribution: supplier sourcing standards, workplace safety, and service transparency. No major scandals specific to the Motion brand are on record.
Motion has not been the subject of major brand-level controversies or recalls. As a distributor, its exposure to product defects runs through supplier recalls affecting parts it sells, rather than faults in its own products.
The most significant event for the brand is the corporate separation itself, which carries execution risk around systems separation, standalone audit work, and customer continuity through the Q1 2027 transition. GPC management has framed the split as giving Motion dedicated leadership and capital to compete as a focused industrial distributor.
Earlier controversy around Motion is limited to routine labor and service disputes in its branch network, none rising to a brand-level reputational event.
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| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Depot | USA | 2015 | Market leader | United states | Business | |
| Avnet | USA | 1921 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Core Main | USA | 1987 | Mass market | United states | All Genders | |
| Core Main | USA | 2018 | Specialty | United states | All-ages | |
| Heico Corporation | USA | 1993 | Mass market | Global | All Genders | |
| Genuine Parts | USA | 1925 | Mass market | Global | All Genders |
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Market Positioning: Motion competes with 6 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
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