Classic Automation Marks 23 Years Keeping Legacy Industrial Systems Running

Founded in a home office in 2003, the Webster, NY-based parts and repair supplier now serves customers around the world from our 53,000-square-foot facility in WEBSTER, N.Y.

WEBSTER, N.Y., July 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Classic Automation, is a supplier of new, surplus, and repaired industrial automation parts, has marked 23 years in business in 2026.

The company was founded in 2003 by Fritz Ruebeck, who identified a need for long-term support of ABB systems beyond their intended lifetime and built the company around keeping legacy automation equipment in service rather than pushing customers toward unnecessary upgrades.

"Obsolete parts shouldn't be a death sentence for a production line. Even with planned downtime, we see the need to have these products on hand to prevent costly emergencies" the company says of its founding philosophy. "Every team deserves a supplier who find the part they need not the upgrade, fix the legacy unit, and keep lines moving."

From a Home Office to a 53,000-Square-Foot Facility Classic Automation's has anticipated the expanding needs of the legacy-systems market it set out to serve:

• 2003: Founded to support ABB systems beyond their intended lifetime, later adding Siemens Simatic S5 and S7 test capability.
• Late 2006: Opened its first dedicated facility, a 12,000-square-foot space in Rochester, NY.
• 2007–2008: Launched live online pricing and a self-serve quote builder, among the earliest moves of its kind in industrial B2B, alongside expanded support for Bailey Infi 90.
• 2009: Named Rochester Top 100 Company five times for its contribution to regional economic growth.
• 2012–2013: Relocated to a 41,000-square-foot facility in the Xerox Industrial Park in Webster, NY.
• 2019: Added our second warehouse, expanding total footprint to 53,000 square feet.
• 2022: Launched Panelicity^®, a proprietary 1/2 DIN process panel controller offering a drop-in migration path for the Siemens Moore 352/353 and ABB Micro MOD 30ML.
• 2024: Established a dedicated development department and test area to expand into new product lines.

Milestones & More

Classic Automation set it's customers up for success by stocking more than 1 million parts. Refurbished, new, and repaired parts have become the foundation the company uses to lower cost for their customer base. Refurbished units typically cost 30–50% less than new OEM replacements. With an industry constantly pushing for modernization above all, Classic Automation provides the support for systems to run competitively without gutting and modernizing an entire facility.

Every repair is performed in-house and backed by a 2-year warranty.

The company is a member of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), is registered in the U.S. System for Award Management (SAM.gov), is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and belongs to the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.

New Video Released

In celebration of this milestone, Classic Automation has released a new brand video highlighting its role in supporting legacy industrial systems. The video walks through the risk sudden obsolescence poses to uptime and outlines how the company bridges the gap between forced upgrades and the full working life of installed equipment, spotlighting its in-house certified repairs, same-day shipping, and inventory of more than one million parts. The video is available on the company's YouTube channel at youtube.com/watch?v=d2dkSivUlsU.

More About Classic Automation

Classic Automation LLC provides new, surplus, and repaired industrial automation parts  including PLCs, HMIs, DCS components, panel controllers, industrial PCs, and VFDs spanning thousands of manufacturers, from current production lines to legacy and obsolete systems. More information is available at classicautomation.com

Media Contact
Classic Automation LLC
800 Salt Road, Webster, NY 14580
Phone: +1 (585) 241-6010
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Classic Automation