CHL Systems buys JAM Works to expand end-of-line robotics

CHL Systems announced Oct. 30 it had acquired robotics integrator JAM Works LLC, combining custom conveyor machinery with automated palletizing cells to broaden its end-of-line factory lineup.

The acquisition brings together two Pennsylvania industrial automation companies serving food manufacturing, packaging and material handling facilities across North America.

The companies did not disclose the purchase price or transaction valuation, leaving the monetary terms of the acquisition unpublished.

CHL Systems, founded in 1957, operates a 70-year-old equipment manufacturing business based in Souderton, Pennsylvania. The company builds custom conveyance, sorting and packaging machinery.

JAM Works, established in 2010 in Mayfield, Pennsylvania, operates as a specialized robotics system integrator. The firm designs and installs automated manufacturing cells for assembly lines.

The transaction absorbs JAM Works' robotic integration capabilities directly into CHL Systems' broader equipment portfolio. The engineering assets include palletizing systems, case packing cells and automated machine tending.

Palletizing systems use articulated robot arms to load packaged goods onto wooden pallets for shipping. Case packing cells mechanically group individual retail products into corrugated shipping boxes.

Machine tending robots load raw materials into processing equipment and unload finished parts without human workers. Those three functions form the standard end-of-line automation cluster in modern consumer factories.

Industrial food processors increasingly demand single-source suppliers capable of delivering entire packaging lines. Standalone conveyor builders face pressure to provide turn-key robotic workcells alongside traditional mechanical belts.

JAM Works brings 16 years of specialized field deployment experience to the combined business. The company holds official certification as an authorized system integrator for Japanese robot maker FANUC.

FANUC builds multi-axis yellow articulated robot arms that dominate North American factory floors. The Japanese manufacturer relies on third-party integrators to program and install its hardware at customer facilities.

JAM Works previously received FANUC's Sales Leadership Growth Award across multiple operating years. The acquisition links FANUC hardware deployments directly to CHL Systems' industrial conveyor customer base.

JAM Works will continue to operate as an independent brand under its existing leadership, the company said. Chief Executive Officer John Mele remains in charge of the Mayfield engineering unit.

JAM Works retains 100% of its technical workforce and integration facilities under the transaction structure. The Mayfield site will handle robotic cell fabrication, simulation modeling and programmable logic controller engineering.

CHL Systems will provide heavy structural fabrication, stainless steel machining and project management. The Souderton plant manufactures the large conveyor decks that carry cartons into robotic cells.

Both companies will share production capacity across their Pennsylvania facilities on complex installation projects, the companies said. The structure aims to shorten project delivery schedules for large commercial clients.

Food processing plants represent the primary commercial target for the combined engineering team. Food manufacturers face chronic labor shortages in repetitive manual packaging and pallet-stacking positions.

Robotic palletizing reduces workplace repetitive strain injuries while maintaining continuous packaging speeds. End-of-line automation represents one of the fastest capital expenditure payback areas for consumer goods factories.

Industrial packaging machinery historically developed separately from digital robotic arms. Machinery builders supplied motors, rollers and steel guides, while robotics integrators handled software code and servo drives.

Mergers between equipment fabricators and robotics integrators eliminate handoff delays between mechanical and electrical contractors. Turn-key line delivery allows food processors to sign single purchase orders for complete plants.

CHL Systems Chief Executive Officer Mike Giagnacova said the acquisition expands the company's technical capabilities in precision robotics while maintaining shared manufacturing cultures.

Giagnacova said the combined entity will offer unified line integration that neither company could deliver effectively alone. The combined catalog spans raw material intake through final wrapped pallet output.

The acquisition also expands JAM Works' exposure to large industrial accounts held by CHL Systems. CHL Systems maintains long-term supply agreements with major regional food and chemical processors.

The corporate announcement does not state the acquired equity share, and neither company has filed transaction documentation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Both companies remain privately held corporations exempt from public financial disclosure mandates. The firms did not disclose total employee headcounts, annual revenue or balance sheet figures.

CHL Systems and JAM Works begin coordinated engineering bids for commercial food processing contracts starting Nov. 2, 2026.