Rockwell Automation has announced that Portland Bottling Company has received the 2025 Plex Transformer Impact Award after achieving major operational gains through the deployment of the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform. The Oregon-based beverage co-packer was recognized for significantly improving production efficiency, inventory accuracy, and operational visibility after implementing the Plex Manufacturing Execution System (MES) across its manufacturing operations.
Founded in 1924 and headquartered in Clackamas, Oregon, Portland Bottling Company specializes in ready-to-drink beverages packaged exclusively in aluminum cans. As customer demand accelerated in recent years, the company identified the need to modernize and streamline its manufacturing and inventory management systems.
Before adopting Plex in 2020, Portland Bottling Company relied on multiple disconnected technology systems that created operational silos, reduced visibility into production activities, and increased exposure to manual data-entry errors. To address these challenges, the company partnered with Revolution Group to deploy the Plex Manufacturing Execution System, including Plex MES Automation & Orchestration and the Plex Quality Management System.
The integrated digital platform consolidated production, inventory, maintenance, and quality management functions into a unified operational system, enabling real-time data visibility across departments. According to the company, the transformation generated immediate operational improvements. Monthly production volumes increased from approximately 900,000 case equivalents to nearly two million case equivalents per month, effectively more than doubling output capacity.
Inventory accuracy improved to 99%, while shipping accuracy reached 100%, helping the company strengthen customer responsiveness and supply-chain reliability. Portland Bottling Company also reported a 10% improvement in productivity levels alongside a 20% reduction in operational waste. Maintenance response times improved significantly as teams gained access to real-time operational data and centralized production insights.
Robert Van Blake, IT Director at Portland Bottling Company, said accurate inventory tracking remains critical to the company’s operations and customer service performance. He noted that prior to the implementation of Plex, operational data collection processes were time-consuming and vulnerable to human error. The integrated platform now enables faster reporting, improved accuracy, and better production visibility across the organization.
Michael Hart, Head of Industry Strategy and Growth at Rockwell Automation, said the transformation highlights how connected manufacturing systems can deliver measurable operational and business improvements beyond traditional shop-floor execution. He added that Plex MES enables manufacturers to improve coordination across production, quality management, inventory operations, and maintenance systems while supporting scalable growth.
The Plex Transformer Impact Award is presented annually to companies within the Plex manufacturing community that demonstrate measurable operational improvements through innovative use of Plex technologies. The recognition highlights increasing adoption of digital manufacturing platforms across industrial sectors as companies invest in connected operations, data-driven decision-making, automation, and smart manufacturing technologies to improve efficiency and competitiveness.
Plex Systems, part of Rockwell Automation, provides cloud-based manufacturing software and smart factory solutions designed to help manufacturers improve operational visibility, supply-chain coordination, production performance, and quality management. Rockwell Automation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates globally across industrial automation and digital transformation technologies, serving customers in more than 100 countries.
