A Peoria-based industrial maintenance firm was named to Fortune magazine’s 2026 list of the most innovative companies in the United States, joining such firms as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Oracle.
Advanced Technology Services announced Thursday that they had been named one of the nation’s most innovative companies, the second time in four years they had been named to the list, having been honored in 2023. The company said in a statement that they had received their highest score in process innovation, something that evaluates how a company designs and executes systems such as sourcing, production, delivery and support.
The company said that process innovation was becoming something that defined how companies improve their own performance, with the recognition from Fortune showing a shift for companies that went beyond traditional models.
“At a time when manufacturers are facing workforce shortages, aging equipment, and increasing pressure to reduce unplanned downtime, process innovation is becoming a critical lever,” the company said. “For ATS customers, this translates into improved uptime, better cost control, and more predictable production performance.
Among the many recent innovations by ATS include expanding the capabilities of their industrial technology services and system integrations that can connect maintenance, materials and asset data across companies. They also are attempting to leverage artificial-intelligence software to help with MRO materials management, along with implementing new work order integrations to help companies act more efficiently within their existing workflows.
Mike Waltrip, the chief operating officer of ATS, said that their recognition from Fortune was a sign of the kind of work the company has done over their 41-year history to innovate how companies can provide sustainable performance.
“With deep roots in maintenance and reliability services, we have a clear vision for the future and the positive impact that continued innovation will have on manufacturers around the world,” Waltrip said. “We will continue to innovate how reliability services are delivered by developing scalable ways to support manufacturers who need sustainable performance over time.”
Established in 1985 by a pair of former Caterpillar employees, ATS has grown to encompass four corporate locations across the globe, including facilities in the United Kingdom and Mexico, along with over 2,900 employees across the globe.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria-based business named one of country’s most innovative companies
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
