Advanced Equipment Company

10/22/2026

True material handling expertise isn't built in a showroom - it's earned over decades of hands-on experience, solving complex operational constraints line by line.

That practical, floor-level perspective is exactly what makes Ivar Lonon the authority North Carolina facilities turn to when high-throughput operations demand dependable, long-term performance.

As an Engineered Systems Specialist with AEC, Ivar translates mechanical problems into streamlined, automated results. Whether configuring high-volume sortation, engineering vertical space, or designing high-density storage architectures, his focus remains grounded in real-world feasibility and single-source accountability.

Pairing Ivar's hands-on expertise with AEC’s 65+ year legacy, complex spatial and mechanical challenges become your plant’s most reliable operational assets. We couldn't be prouder to have a specialist of his caliber on our team!

What Ivar's practical authority means for your facility:
🔹 Unmatched Diagnostic Intuition: Decades of identifying subtle operational friction points that off-the-shelf equipment always misses.
🔹 Value-First Systems Engineering: Designing custom, high-reliability layouts built strictly for long-term ROI rather than high catalog markup.
🔹 End-to-End Single Accountability: Owning the entire lifecycle personally - from initial CAD modeling straight through to final plant floor commissioning.

Connect directly with Ivar: https://bit.ly/4e8j09W

10/20/2026

Vertical space optimization and intelligent merge controls allow high-density operations to recover multi-level floor space while expanding capacity. Static gravity feeds frequently fail when merging multiple production streams, creating tote collisions and operational stalls across facility floors. To restore continuous flow for Verizon, Ivar Lonon integrated automated trunk-line merging with a high-throughput spiral conveyor, creating a smooth transfer between upper-level inserters and lower-level staging.

🔹 Intelligent trunk-line merge control.
🔹 Multi-level space-saving vertical conveyor routing.
🔹 Complete elimination of tote collisions.

Strategic Partners: Hytrol, Ryson International

Read the full case study to see how Ivar Lonon engineered Verizon's multi-level distribution system: https://bit.ly/3TrCK2N

Verizon's current process couldn’t move totes efficiently between floor levels. Material Handling Specialist, Ivar Lonon, created an innovative redesign with a fully automated conveyor system. Saving Verizon money and time by reducing errors and dramatically improving productivity.

10/13/2026

Accumulation conveyor drive selection directly determines whether your automated line achieves seamless material flow or suffers continuous product damage and costly mechanical wear. Choosing between 24V, belt-driven, or chain-driven architectures requires matching the mechanical drive directly to your specific payload profile.

In a recent analysis, Josh Hamrick highlights how aligning drive mechanics with material parameters protects operational ROI across high-throughput lines.

Special thanks to our strategic partner, Hytrol, for supporting these advanced automation solutions!

🔹 Zero-pressure 24V cuts energy usage.
🔹 Live roller belts lower costs.
🔹 Heavy chain drives prevent slippage.

Explore the complete engineering guide to optimize material handling across your operations: https://bit.ly/4ykLN4J

10/08/2026

Monorail conveyor systems often hold the key to unlocking massive throughput gains without adding an extra inch of floor space. When a high-performance parts coating supplier in North Carolina needed to process oversized components in new dip tanks, AEC's Automation Specialist, Ivar Lonon, engineered a custom track extension mapped directly around legacy drive, chain, and take-up infrastructure. By designing precise CAD drop sections around tight spatial limits, we completely eliminated manual part handling bottlenecks while protecting original capital investments.

🔹 Retained legacy drive and chain
🔹 Eliminated manual dip tank loading
🔹 Preserved active warehouse floor space

Read the full case study to see how Ivar integrated this system: https://bit.ly/3SlkRP8

Seamlessly integration of overhead monorail conveyor with our client's existing machinery to optimize parts dipping/coating process. Resulting in streamlined operations, minimized manual handling, and a significant boost in throughput. Designed by AEC's automation and conveyor expert Ivar Lonon.

10/06/2026

Four decades of hands-on material handling expertise. A legacy rooted in the foundational days of our organization. That is the perspective Scott Abernathy brings to every system integration as Vice President of AEC.

For Scott, success isn't measured by a single project completion, but by the multi-decade partnerships built along the way. As Scott puts it: "Once we do a job for someone, they come back."

🔹 End-to-end operational insight: Applying 40 years of hands-on experience across warehouse logistics, equipment installation, system engineering, and executive leadership.
🔹 Application-first philosophy: Focusing on the operational problem behind every request to deploy the cleanest, most efficient solution rather than simply pushing complex equipment.
🔹 Strategic vendor network: Leveraging decades of trusted manufacturer relationships to match exact equipment capabilities to unique client requirements.

Read the full spotlight to explore Scott's 4-decade legacy and industry vision: https://bit.ly/3TvGCQm

Explore the 40+ year career of Scott Abernathy, Vice President at Advanced Equipment Company. Learn how his journey from the warehouse floor to executive leadership shapes AEC's core commitment to trusted relationships, strategic vendor partnerships, and practical material handling solutions.

09/29/2026

What happens after system commissioning tells you everything you need to know about your integration partner.

In complex, high-volume material handling, long-term trust is proven on the facility floor long after the ink on the contract is dry.

Industry leaders partner with AEC because we stay in the trenches with you.

We deliver full-lifecycle ex*****on backed by decades of regional field expertise. That means no generic design templates or forced fits - just ground-up, custom-engineered automation strategies that eliminate friction, protect product integrity, and protect your ROI.

If you're planning your next facility update or capacity expansion, let's look at the floor plan together.

Connect with an engineered systems specialist today: https://bit.ly/4fhpioD

09/24/2026

In high-volume manufacturing and distribution, every facility faces unique primary constraints. Choosing where to allocate engineering resources determines whether you unlock immediate ROI or simply shift the bottleneck further down the line.

What is the operational constraint you're currently facing?

A) Fixing product damage and back-pressure issues on conveyor lines. (Zero-Pressure Accumulation)
B) Solving high cost per square foot by expanding upward instead of outward. (Reclaiming Floor Space)
C) Automating heavy payload transfers to reduce manual labor and injury risks. (Heavy Automation)
D) Replacing degraded equipment in sanitary or harsh wet environments. (Stainless Steel Upgrades)

We'll help you analyze your facility needs: https://bit.ly/4fhpioD

09/22/2026

Maximizing long-term ROI requires automated warehouse system integration backed by dedicated specialists who step directly onto your floor to diagnose operational limits.

At AEC, we combine decades of regional expertise with nationwide integration to engineer custom conveyor and high-density storage systems built for high-volume fulfillment and manufacturing operations:

🔹 Bart Lassiter | North & South Carolina
🔹 Brad Pearson | North & South Carolina
🔹 Bradley Ainsworth | North Carolina
🔹 Brian Hester | South Carolina
🔹 Charlie Williamson | Special Accounts Engineer
🔹 Ivar Lonon | North Carolina
🔹 Trace Davis | North Carolina

Schedule an on-site facility evaluation with your dedicated specialist: https://bit.ly/4h9r77b

09/15/2026

Reducing facility energy consumption while maximizing throughput starts with modern Hytrol 24V accumulation conveyors. Decoupling line segments and eliminating continuous-run motors directly lowers operational expenditure across high-density carton and tote handling operations.

Josh Hamrick, AEC Director of Customer Engagement, outlines how replacing heavy drive systems with localized zone control delivers immediate ROI for facility operators.

🔹 Cuts facility utility costs significantly
🔹 Eliminates product-on-product line damage
🔹 Reduces mechanical wear and noise

Read our complete technical breakdown to see if this architecture fits your operational goals: https://bit.ly/4wQMEsq

Explore the engineering advantages of 24V Motorized Drive Roller (MDR) accumulation conveyor systems. These low-voltage systems replace continuous drive belts to deliver energy-efficient, quiet, and easily reconfigurable carton and tote handling for modern warehouse automation. Since 1960, deliverin...

09/10/2026

Adding speed to an inefficient conveyor line is like stepping on the gas in a traffic jam.

You don't need faster belts - you need better control logic. Ask your team four questions before committing capital to your next upgrade:

🔹 Merge: Are your parallel lanes merging automatically, or relying on operator intervention?
🔹 Accumulation: Is backpressure crushing product, or does your line protect downstream surges with zero-pressure logic?
🔹 Footprint: Could vertical transport or overhead loops reclaim valuable square footage on your floor?
🔹 Load: Are your teams manually pushing multi-hundred-pound loads on legacy gravity lines?

To our plant engineering and operations network: Which of these four bottlenecks is currently costing you the most time?

Share your experience in the comments below! 👇

Need an expert set of eyes on your floor layout? Schedule an on-site line evaluation with our specialists: https://bit.ly/4fhpioD