Thought Leaders in Automation

Mark Longacre

Senior Sales Enablement Manager
Formova, formerly JBT Automated Systems

Interview Posted: June 22, 2026

Mark Longacre has worked in the automatic guided vehicle (AGV) and mobile automation industry for over 26 years, developing deep expertise in markets, products, enabling technologies, customer objectives, and industry trends. In his current role as Senior Sales Enablement Manager, Mark supports global sales teams by aligning solutions, applications knowledge, and value propositions to customer needs, helping drive successful automation strategies. Mark is highly active in industry leadership and has served as a three time Chairman of MAG (Mobile Automation Group) under the Material Handling Industry (MHI), contributing to the advancement of standards, best practices, and collaboration across the mobile automation sector. Prior to joining Formova, Mark was President of Marsden Inc., a supplier of automated material processing equipment, where he earned U.S. and international patents for innovative technologies deployed across multiple industries. Mark holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.

QUESTION

How is technology evolving to meet current economic needs?

ANSWER

Sensor imaging, vision and AI technology are all enhancing the work that robots can safely and effectively do in the workplace. Sensors can see farther, with higher resolutions, and with wider field of views allowing them to take in more of the environment at any given moment. And greater processing power provides a quicker response to all that data. Robots can sense and react in real time to the current environment and react to changes to that environment. Machine learning allows robots to respond more appropriately to challenges and AI allows them to predict future conditions and make appropriate responses to those conditions.

QUESTION

With economists forecasting larger uses of robotics and automation, this potentially means a lot of new customers&emdash;what would you tell business leaders about getting started with automation?

ANSWER

I think about it in four layers. Awareness — sensors and cameras that tell you what's happening. Understanding — AI models that interpret the data. Decision — control systems that determine the appropriate response. Action — robotics that execute. Most manufacturers today have real capability at each layer. What's missing is vertical integration — the ability to move from awareness to action in real time, reliably, at production scale. When you close that gap, the system stops being a collection of technologies and starts behaving like a single operational intelligence.

QUESTION

How can customers quickly generate ROI from using automation applications?

ANSWER

First thought is a hard truth. If you have not started the automation journey, assume you are behind your competition. Depending on the industry in which you operate, you could be up to 10 years or more behind the early adopters. They have completed their proof-of-concept testing, beta site installations, and are now in full enterprise roll-out of vetted applications/operations that deliver the highest returns.

The good news is it’s never too late. And with a later entry into automation, you will benefit from the pioneers who entered early. There will be known applications and operations that have been successfully automated in your industry. Do your research. Talk to experienced, leading suppliers. They will help you understand what is possible in your facilities. Be realistic with your expectations. Don’t expect automation to magically cure all the problems in a facility. Poor processes are not improved with automation. Fix process problems before or during automation. Assume you will need to make changes to make your processes more automation friendly and your operations will improve.

QUESTION

How can customers quickly generate ROI from using automation applications?

ANSWER

The industry has shifted back to the pre-COVID condition where all proposed automation projects must have a strong business case and meet customer payback and ROI targets. Working with automation suppliers to evaluate processes to automate and develop some “quick wins” with some projects that represent “low hanging fruit” is a great way to start. Sensor imaging, vision and AI technology are all enhancing the work that robots can safely and effectively do in the workplace. Sensors can see farther, with higher resolutions, and with wider field of views allowing them to take in more of the environment at any given moment. And greater processing power provides a quicker response to all that data. Projects that, years ago, just were not possible or where sensors were prohibitively expensive, now are within reach at reasonable cost.

It’s important for customers to realistically evaluate all of the benefits of automation. Labor saving will often be a key element, so customers should target labor intensive tasks that occur over multiple shifts. The more, the better. But automation should deliver other benefits, beyond labor savings. Product damage, facility damage, product misplacement and late deliveries are some of the hidden costs that automation can improve. Customers should look to identify and quantify these benefits when developing their financial models.

QUESTION

What are some innovative technologies you’re seeing or working on today?

ANSWER

As the number of suppliers and different mobile robotic vehicles has grown, fleet interoperability is becoming essential. One supplier will likely not manufacture every vehicle type you might want to apply to your facility. But all vehicles, even from different suppliers, might need to share aisles and travel lanes. We are very excited about release of our latest system manager software called mot.OS®. It directly solves concerns about fleet interoperability. And it solves it, building on a proven platform with millions of hours of stable operation and scalable with systems including hundreds of vehicles. Customers might think they have to go with a 3rd party fleet management supplier to provide interoperability. But that approach can compromise both safety and performance. It also reduces accountability regarding who is ultimately responsible for safety and performance. Is it the vehicle supplier or the fleet manager supplier? Using an experienced fleet manager that supplies at least some of the mobile vehicles, but also can control other 3rd party vehicles is the best approach.

QUESTION

How has your industry evolved over the last decade?

ANSWER

We’ve seen our business transform to scale for the current demand. Ten years ago, we were visiting prospective customers and asking them how they operate, then designing custom vehicles and systems to automate those operations. That approach is very engineering intensive and requires a relatively long delivery time. Today, we have standard vehicles that work together with pre-designed actuators and sensor packages. This approach of applying more standard products slashes design and delivery time in half. It also improves reliability and reduces installation time. The result is a lower cost solution that is scalable and portable. The approach also helps the industry scale to meet the many customers who desire automation. Engineering time is now spent on reviewing applications to make sure they are truly automation ready and qualifying and applying new sensors and technology to these standard products, so they can deliver even more.

QUESTION

What’s your best piece of advice for other leaders in the industry?

ANSWER

Business isn’t the Olympics. There’s no Silver or Bronze medal; only Gold. You must be the best at what you do. Take time to enjoy your wins, learn from your setbacks, and keep your priorities in perspective.

QUESTION

How is your success helping customers in the field?

ANSWER

With every robotic vehicle delivered, every system commissioned, we learn more about how to successfully automate our customers’ processes. And we apply the lessons learned in each project, to the next project. Success with a project is measured in eliminating project cost additions, meeting schedules and minimizing installation times. The quicker the system does productive work, the quicker it begins generating a payback for the customer. But this success for the customer extends beyond just financial success. It’s helping them improve safety, reduce waste (damaged product), and save energy with more efficient operation.

QUESTION

Why is now a great time for customers to invest in this [robotic, vision, imaging, AI] technology? How can they best get started, or enhance current systems?

ANSWER

Mobile automation has extended beyond being just a “nice to have” cost reducer for the Fortune 500. The value generated from this technology is creating fundamental strategic advantages for the companies that have mastered enterprise-wide deployment. Start by working with experienced automation suppliers. They will have the knowledge to evaluate potential processes to automate and develop some “quick wins” that can then be expanded.

QUESTION

What are some of the challenges you have faced in your years of business? What have you done to combat those challenges?

ANSWER

In mobile automation there are many industries, businesses and applications where automation solutions can be applied. It’s a challenge to stay focused on being the best at providing fewer solutions versus being active (but not the best) in many different solutions. Listening to customer feedback is the best way to gage where you are and what you need to do to improve your position.