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RS and Banner Engineering deliver plug-and-play Industry 4.0 sensors engineered for problem-solving

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Banner Engineering’s extensive selection of flexible and feature-rich sensors natively optimized for Industry 4.0 solve common challenges — ranging from space constraints, complex wiring, and difficult target detection to skilled labor shortages — in cross-market discrete and process manufacturing and logistics applications.

FORT WORTH, Texas, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RS, a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, offers Banner Engineering’s extensive portfolio of sensor solutions, including its broad and growing line of advanced non-contact sensors natively optimized for Industry 4.0.

Solve common challenges ranging from space constraints, complex wiring, & difficult target detection to labor shortages.

Industry 4.0 technologies, like industrial automation systems and IIoT networks, are proven to enhance personnel and equipment safety, improve process efficiency, consistency, reliability, and profitability improvements, and minimize downtime and maintenance costs. As such, industrial organizations continue to accelerate their deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies and scale existing industrial automation systems and IIoT networks in their discrete and process manufacturing and material handling and packaging applications. This is especially true for those with tighter profit margins — like food and beverage, automotive, EV, and battery manufacturers and logistics companies — and is driving surging growth in the global industrial sensors market, which is projected to more than double in size over the next eight years — rocketing to a value of $69.95 billion by 2034.

Banner Engineering’s range of advanced non-contact sensors natively optimized for Industry 4.0 applications is engineered with these customers in mind. These sensors are:

Cost effective. They minimize downstream expenses ranging from material waste to unplanned downtime to maximize total cost of ownership (TCO).Easy to integrate. They’re compatible with both modern and legacy infrastructure and employ standard hardware connectivity, pushbutton calibration, and plug-and play network adapters to simplify and expedite commissioning and eliminate wiring errors, which is especially beneficial for organizations suffering from the impacts of persistent skilled labor shortages. Highly scalable. They allow industrial customers to start small and evaluate ROI before scaling and achieve non-linear revenue growth without a proportional, linear spike in overhead.

They also support IO-Link communication, which eliminates EMI/RFI and the cost of associated solutions, like shielded cable, and enables:

In-depth, real-time self-diagnostics key to identifying and resolving issues before they result in downtimeAutomated device replacement (ADR) essential for no-skill-required sensor replacement and quickly getting back up and running with the same configuration and parameter settingsDynamic remote configuration crucial for seamless, rapid product changeoversPredictive maintenance indispensable for optimizing maintenance schedules and reducing unplanned downtime

Each of Banner Engineering’s advanced non-contact sensors optimized for Industry 4.0 applications is also designed to help industrial customers solve common challenges ranging from space constraints, complex wiring, and difficult target detection to skilled labor shortages. For example:

Banner Engineering’s Q20-2 Series compact photoelectric sensors deliver powerful sensing performance in a compact rectangular package that helps avoid major machine redesigns and features standard 3mm mounting holes on 25.4mm spacing to simplify mounting in both new-build and retrofit applications.

Polarized retroreflective variants accurately and reliably detect targets of any color at distances up to 5m and are ideally suited for detecting dark and shiny objects. They also feature best-in-class optical-to-mechanical alignment for consistent lock-and-load mounting and visible red LEDs to simplify precision alignment and are available with single-turn gain potentiometers and/or light/dark operating switches for on-sensor adjustmentsInfrared laser measurement variants utilize time-of-flight technology to accurately and reliably detect targets up to 3m away. They also feature IO-Link communication, which simplifies wiring, visible red alignment LEDs that further simplify and expedite setup, and PulsePro outputs that enable direct integration with Banner Pro lighting for real-time visual feedback without a PLC.
 

Banner Engineering’s QS18 Series all-purpose photoelectric sensors deliver maximum mounting and application flexibility in a universal IP67/NEMA 6 housing available with an 18mm threaded lens or side mounts. This diverse, tiered product line offers an industry-leading selection of different sensing technologies (laser, ultrasonic, and fiber optic) and sensing modes (opposed, polarized and non-polarized retroreflective, convergent, regular and wide-angle diffuse, small-spot diffuse, fixed field, and mechanical or electronic adjustable field), as well as AC and DC voltage models. This extreme flexibility allows them to accurately and reliably detect an expansive range of target materials — including clear and dark targets — and makes them ideally suited for replacing hundreds of other sensor styles — and solving myriad challenges — in applications across industries. They have bright, 360° LED indicators designed to clearly convey operating status at a glance and help prevent costly downtime, and they support maximum detection ranges extending from 15mm to 30m and maximum operating temperatures spanning 50–70°C. QS18 Series sensors are also available in models that support easy, pushbutton TEACH-mode setup, potentiometer setup, and mechanical screw adjustments and offer integrated IO-Link capabilities that simplify complex wiring, installation, preventative maintenance, and sensor backup.

Banner Engineering’s Q4X Series rugged, all-purpose laser distance measurement sensors deliver rugged durability, versatility, superior performance, and exceptional precision in heavy-duty, FDA-grade, IP69K stainless steel housings built to survive overtightening, high impact forces, and extreme machine vibration and equipped with a bright, angled, four-digit distance display that gives real-time feedback and helps dramatically reduce installation costs and troubleshooting time. They’re available in 30 different models with discrete, 0–10V or 4–20mA analog, and IO-Link outputs, maximum sensing distances extending from 25–610mm, clear object and high-resolution capabilities, and a dual-teach mode function that combines light intensity and distance tracking to reliably detect clear objects without a retroreflector and error-proof challenging applications. They also support easy setup with responsive buttons and use laser triangulation to accurately measure variations in distance and reliably detect even challenging target colors and surfaces — including very dark and uneven colors and highly reflective surfaces — which makes them ideally suited for a wide range of industries and applications.

For more information about the extensive selection of Banner Engineering sensor solutions available at RS — including advanced non-contact sensors natively optimized for Industry 4.0 applications, such as the Q20-2 Series compact photoelectric sensors, QS18 Series all-purpose photoelectric sensors, and Q4X Series rugged, all-purpose laser distance measurement sensors — please visit the links embedded here and check out “Industrial sensors enable accurate, reliable automation,” the new RS Expert Advice interview with Mitch Andrejka, the Global Sensor Product Manager at Banner Engineering.

For more expert insights from Banner Engineering, click to explore their other contributions to the RS Expert Advice Series. For assistance identifying, procuring, or integrating Banner sensors into your industrial applications, please contact your local RS representative at 1.866.433.5722 or reach out to the RS technical support team.

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About RS
RS is a high-service global product and service solutions provider for industrial customers, enabling them to operate efficiently and sustainably. We operate in 33 markets, stock over 875,000 industrial and specialist products, and list an additional five million relevant for our industrial customers, sourced from over 2,500 suppliers. This extensive range supports our customers across the industrial lifecycle of designing, building, and maintaining equipment and operations. We enhance their experience through a tailored service model, leveraging our efficient physical, digital, and process infrastructure sustainably. We combine a technically led and digitally enabled approach with an exceptional team of experts; ultimately, it’s our people that make the difference. Our purpose, making amazing happen for a better world, reflects our focus on delivering results for people, planet, and profit. 

RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1, and in the year ended March 31, 2026, reported revenue of $3,871.07 million. For more information, please visit https://www.rsgroup.com/ or connect with us on LinkedIn or X (Twitter).

About RS in the Americas
In the Americas region, RS stocks more than 250,000 industrial and electronic products from more than 700 trusted suppliers. These solutions cover categories extending from automation and control equipment to interconnect, passive, active, and electromechanical components and include more than 90,000 high-quality, competitively priced RS PRO products. For more information, please visit https://us.rs-online.com or connect with us via social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Editorial Contact & Media Inquiries:
Laurie Tortorello, Director of People & Culture Communications, RS Americas
Laurie.Tortorello@rsgroup.com

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The Inner Circle acknowledges Forest Young as a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence

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BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Forest Young is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence for his contributions to Advancing Creative Leadership in a Changing Digital Landscape.

Forest Young is the founder of Young Studio, a design, storytelling and strategy practice serving new economy companies and select cultural projects. He is a Senior Critic at the Yale School of Art and Global Design and AI Resident at Wolff Olins. His career has moved between the world’s most significant design partnerships and the companies redefining their categories, placing him at the intersection of creative practice, business strategy, and emerging technology.

Mr. Young was raised between Cambridge, Massachusetts and points across the country, the son of a Dartmouth Reynolds Scholar who served under Vernon Jordan at the National Urban League, and an educator who contributed to MIT and Atari’s pioneering computing research alongside Cynthia Solomon and Margaret Minsky. By age five, he had self-published his first illustrated book series. By eighteen, he was a varsity football captain, AP Art scholar, and senior class president. He studied Human Development at Cornell University before choosing Yale’s MFA in Graphic Design over Juilliard’s theater program, a fork in the road decided when his chaise lounge design was exhibited at NeoCon alongside Vitra and Knoll.

At Yale, he studied under Sheila Levrant de Bretteville, Karel Martens, Mevis & van Deursen and Irma Boom, alongside future MacArthur Fellows Tavares Strachan and Titus Kaphar. He was awarded the Mark Whistler Memorial Prize as the most inspirational member of his graduating class.

His professional record reads as a sequence of consequential commissions. At Interbrand, he led the design of Paper Prison for the Mandela 95 Initiative, honored with a Cannes Lion, an ADC Black Cube, a One Show Gold Pencil, and an AIGA Case. He was recruited by Allison Johnson, Apple’s former Global Marketing Officer, to help build the consultancy West, working with founders including Jack Dorsey, Sean Parker, and Patrick Brown. At Wolff Olins, he rose from Head of Design to become the first and only Chief Creative Officer in the firm’s sixty-year history. He led the Uber brand transformation, a 10-month global engagement launched in September 2018 that repositioned the company during a critical pre-IPO inflection point. The engagement spanned a period in which Uber’s proposed valuation reached as high as $120 billion, nearly double its prior private valuation, and it became the largest account across all Wolff Olins offices, contributing to the firm’s recognition by Fast Company as the World’s Most Innovative for Design.

In 2021, Mr. Young joined Rivian as Global Head of Brand, leading a 172-person organization and reported directly to CEO R.J. Scaringe. He led the brand narrative and NASDAQ Times Square activation for Rivian’s $11.9 billion IPO, the sixth-largest in the history of U.S. stock exchanges. In 2025, he returned to Wolff Olins as Global Design and AI Resident, where he is examining the relationship between authorship, automation, and the role of the designer in an era defined by generative systems.

Mr. Young’s work has been received across museums, juries, and cultural institutions. He has been nominated for the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award, named to the Eames Institute’s Curious 100 (the institute’s annual index of the 100 thinkers, makers, and practitioners shaping how curiosity is applied to the world), and invited by Paola Antonelli into MoMA’s landmark exhibition Talk to Me. His collaboration with MacArthur Fellow Titus Kaphar and Reginald Dwayne Betts on Redaction at MoMA PS1 produced an open-source typeface and a catalog published by Gagosian. His work has been exhibited at MoMA, the Royal College of Art, and the Yale University Art Gallery.

Young Studio, which he has owned and operated since 2000, runs a value-priced talent guild model and is simultaneously white-labeled under the world’s most ambitious programs. He serves as fractional Chief Brand Officer at the cybersecurity firm Mimecast. He has taught at Yale for over a decade and previously created the first Future Design course at California College of the Arts. He is a contributing author to The Black Experience in Design and Willi Smith: Street Couture, and his work is featured in Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest. He has written for Fast Company, Source Type, TechCrunch, and Creative Review.

He is a founding advisor to MillerKnoll’s Diversity in Design Collaborative and previously served on the Board of Directors of AIGA NY. His current focus is the mentorship of younger designers in a time of unprecedented change. He teaches meditation. His line: Design is a desire path.

Contact:
Katherine Green
516-825-5634
editorialteam@continentalwhoswho.com

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TEDCO and the Institute for Women Entrepreneur Excellence Announce Board of Directors

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Executive board members for the Maryland non-profit recognized

COLUMBIA, Md., June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Institute for Women Entrepreneur Excellence, Inc.(IWEE), a Maryland non-profit dedicated to empowering and advancing women entrepreneurs across the state, announces the appointment the 2026-2027 board of directors’ executive officers. The newly elected leadership supports the organization’s commitment to strategic transformation, growth and innovation.

“I am excited to work with the board and elected executive officers to advance our mission of removing barriers for entrepreneurs and expanding opportunities for scalable growth across the ecosystem,” said Teresa Payne-Nunn, interim executive director of IWEE. “Together, this talented group brings the expertise and perspective needed to drive meaningful change and help more entrepreneurs succeed.”

IWEE is an organization that dedicates its resources to empower women entrepreneurs through cohort-style programming, workshops, access to capital and ecosystem engagement. By addressing the specific challenges women face in an entrepreneurial ecosystem, IWEE fosters scalable and sustainable growth opportunities for women-led businesses.

The organization’s new executive officers include:

Chair – Arti Santhanam, , Applied Neurons.Vice Chair – Treava Hopkins-Laboy, EEO Services LLC.Secretary – Erica Anthony, Morgan State University.Treasurer – Ann-Marie Waterman, Coppin State University.

“I am honored to serve as board chair for the Institute for Women Entrepreneur Excellence,” said Santhanam. “As IWEE continues to expand its reach and impact, I look forward to working with my fellow board members to strengthen the organization’s foundation, support its strategic priorities, and help ensure more entrepreneurs have access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.”

The IWEE board currently consists of 9 members, many of whom have served on the board since the organization’s inception in 2022. IWEE was established in collaboration with four of Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Bowie State University, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, Morgan State University and Coppin State University. Each institution provides a professional to serve on the board, aiding in programmatic advisement and implementation.

“The next chapter of the Institute for Women Entrepreneur Excellence will build on the organization’s momentum, expanding access to critical resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs across Maryland while fostering a more vibrant and sustainable innovation ecosystem,” said Tammi Thomas, president, TEDCO.

A full list of the IWEE board members includes chair Santhanam, Applied Neurons; vice chair Hopkins-Laboy, EEO Services LLC; secretary Anthony, Morgan State University; treasurer Waterman, Coppin State University; Allison Alexander, The Marathon Fund; Pamela Allison, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; Johnetta Boseman Hardy, Bowie State University; Farrah Holder, Blue Fire Equity; and Troy LeMaile-Stovall, TEDCO.

About TEDCO

TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.

Media Contact

Direna Cousins, Vice President, Marketing, TEDCO dcousins@tedcomd.com
Rachael Kalinyak, Associate Director, Marketing & Communications, TEDCO, rkalinyak@tedcomd.com 

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Vortex Companies Strengthens Midwest Presence with Acquisition of Municipal Pipe Tool Company LLC

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Strategic expansion enhances trenchless infrastructure capabilities across key regional markets

HOUSTON, June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vortex Companies (Vortex), a global leader in trenchless infrastructure solutions, today announced the acquisition of Municipal Pipe Tool Company LLC (MPT), a well-established provider of sewer maintenance and rehabilitation services headquartered in Hudson, Iowa.

The acquisition marks another step in Vortex’s strategic expansion across the Midwest, leveraging MPT’s strong regional presence and trusted customer partnerships throughout Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Originally founded in 1967 as a supplier of sewer components and cleaning services, MPT has grown into a comprehensive trenchless rehabilitation contractor. Over the decades, the company has built a reputation for reliability, technical expertise, and long-term customer partnerships. As an early licensee of CIPP Corp.—a Vortex-owned company—MPT has maintained a longstanding relationship with Vortex, making the integration a natural next step.

“MPT has a long track record of delivering dependable, high-quality work in the communities it serves,” said Mike Vellano, Chief Executive Officer of Vortex Companies. “Bringing their team into Vortex allows us to build on that legacy while accelerating our ability to serve municipalities and industrial clients throughout the Midwest.”

Mark Kaler, who has led MPT since acquiring the business from its founders, will remain along with the rest of the existing operations team. “Key to a successful ownership transition is our management team’s continued role in day-to-day operations” said Kaler. “Our history with Vortex, particularly through CIPP Corp., has shown us the value of collaboration and shared expertise. Joining forces allows us to expand what we can offer our customers while staying true to the principles that have guided MPT for decades.”

Vortex leadership emphasized the strong alignment between the two organizations, particularly in their shared focus on safety, quality, and execution.

“MPT’s team brings deep regional knowledge and a commitment to excellence that mirrors our own,” said Ryan Graham, Chief Operating Officer of Vortex Companies. “As demand for trenchless rehabilitation continues to grow, this partnership positions us to respond with greater scale and capability.”

About Municipal Pipe Tool Company LLC (MPT)

Municipal Pipe Tool Company LLC, based in Hudson, Iowa, provides sewer maintenance and rehabilitation services to municipalities and industrial clients throughout the Midwest. Since 1967, the company has supported infrastructure longevity through proactive solutions designed to improve system performance and environmental protection. MPT is a founding member of CIPP Corp., one of the largest cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) installation networks in North America. The company operates with a strong commitment to safety, teamwork, accountability, and results-driven service. For more details, visit www.munipipe.com.

About Vortex Companies

Vortex Companies is a global leader in trenchless water and sewer infrastructure solutions, delivering advanced technologies and turnkey services for the rehabilitation, replacement, and protection of critical infrastructure assets. Operating across 50, locations worldwide, Vortex specializes in pipe, manhole and structure rehabilitation, the development and manufacture of CIPP liners, geopolymer and hybrid mortars, polymeric coatings, resins, grouts, UV curing technology, sewer robotics, and high-speed drain cleaning tools. With a focus on innovation, quality, and customer partnership, Vortex serves municipal, industrial, and commercial markets worldwide. For more information, visit www.vortexcompanies.com.

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