On April 27, 2026, Genuine Parts Company (GPC) completed the go‑live of Manhattan Associates’ Manhattan Active® Warehouse Management System at its Brisbane distribution centre. The cloud‑native platform replaces legacy systems and manual processes, providing a single, consistent way of working across the network.
The new system unifies inventory visibility, order processing, and scalability, enabling GPC to reduce handling costs and improve service levels for its automotive and industrial customers, including the NAPA and Motion Industries brands. By automating key warehouse functions, the platform is expected to streamline operations and support higher order volumes.
The go‑live comes shortly after GPC reported its Q1 2026 earnings. Revenue of $6.26‑$6.30 billion beat the consensus estimate of $6.17‑$6.18 billion, driven by comparable sales growth, acquisitions, and favorable foreign‑currency impacts. Adjusted earnings per share of $1.77 surpassed the $1.75 estimate, a beat of $0.02, thanks to strict cost controls and a favorable mix that kept margins stable despite cost inflation.
Segment performance underpinned the earnings beat. Industrial sales rose 5.2 % to $2.30 billion, with an EBITDA margin of 13.6 %. North America Automotive grew 4.3 % to $2.40 billion, adding 10 basis points to its margin, while International Automotive increased 13.2 % to $1.60 billion but saw its margin shrink 80 basis points, reflecting higher input costs. The mix shift toward higher‑margin industrial and North American automotive business helped offset the margin pressure in the international automotive segment.
Management highlighted the go‑live as a key milestone in GPC’s digital‑transformation agenda. "The partnership with Manhattan Associates has been critical in delivering a transformation of this scale. From the outset, we looked for a partner who understood the complexity of our network and could help us bring multiple operations together into a single, consistent way of working," said Jon Longbottom, Chief Supply Chain Officer. "Manhattan has worked alongside our team at every stage, helping us design enhanced processes that are not only more efficient, but also scalable as our business continues to grow." He added that the new system positions GPC to enhance operational performance across its network while continuing to evolve supply‑chain capabilities to meet changing customer and market demands.
The go‑live is part of a broader strategy that includes a planned separation of GPC’s automotive and industrial businesses into two independent public companies by Q1 2027. While the earnings beat and operational upgrade signal strong execution, investors have expressed caution over the separation and the company’s 2026 EPS guidance of $7.50‑$8.00, which falls short of some expectations. The market reaction has been tempered by concerns about the timing of the split and the guidance, but the operational milestone reinforces GPC’s commitment to modernizing its supply chain and supporting future growth.
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