NFPA Launches New Membership Category for Controls, IoT, and Data Companies

NFPA is the trade association for the entire fluid power industry, whose technology is rapidly evolving to increasingly rely on electronic control systems and integrations with sensors, data capture and analytic functions. Companies manufacturing these products and providing these services have long been included in NFPA’s Manufacturer and Supplier membership types, but now, in order to help grow their ranks and deepen their engagement with NFPA, a new membership category will be launching to better represent them.

The new Controls, IoT and Data (CID) membership category will be for any firm or company that has maintained a facility or office for at least two years in the United States, Canada, or Mexico, and whose involvement with the fluid power industry includes one or more of the following:

(a) Creation of data/inputs, such as manufacturers of sensors, human-machine interfaces, displays, joysticks or keypads;

(b) Systems that use data to control vehicles or factory floors, such as controller manufacturers;

(c) Solutions that send data to the cloud for further use, such as telematics or manufacturers of IoT hardware;

(d) Storing, processing and presenting data, such as cloud service providers; or

(e) Analyzing data to draw conclusions, such as data analytics firms.

The new membership category was approved at the February 2024 meeting of the NFPA Board of Directors. NFPA Board Vice Chair, Keith Simons of OEM Controls, one of the existing NFPA members that will transition to the new category, said, “The introduction of this new membership category underscores our commitment to adapt to the changing dynamics of the industry while fostering collaboration and innovation among a diverse group of stakeholders. By providing a dedicated platform for companies specializing in controls, IoT, and data, we aim to facilitate deeper engagement and address the evolving needs of our members in an increasingly interconnected world. We recognize the importance of staying at the forefront of industry trends and ensuring that we remain a dynamic and inclusive organization representing the fluid power community effectively.”

Within the next few weeks, our membership manager Denise Husenica, will reach out to current members affected by the creation of this new membership category. Specific questions regarding the new membership category may be directed to Denise at dhusenica@nfpa.com.