IPD pushes AI and customer-driven engineering to stay agile

IPD President Michael Badar outlined how the 70-year-old heavy-duty engine parts maker is using AI, supply chain changes and product development to respond to tariffs, disruption and shifting customer demand. The feature in Energy, Oil & Gas magazine frames agility as a business discipline for a company serving customers in more than 100 countries.

Why it matters: - IPD is using AI and customer-driven engineering to protect service levels and speed up operations in a volatile aftermarket. - The approach matters because the company is managing supply chain disruption, tariffs and changing customer expectations at the same time. - IPD also is positioning itself to compete by building depth in targeted markets instead of spreading resources everywhere.

What happened: - Michael Badar, president of IPD, was featured in the September 2026 issue of Energy, Oil & Gas magazine. - The article, "Agility Through Change," focused on how IPD is responding to market pressure with adaptability. - IPD was founded in 1955 by Walter Storm and Bob Rasmussen as a gasket supplier. - The company now operates as part of Storm Industries and serves customers in more than 100 countries. - IPD is headquartered in Carson, California, with additional facilities in Houston, Cleveland, Denmark, Dubai and Australia.

The details: - Badar described IPD's "What's Next?" initiative as a company-wide focus on technology, customer experience, product development, supply chain resilience and investment in people. - IPD uses AI and data analytics to manage more than 60,000 SKUs. - One daily inventory review that once took hours now takes about five minutes. - IPD expanded its distribution network so products can sit closer to customers. - Facilities in Denmark and Dubai have added flexibility during tariff disruptions and shipping challenges. - IPD is prioritizing targeted markets with growing demand rather than trying to expand evenly across every region. - Customer feedback has influenced product development on one-piece piston designs, raised-edge liners, cryogenically treated head bolts and chromoly steel liners. - The engineering goal is to solve aftermarket problems, not to replicate OEM designs. - Badar said, "We may be 70 years old, but I tell people we're a 70-year-old startup." - The article links to the full feature. - More information is available at IPDParts.com.

Between the lines: - IPD is presenting agility as a repeatable operating model, not a one-time response to disruption. - The company's use of AI points to a practical payoff: faster inventory decisions in a business where parts availability can affect uptime. - The overseas facilities suggest IPD is using geography as a supply chain tool, not just a sales footprint. - The customer-feedback focus signals a strategy built around solving aftermarket pain points instead of competing only on catalog breadth.

What's next: - IPD's "What's Next?" initiative points to continued investment in technology, product development, supply chain resilience and people. - The company appears set to keep expanding in markets where demand is strongest and operational flexibility matters most. - AI and analytics are likely to play a larger role as IPD manages a growing, complex parts portfolio.