MODEX 2026 has been held in Atlanta with a record 50,000 registered visitors from every US state and 132 countries, and plenty of new product and tech launches to capture the attention.

MODEX also had a record number of exhibitors - 1,057 - covering 630,000 sqft. (58,530sqm), representing all segments of the materials handling, logistics and transportation industries, including traditional, manual equipment to digital, automated systems, robotics, AI-connected supply chain orchestration technologies and last-mile logistics.

John Paxton, CEO of even organiser MHI, says the show “exceeded every expectation”.

“From groundbreaking product launches to standing-room-only educational sessions, the energy on the show floor reflected an industry that is rapidly evolving—and eager to connect, collaborate, and lead,” Paxton continues.

MODEX also featured 189 educational sessions, including four keynote presentations from industry executives and thought leaders.

“The milestone turnout at MODEX 2026 underscores the growing importance of supply chain agility, innovation, and collaboration amidst the growing uncertainty in today’s global economy,” MHI states.

Product launches

Big Joe Forklifts launched the LPX40, a 4,000 lbs. (1.8T) capacity, integrated lithium-ion pneumatic tyre forklift designed for indoor and outdoor applications.

Big Joe Forklifts says the LPX40 is ideal for agriculture, 3PL, trucking and rental applications and features large tyres for ground clearance, lithium-ion battery with onboard charger and an optional fully-enclosed heated cab.

Big Joe Forklifts also released its Big Joe Pulse asset optimisation tool which is now standard on every Big Joe sit-down counterbalance forklift, and delivers visibility, diagnostics and battery performance insights which are all remotely accessible through telemetry. 

Chief marketing officer Martin Boyd, says everything Big Joe Forklifts introduced at MODEX “is the result of close collaboration with our dealers and end-users”.

Hangcha Forklift America previewed its upcoming XEN Scissor Lift and new 80V electric lithium-ion Single Pantograph Reach Truck. 

The Pantograph is designed to stack and retrieve goods in narrow warehouses and at heights up to 11.5m. It features thicker, redesigned mast channels to increase mast strength, while the 80V system provides increased efficiency leading to longer run times and higher lift and lower speeds.

Automated supply chain and mobile workforce solutions provider Peak Technologies, showed its new Peak Automation Intelligence, an integrated AI-powered platform designed to support warehouse and distribution centre operators with real-time visibility, automated data capture and high-speed material flow intelligence. 

Swisslog unveiled its new automated storage and retrieval system, AgileStore, a 4-way roaming shuttle pallet shuttle for high pallet storage, which is the result of its partnership with Eurofork.

Swisslog was keen to stand out among exhibitors with a cheeky play on an incident at LogiMAT in Germany last month. There, AI-powered robotics solutions provider for the warehouse sector, Brightpick was forced to cover its exhibit because of a court injunction. 

Swisslog used similar white sheeting and a play on Brightpick’s words, to cover its exhibit before the unveil. It certainly became a talking point!

Dematic revealed its Dematic Command Centre, an analytics platform which transforms operational data into actionable insights for warehouse optimisation.

The intelligent automation developer also offered live technology demos of Eurofork, AutoStore AMRs and shuttle systems. 

Kardex lunched its new PortScale solution, which is designed to measure weight changes during the picking and putting away process.

East Penn Manufacturing launched its new Deka Ready Power Lithium Bloc battery, which supports its lithium product portfolio.

The lithium bloc is designed for pallet jack operations with features including internal charging, a standard 25A charge current (50A optional), and with a wide operating range.

“East Penn is excited to bring this new product to the market,” states David Corey, VP and GM of East Penn’s motive power sales. “With its intelligent design and cutting-edge benefits they are the perfect fit for pallet jack applications providing users ultimate productivity and overall savings to their bottom line.”

Zebra Technologies new WS501-R wearable computer was launched, to capture item-level data in real time, allowing “teams to catch internal errors before they ship and pivot instantly when external disruptions hit”.

Elokon debuted its ELOshieldAI, an “advanced safety system that combines proven tag-based proximity detection with AI-powered vision detection to deliver a dual-layer, comprehensive collision-prevention solution for forklifts and other material handling equipment”.

Last week we reported on Noblelift North America unveiling its Omega AI forklift and Yale Lift Truck Technologies showcasing its new counterbalance stacker and counterbalance forklift.

UgoWork introduced its new generation of AI-driven fleet intelligence capabilities.

“Built on years of connected battery data, UgoWork’s latest advancements introduce a new way for operators to turn energy data into actionable operational insight, helping teams identify inefficiencies, improve throughput, and make faster, better-informed decisions in increasingly constrained environments,” the company states.

Winners of innovation and start-up awards named

The winners of this year’s MHI Innovation and Startup Awards were named at the MHI Industry Night as part of MODEX 2026.

There were more than 220 submissions for this year’s MHI Innovation Awards, reviewed by a panel of judges with four category winners named.

Munich-based ProGlove was named the winner of Best IT Innovation for its AI-powered voice assistant which fills the communication gap between frontline workers and supervisors.

Dexory received the award for Best New Innovation for its DexoryView Storage Health feature which uses AI-driven autonomous robots to scan warehouses to identify risks, enhancing safety and inventory accuracy.

Best Robotics Innovation went to Anyware Robotics for its Pixmo solution for loading and unloading and mobile palletising while Flux Power picked up the Best Sustainability Innovation in recognition for its delivery of clean, efficient and data-driven energy solutions.

The winner of this year’s StartUp Award was named as Fork Mule, a patented device for safer fork adjustment.

MODEX West announced

MHI, producers of logistics and supply chain industry trade events ProMat and MODEX, has announced the introduction of a new event, MODEX West to be held in Las Vegas in October 2028.

CEO Paxton explains the event is a response to the needs of exhibitors and attendees, who expressed interest in having a new market access opportunity that provides even greater penetration into the enormous supply chain audience, both on the West Coast and internationally.

“MODEX West will extend and expand the strength, relevance and value of the MODEX brand,” Paxton adds. “The goal is to deliver the kind of unmatched show experience that MHI attendees and exhibitors have come to expect at both MODEX and ProMat which includes a complete range of technologies physically on display, hands-on solution demos, leading-edge education delivered by industry experts, and unrivalled connections to the supply chain community.”

MHI’s chief exhibitions officer, Daniel McKinnon, says MODEX West will build on the knowledge and experience used to deliver previous industry events.

“The event will include new ideas and emerging tech solutions to open up growth opportunities for attendees and exhibitors and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of supply chains,” McKinnon adds.

Forkliftaction also covered the product launches at LogiMAT in Stuttgart recently. The full story can be found here.