Hitoshi Matsuoka, Thomas Hibinger and Aaron M. Jones to Lead New Global Warehouse Automation Business, Debuting at LogiMAT 2026
Toyota Industries Corporation (“TICO”) today announced the appointment of three industry leaders as CEOs of Toyota Automated Logistics (“TAL”), its new warehouse automation business. Hitoshi Matsuoka will serve as TAL’s CEO, Central. Thomas Hibinger will serve as TAL’s CEO for the EMEA and APAC regions, and Aaron M. Jones will serve as TAL’s CEO, Americas.
Debuting at LogiMAT March 23–25, 2026, TAL unites the combined strengths of Bastian Solutions, Vanderlande’s Warehousing business, and viastore under one brand formally launching on April 1, 2026. This powerful combination enables the delivery of scalable systems, intelligent software, and comprehensive lifecycle services – all with the quality and reliability associated with the Toyota brand.
“Thomas Hibinger and Aaron Jones have a solid track record of strong performance leading two of our warehouse automation businesses. Their vision has shaped the future of automated warehousing and guided the delivery of innovative and pragmatic solutions to solve customers’ complex and shifting logistics challenges,” said Hitoshi Matsuoka, Central CEO, TAL. “Their appointments as regional CEOs reflect TICO’s commitment to build on the collective depth and breadth of our world-class technologies, software and services while delivering a seamless customer experience across regions.”
“I look forward to this new chapter, allowing TAL to bring automated logistics to the next level by combining our global strength and expertise under one roof,” states Thomas Hibinger, CEO, EMEA and APAC. “Warehouse and fulfillment operations never stop, nor are they constrained by time zones or geography. With this unification, we aim to deliver greater scalability, innovation and long-term value for our customers worldwide.”
The fast-growing market for warehouse automation is spurred by greater demand for next- or same-day deliveries, ever-faster throughput, absolute order accuracy and optimal warehouse performance. Through seamless integration across the automation landscape, TAL addresses these needs end to end. This approach supports organizations at every stage of their automation journey, whether taking the first steps to automate manual processes in legacy warehouses or refining the advanced distribution centers relied on by the largest e-commerce platforms and the global fulfillment operations of leading brands.
The new Leadership Trio of TAL
- Hitoshi Matsuoka, CEO, Central: Matsuoka joined Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. (now Toyota Industries Corporation) in 1990, where he was involved in the sales of textile machinery and the material handling equipment business. From 2020 to 2025, he served as President of Toyota Automated Logistics North America. Since 2025, Mr. Matsuoka has held the position of Executive Officer at Toyota Industries Corporation and is a board member of Toyota Material Handling Europe.
- Thomas Hibinger, CEO, EMEA and APAC: Hibinger is currently the president and CEO of viastore and leads a diverse portfolio of innovative material flow and distribution solutions. Under his strategic leadership, the company provides comprehensive warehouse automation technologies, systems and software to a vast network of more than 3,000 facilities across Europe.
- Aaron M. Jones, CEO, Americas: Jones is currently the president and CEO of Bastian Solutions, and has overseen a period of significant growth, more than quadrupling the company’s revenue. After succeeding the company’s founder as President, Jones led the organization through the transition to become a subsidiary of Toyota Automated Logistics Group as well as five strategic acquisitions.
Meet Toyota Automated Logistics and Thomas Hibinger at LogiMAT 2026
Toyota Automated Logistics will share how seamless integration helps customers design and scale logistics facilities to match their business’s changing needs at LogiMAT, booth 1J31 in hall 1. Warehouse, fulfillment and manufacturing leaders are invited to hear from Thomas Hibinger at the event. To schedule an appointment with TAL at LogiMAT, please contact us via email. You can find further information at toyota-automated-logistics.com/logimat.
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