XI'AN, China, Sept. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from CRI Online:
On September 17, 2025, the World Internet Conference Cultural Heritage Digitalization Forum opened in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. Themed "Bridging History Through Digitalization, Building Civilization with Intelligence — Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace", the forum aims to strengthen exchanges and dialogues, build broad consensus, and better empower the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage through digitalization, in order to inject profound and enduring cultural strength into the fostering of a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
Following the opening ceremony, the main forum was held where participants engaged in in-depth discussions on four topics: "Protection & Inheritance," "Technology & Innovation," "Industry & Empowerment," and "Openness & Collaborative Governance". The discussions focused on exploring new methods and pathways of digital empowerment for cultural heritage protection and promoting exchanges and mutual understanding among civilizations. Side events during the forum included an exhibition of selected digital cultural heritage projects, a thematic meeting of the WIC Digital Culture Heritage Working Group, and a training workshop on digital cultural heritage protection. The World Internet Conference Culture Heritage Digitalization Case Collection (2025) was also released during the main forum.
The event is hosted by the World Internet Conference (WIC) and organized by the People's Government of Shaanxi Province. Approximately 800 guests from over 50 countries and regions, as well as 9 international organizations, attended the forum.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
2025 World Internet Conference Cultural Heritage Digitalization Forum Opens in Xi'an, Shaanxi
Transaction Enhances MRO Scale, AOG Readiness, and Lubricants Market Leadership
ARLINGTON, Texas, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GracoRoberts (gracoroberts.com) today announced the acquisition of Sky Mart (skymart.aero) to advance its international footprint in Latin America, leveraging the company's corporate headquarters in Miami as a gateway to the aerospace-rich Latin American region. The acquisition significantly bolsters GracoRoberts' reach into the $6.5B Latin American MRO market, scales its AOG capability, and offers its customers access to a considerable breadth of in-stock lubricants, amplifying the acquirer's already sound position as the largest, fastest, and most technically focused aerospace specialty chemicals distributor in the world.
The addition of Sky Mart to the GracoRoberts' portfolio expands its technical sales coverage throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Florida, and portions of the US, while adding an additional 42,000 square feet of fulfillment centers in Miami, FL, San Antonio, TX, and Indianapolis, IN, and offering a rich stocking position for oils, greases, and fluids. Additionally, Sky Mart customers will benefit from access to GracoRoberts' extensive breadth of adhesives, composites, paints and coatings, a robust ecommerce presence for immediate product access, and a global technical sales team. These enhancements, coupled with a mutual focus on world-class quality, will add meaningful value to both companies' customer and supplier partners.
Jason Caldwell, President and CEO of GracoRoberts, commented on the acquisition. "We are thrilled to welcome the team from Sky Mart to the GracoRoberts' family of companies. This partnership strengthens our ability to serve the global aerospace community, especially in the important Latin America and Miami markets, with an enhanced stocking position, broader product offerings, and a scalable bolt-on ecommerce presence and AOG platform for an industry that requires speed and dependability."
Juan Gregorio Robbin, Co-Founder and President of Sky Mart, also commented on the integration, and the decision to partner with GracoRoberts after four decades of family-owned operation. "At Sky Mart, our operating philosophy is simple and unwavering: stock the right products, deliver exceptional service, and get it right the first time. This guiding principle has earned us the trust of a loyal Latin and North American customer base, and by joining the GracoRoberts' family, we can deliver even more value to our customers."
Ana Maria Robbin, Co-Owner and Executive Vice President of Sky Mart, offered her perspective on the acquisition. "2025 marked Sky Mart's 40th year in a business founded by our parents – our heroes – Gregorio and Lucy Robbin. They raised us to believe in the power of a vision, endless determination, and a deep spirit of service that defines our culture today, and I see these qualities in the team at GracoRoberts. I know the Sky Mart legacy will be upheld with care and purpose."
The leaders of both companies will collaborate to deliver a seamless, customer-focused transition that preserves each organization's culture and ensures no disruption to the business.
The acquisition of Sky Mart is supported by CM Equity Partners, the private equity sponsor of GracoRoberts and long-standing partner to its Executive Leadership Team (ELT). Under the leadership of President and CEO Jason Caldwell, the GracoRoberts ELT has significantly expanded the company's global footprint and accelerated its digital growth strategy through six acquisitions over the past seven years – E.V. Roberts, Able Aerospace Adhesives, Silmid, SkyGeek, Pacific Coast Composites, and now Sky Mart – each enhancing value for its enterprise partners and the broader aerospace industry.
About GracoRoberts
Headquartered in Arlington, TX, GracoRoberts (www.gracoroberts.com) is the single largest, fastest, and most technically focused specialty chemicals distributor to serve the global aerospace market and is fully AS, ISO, and CMMC II certified. We serve the aerospace OEM, MRO, and defense segments, composites, electronics, and other advanced manufacturing industries. As a family of brands including Silmid, SkyGeek, and Pacific Coast Composites, we are authorized to distribute 3M, Airtech, Aeroshell, AkzoNobel, Eastman, Henkel, Hexcel, Huntsman, Isovolta, Momentive, PPG, Resin Formulators, Royco, Scott Bader, Sika, American Fiber & Finishing, Armite Lubricants, Arrow Solutions, B&J Rubber Products, Castrol, Chemetall, Contec, Deb Stoko, ITW Performance Polymers, Mask-Off, Master Fluid Solutions, Permabond, Reabrook Ltd, Rocol, Royal Adhesives, Socomore, and Zip-Chem, and can source thousands of other providers upon request. We differentiate by adding value: services include world-class ecommerce available through three websites (www.skygeek.com, www.silmid.com, and www.gracoroberts.com), global distribution, custom formulation, specialty packaging, vendor managed inventory, intermix and kitting services, defense logistics and compliance, export management services, and an on-staff Chemist, lab, and testing facility. GracoRoberts prides itself in delivering superior engineered materials with impeccable support to thousands of customers from more than 65 countries around the globe.
About Sky Mart
Headquartered in Miami, FL and founded in 1985 by Gregorio and Lucy Robbin with Co-Founder and President Juan Gregorio Robbin, Sky Mart (www.skymart.aero) has grown into an industry leading and well-recognized aerospace chemical, lubricant and specialty fluids stocking distributor. Sky Mart is now a second-generation Robbin family business serving thousands of customers across Latin America and North America. With over 40 years of global distribution experience, the company's philosophy is straight forward: stock the products, quote quickly, and offer fast, accurate, and on-time shipping. Today Sky Mart continues to invest in online and EDI trading platforms, and offers reliable and effective after-hours AOG service for the airline, MRO, and other aviation communities.
About CM Equity Partners
CM Equity Partners (www.cmequity.com), based in New York, NY, provides capital to the Federal services and aerospace and defense industries. For 30 years, CMEP has partnered with management teams to build enduring value by leveraging its industry knowledge, relationships, operating experience, and its corporate finance, M&A, and private equity expertise. CMEP employs an active and collaborative management approach, developing long-term strategic plans and guiding decisions on re-investment of profits to grow and broaden a company's revenue base and capabilities. CMEP's investments are structured with flexibility across a broad spectrum of the capital structure, including equity, structured equity, and mezzanine debt.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
GracoRoberts Acquires Sky Mart to Accelerate Latin American Expansion, Anchored by Miami Hub
