ChatGPT's shortlist: industrial equipment distributors in New Jersey

Places ChatGPT showed

• Grainger Industrial Supply · 4.7★ · Tool store
• Eastern Lift Truck Co. - Maple Shade (HQ) · 4.6★ · Forklift dealer
• MHS Lift (Material Handling Supply) · 4.4★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• Tri-Lift NJ Inc. · 4.5★ · Forklift dealer
• McMaster-Carr · 5.0★ · Industrial equipment supplier$$$
• Barclay Brand Ferdon · 3.7★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• East Coast Storage Equipment · 4.1★ · Material handling equipment supplier$$
• A&M Industrial · 4.6★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• HVH Industrial Solutions LLC · 5.0★ · Bearing supplier

If by “best” you mean well-established distributors with broad product coverage, technical/service capabilities, and meaningful New Jersey coverage, these are some of the strongest options to consider. I’m not treating “best” as a single objective ranking because the right distributor depends heavily on whether you need MRO supplies, forklifts, warehouse systems, machinery, or specialized components.

Strong industrial equipment distributors in New Jersey

• Grainger Industrial Supply — Broad MRO/industrial supply
• Tools, hydraulics, electrical, safety, material handling, motors, plumbing, and facility supplies.
• Multiple NJ branches, including South Plainfield, Mt. Laurel, Clifton and Elizabeth.
• A good fit for companies wanting one broad supplier for maintenance and operating supplies.
• Eastern Lift Truck Co. - Maple Shade (HQ) — Forklifts & warehouse equipment
• New/used forklifts, rentals, parts, field service, training, and warehouse/dock solutions.
• Multiple NJ locations, including Maple Shade, Piscataway, Vineland and Montville.
• MHS Lift (Material Handling Supply) — Material handling & warehouse systems
• Forklifts, rentals, parts/service, racking, warehouse optimization and related solutions.
• Particularly relevant for distribution centers and warehouse operations.
• Tri-Lift NJ Inc. — Forklifts & material handling
• Equipment sales, rentals, used equipment, parts, service and operator training.
• Based in North Brunswick and serving customers throughout much of NJ.
• McMaster-Carr — Industrial parts & supplies
• Extremely broad catalog covering maintenance, machine-shop, plumbing, electrical, material handling and other industrial needs.
• Its Robbinsville facility provides local fulfillment/pickup in NJ.
• Barclay Brand Ferdon — Forklifts & fleet support
• Yale forklift dealer with new/used equipment, rentals, maintenance, parts, training and fleet support.
• Based in South Plainfield.
• East Coast Storage Equipment — Warehouse/storage equipment
• Racking, shelving, conveyors, mezzanines, containers, bins and other material-handling infrastructure.
• Offers both new and used equipment and turnkey systems.
• A&M Industrial — MRO, metalworking & industrial supplies
• Family-owned NJ distributor with emphasis on metalworking, MRO, safety, industrial hose and facility supplies.
• A particularly relevant option for manufacturing operations.
• Tool-Krib Supply — Machine tools & metalworking
• West Caldwell-based distributor offering band saws, grinders, lathes, milling machines, parts washers, sandblasting equipment and extensive metalworking/MRO supplies.
• HVH Industrial Solutions LLC — Power transmission, motors & pumps
• Industrial distributor specializing in bearings, motors, drives, pumps and related equipment, with repair/service capabilities.

A quick way to narrow it down

Thomasnet's current NJ supplier listings also show a substantial market of specialized distributors, including Metro Hydraulic, Maximum Material Handling, A-1 Industrial Equipment, Fastenal and others.

If you tell me what type of industrial equipment you're sourcing (e.g. forklifts, pumps, compressors, CNC/machine tools, conveyors, warehouse equipment, MRO supplies, or construction equipment), I can narrow this to 5–10 NJ distributors that specifically match your requirements, including locations, product lines, manufacturers represented, and contact/website information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• A&M Industrial · 4.6★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• Shingle & Gibb Automation · 3.0★ · Wholesaler
• Allendale Machinery Systems:Haas Factory Outlet · 5.0★ · Machine shop
• Power-Flo Technologies · 5.0★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• East Coast Storage Equipment · 4.1★ · Material handling equipment supplier$$
• Tri-Lift NJ Inc. · 4.5★ · Forklift dealer
• MHS Lift (Material Handling Supply) · 4.4★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• Fortune International Inc. · 5.0★ · Machining manufacturer
• Dodge-Newark, A Division of Shingle & Gibb Automation · Distribution service

For a small manufacturer in New Jersey, I’d focus less on overall company size and more on whether the distributor can provide application help, reasonable minimum orders, stocked parts, repair/service, and financing or used-equipment options. Based on those criteria, these are worth putting on your shortlist:

• A&M Industrial — Rahway. A broad industrial supplier covering tools, MRO, material handling, hoses/process equipment, safety, and plant-support services. Its breadth makes it particularly relevant if you want to consolidate purchases with one supplier.
• Shingle & Gibb Automation — Moorestown. Strong choice for factory automation, controls, motion, safety, pneumatics, and networking. It says it carries products from 100+ brands and provides technically focused sales support.
• Allendale Machinery Systems:Haas Factory Outlet — Upper Saddle River. Particularly relevant to smaller machine shops buying CNC mills/lathes, tooling, automation, and machine-tending equipment, with applications-engineering support.
• Power-Flo Technologies — Branchburg. A good candidate for manufacturers needing industrial electrical and automation components, including PLCs, drives, motion, sensors, machine vision, safety equipment, and connectivity, with engineering/integration support.
• East Coast Storage Equipment — Browns Mills. More relevant if your bottleneck is warehouse/storage infrastructure or material handling. It offers new and used equipment and storage solutions, which can be useful for a small manufacturer's capital budget.
• Tri-Lift NJ Inc. — North Brunswick. Focused on forklifts/material handling, with sales, rentals, parts, repairs, and operator training—useful if forklift downtime directly affects production or shipping.
• MHS Lift (Material Handling Supply) — Pennsauken. Another strong material-handling option, with equipment sales/rentals, service, parts, training, racking, and warehouse-optimization capabilities.
• Fortune International Inc. — Somerset. More specialized toward CNC machine tools and manufacturing machinery, including turning, milling, automation, and injection-molding equipment.
• Dodge-Newark, A Division of Shingle & Gibb Automation — East Hanover. Worth considering for mechanical power transmission, automation, controls, and plant-floor components, particularly when you need technical product-selection assistance.

How I'd narrow it down

There are dozens of machinery distributors in NJ, so the right choice depends heavily on what you're manufacturing and the equipment category; directories currently list 80+ machinery distributors in the state.

If you tell me what your small manufacturer makes (e.g., metal parts, plastics, food, packaging, electronics) and roughly how many employees you have, I can narrow this to 5–7 distributors that are specifically suited to your operation, including which ones offer used equipment, financing, service, and local delivery.

Places ChatGPT showed

• DXP Enterprises · 5.0★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• Motion · Industrial equipment supplier
• Applied Industrial Technologies · Industrial equipment supplier
• Raritan Group · 4.7★ · Pipe supplier
• Sunbelt Supply · 3.0★ · Corporate office
• OTP Industrial Solutions (Formerly Known as ARGO International) · Industrial equipment supplier
• Progressive Hydraulics, Inc. - Parker Hose & Fittings Store; Authorized Distributor · 5.0★ · Hose supplier
• Air Center, Inc. · 4.5★ · Air compressor supplier
• Comairco Air Compressors · 5.0★ · Air compressor repair service
• Fluid Handling Resources, LLC · 5.0★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• Raritan Valve & Automation · 5.0★ · Automation company

If by “top” you mean established industrial distributors with broad product coverage and technical/service capabilities, these are some of the strongest New Jersey options for pumps, valves, and compressors. I’m not ranking them overall; the best fit depends heavily on the application.

A few standouts by category

• Pumps / rotating equipment: DXP is particularly broad. Its rotating-equipment division covers centrifugal, positive-displacement, submersible, metering, specialty and vacuum pumps, plus air compressors, and it provides repair/remanufacturing services.
• Process pumps: OTP/ARGO in Somerset is worth looking at for engineered pump applications; its local operation is identified as a CIRCOR Pumps sales partner for IMO, Allweiler and Warren pumps. OTP Industrial Solutions (Formerly Known as ARGO International)
• Valves / flow control: Raritan Group and its Raritan Valve & Automation operation are strong NJ-based options for industrial/PVF valves, valve automation and assemblies. Raritan Valve & Automation
• Automated/process valves: Sunbelt Supply specifically focuses on manual and automated valves and actuator/automation systems for industries including chemical, refining, power, pharmaceutical and food & beverage. Sunbelt Supply
• General MRO / plant supply: Motion and Applied are useful when you want one distributor covering pumps, valves, pneumatics, hydraulics, hose/fittings, motors, bearings and other maintenance items. Motion's NJ Kenilworth operation, for example, lists pumps, process valves, compressors, filtration and pneumatic products among its lines.
• Compressors: Airmatic Compressor Systems describes itself as a major NJ distributor of air compressors and vacuum pumps, while Air Center and Comairco have dedicated NJ compressor sales/service operations. Air Center, Inc. Comairco Air Compressors

If you're building a supplier list for an industrial plant, I'd narrow the field differently than if you're looking for distributors to partner with/resell through. I can also give you a 20-company NJ supplier list with locations, product lines, major brands carried, website, and contact information, organized into pumps / valves / compressors.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Garden State Engine & Equipment · 1.0★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• Hoffman Equipment · 4.1★ · Construction equipment supplier
• Altus Equipment Company · 5.0★ · Forklift dealer
• Tri-Lift NJ Inc. · 4.5★ · Forklift dealer
• Raymond Of New Jersey · 4.2★ · Forklift dealer
• Barclay Brand Ferdon · 3.7★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• Modern Group, Ltd · 3.8★ · Forklift dealer
• United Handling Equipment LLC · 5.0★ · Forklift dealer
• Middlesex Industrial Sales, Inc. · 5.0★ · Air compressor supplier
• Vitan Equipment · 4.4★ · Forklift dealer
• Komatsu South Plainfield · 4.4★ · Construction equipment supplier
• First Choice Automotive Equipment · 4.9★ · Hydraulic equipment supplier
• Hercules Industrial Equipment · 4.5★ · Forklift dealer

Yes. I found several New Jersey distributors/dealers that explicitly advertise on-site, mobile, or field repair, rather than only shop-based service.

Strong options

• Garden State Engine & Equipment — Somerville. Specializes in heavy-duty and material-handling equipment, including truck-mounted forklifts, telehandlers and cranes. Its service department handles maintenance, hydraulic work and repairs, with roadside/emergency assistance.
• Hoffman Equipment — Piscataway. Construction-equipment dealer offering parts, service and on-site/field service, including jobsite diagnostics and repairs.
• Altus Equipment Company — Somerville. Forklift/heavy-equipment dealer with broad repair capabilities, including hydraulics, engines, transmissions, electrical systems and diagnostics.
• Tri-Lift NJ Inc. — North Brunswick. Material-handling/forklift distributor with sales, rentals, parts and service/repair throughout New Jersey.
• Raymond Of New Jersey — Cranbury. Forklift/material-handling dealer with factory-trained technicians and mobile service vehicles carrying parts and diagnostic equipment.
• Barclay Brand Ferdon — South Plainfield. Material-handling dealer providing forklift and warehouse-equipment support, including mobile technician/service support.
• Modern Group, Ltd — Edison. Broad industrial/construction/material-handling equipment dealer covering forklifts, cranes, telehandlers, generators and related equipment, with service support.
• United Handling Equipment LLC — Bound Brook. Forklift and material-handling distributor with repair, hydraulic service and on-site breakdown support.
• Middlesex Industrial Sales, Inc. — Fords. Particularly relevant for industrial air compressors and lubrication equipment; offers both shop and on-site service/repair.
• Vitan Equipment — South Plainfield. Forklift/material-handling distributor offering equipment, parts, service and maintenance.
• Komatsu South Plainfield — South Plainfield. Construction-equipment dealer with parts, rental, service and repair capabilities.
• First Choice Automotive Equipment — Hillsborough. Distributor/service provider for automotive and truck-shop equipment, including hydraulic and compressed-air equipment, with a New Jersey-wide service area.
• Hercules Industrial Equipment — Middlesex. Forklift dealer and repair provider covering electric, propane, gas and diesel equipment.

Especially clear on-site-service offerings

A few companies were particularly explicit in their own service descriptions:

If you're looking for industrial equipment distributors specifically around the Somerset/Somerville area, the most geographically relevant starting points are Garden State Engine & Equipment, Hoffman Equipment, Altus, Tri-Lift, Raymond of NJ, United Handling, and Middlesex Industrial Sales.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Eastern Lift Truck Co. - Montville · 5.0★ · Forklift dealer
• Maintainco Inc · 3.9★ · Forklift dealer
• Grainger Industrial Supply · 4.7★ · Tool store
• HVH Industrial Solutions LLC · 5.0★ · Bearing supplier
• A&M Industrial · 4.6★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• Saddle Brook Lift Truck LLC · 5.0★ · Forklift dealer
• RENTALIFT · 4.7★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• Allendale Machinery Systems:Haas Factory Outlet · 5.0★ · Machine shop

If by North Jersey you mean roughly Bergen, Passaic, Morris, Essex, Hudson, and nearby counties, there are several established suppliers worth considering. “Reliable” is best judged by service coverage, parts availability, technical support, and track record—not just review scores.

Strong North Jersey options

• Eastern Lift Truck Co. - Montville — Montville. A strong option for forklifts and warehouse/material-handling equipment, with sales, rentals, parts, maintenance, and emergency service. Its published territory includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties.
• Maintainco Inc — South Hackensack. Focuses on forklifts, warehouse equipment, rentals, parts, repairs, and operator training. It also advertises service for multiple makes/models.
• Grainger Industrial Supply — South Plainfield, with another North Jersey branch in Clifton. Particularly useful for MRO supplies, tools, hydraulics, motors, safety equipment, electrical supplies, and material handling when you need parts quickly.
• HVH Industrial Solutions LLC — Garfield. A good fit for industrial power transmission, bearings, motors, pumps, and general industrial supplies, with repair/service capabilities as well.
• A&M Industrial — Rahway. A long-established industrial distributor covering MRO, metalworking, safety, material handling, hoses, valves, instrumentation, and plant supplies.
• Saddle Brook Lift Truck LLC — Hawthorne. More specialized toward forklifts/lift trucks and repair, making it worth considering when minimizing equipment downtime is the priority.
• RENTALIFT — Paterson. Particularly relevant for forklift/lift rentals, sales, parts, and operator training in North Jersey.
• Allendale Machinery Systems:Haas Factory Outlet — Upper Saddle River. If you're talking about CNC/machine tools rather than general industrial supplies, this is a specialized regional source for Haas equipment, applications engineering, training, service, parts, and automation.

For material-handling systems specifically, North Jersey has a deep supplier base: Thomasnet currently lists hundreds of companies serving the region, including integrators for conveyors, palletizing, automation, racks, cranes, and warehouse systems.

If you tell me what type of equipment you need—e.g. forklifts, pumps, compressors, CNC machines, conveyors, cranes/hoists, generators, hydraulic equipment, or general MRO—I can narrow this to 5–7 suppliers that are particularly well suited to that equipment, including their locations, service capabilities, and current customer-review information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Eastern Lift Truck Co. - Maple Shade (HQ) · 4.6★ · Forklift dealer
• MHS Lift (Material Handling Supply) · 4.4★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• Equipment Depot - Mt. Laurel · 4.6★ · Material handling equipment supplier
• Applied Industrial Technologies · 4.5★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• Grainger Industrial Supply · 4.6★ · Tool store
• Foley Cat - Hammonton · 4.2★ · Construction equipment supplier
• Core Equipment Group · 4.8★ · Construction machine dealer
• Miller Equipment Services · 4.6★ · Forklift dealer
• Perry Equipment · 4.3★ · Equipment supplier
• Engineered Hydraulics Inc · 5.0★ · Hydraulic repair service

If by “industrial equipment distributors” you mean companies that sell and support equipment for manufacturing, warehouses, contractors, and industrial facilities, South Jersey has several strong options. Rather than calling one “best” across every category, I’d shortlist them based on the type of equipment you need:

• Eastern Lift Truck Co. - Maple Shade (HQ) — Material handling / forklifts. Sales, rentals, parts, field service, safety training, and warehouse/dock solutions. Its Maple Shade headquarters serves South Jersey and the broader Mid-Atlantic.
• MHS Lift (Material Handling Supply) — Forklifts and warehouse systems. Pennsauken-based, with equipment sales/rentals, service, parts, training, racking, and warehouse optimization. The Southern NJ Chamber also lists it as a distributor.
• Equipment Depot - Mt. Laurel — Forklifts, lifts and rental equipment. Particularly relevant for warehouses, manufacturing and distribution operations; its South Jersey operation provides sales, rentals, parts and service.
• Applied Industrial Technologies — Industrial MRO, bearings, hydraulics, motors and power-transmission products. The Runnemede branch is a good fit if you're sourcing components and maintenance supplies rather than large machines. Thomasnet lists it as a major industrial-tools distributor with a very broad brand portfolio.
• Grainger Industrial Supply — Broad industrial/MRO supply. The Mount Laurel location covers tools, safety, electrical, hydraulics, motors, material handling, plumbing and other maintenance categories.
• Foley Cat - Hammonton — Heavy construction and industrial equipment. Caterpillar equipment sales, rentals, parts and service, plus industrial engines and power-system support.
• Core Equipment Group — Heavy construction equipment. The Vineland location provides equipment sales, rentals, parts and service, with a CASE-oriented dealership operation.
• Miller Equipment Services — Forklifts and mobile material-handling service. Westville-based, with equipment sales/rentals and mobile repair throughout Southern New Jersey.
• Perry Equipment — Used process and packaging equipment. Hainesport-based and more specialized for industrial process/packaging machinery than general MRO.
• Engineered Hydraulics Inc — Hydraulics, hoses and industrial equipment repair. Especially relevant for construction machinery, manufacturing equipment, forklifts, agricultural equipment and other hydraulic applications.

A practical shortlist

For example, Eastern Lift Truck Co. - Maple Shade (HQ) is especially comprehensive for a warehouse/manufacturing operation, while Applied Industrial Technologies is more appropriate if you're primarily sourcing industrial components, MRO products, bearings, hydraulics and power transmission. Winslow Rental also maintains a large South Jersey equipment inventory and is an authorized dealer for brands including Bobcat, Bomag, Sakai, Toro, Tsurumi and others.

If you tell me what type of industrial equipment you're buying (forklifts, conveyors, pumps, compressors, CNC machinery, hydraulic equipment, packaging machinery, etc.), I can narrow this to 5–10 South Jersey distributors that specifically specialize in it, including contact/location information and manufacturer lines.

Places ChatGPT showed

• McMaster-Carr · 5.0★ · Industrial equipment supplier$$$
• Grainger Industrial Supply · 4.7★ · Tool store
• Applied Industrial Technologies · Industrial equipment supplier
• A&M Industrial · 4.6★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• Vail Industrial & Supply · 4.8★ · Hardware store

If parts availability and delivery speed are the main criteria, I’d look at a mix of broad-line MRO distributors and category specialists rather than one supplier.

Strong New Jersey options

• McMaster-Carr — Robbinsville
• Particularly strong for fast-moving maintenance parts, fasteners, fittings, bearings, tools, and general industrial components.
• Its Robbinsville, NJ operation is a major fulfillment point, and industry sources consistently cite it for very fast shipment from New Jersey.
• Best fit: urgent orders when you know the exact part/spec.
• Grainger Industrial Supply — South Plainfield, plus other NJ branches
• Probably the strongest general-purpose emergency MRO option because of its combination of broad inventory, branch pickup, and delivery.
• Grainger says it has 1.5+ million products and next-day delivery on most in-stock orders; same-day shipping is available on most qualifying orders received by its cutoff.
• Best fit: maintenance departments that need a wide variety of parts quickly.
• Applied Industrial Technologies — Somerset
• Particularly relevant for bearings, power transmission, hydraulics, hose, seals, and motors.
• Best fit: mechanical equipment breakdowns where getting the technically correct replacement matters as much as shipping speed.
• A&M Industrial — Rahway / Cranbury
• NJ-based industrial distributor with MRO, metalworking, safety, hose and facility-supply capabilities.
• Best fit: manufacturers and machine shops wanting a local distributor relationship rather than purely transactional online ordering.
• Vail Industrial & Supply — South Plainfield
• A smaller local supplier with a particularly interesting availability proposition: its local listing indicates substantial on-hand inventory and roughly 12-hour turnaround for non-stock special orders.
• Best fit: common industrial hardware and maintenance items when local availability matters.
• MSC Industrial Supply
• Especially strong for cutting tools, abrasives, tooling, measuring equipment and metalworking supplies.
• MSC offers qualifying customers free upgrades to next-day air, with an 8 p.m. ET cutoff for its Get It Next Day program.
• New Jersey also has a state purchasing agreement with MSC, along with Grainger and Fastenal.

Practical comparison

Fastenal is also worth keeping in the mix: its branch model provides local product-availability information, and documentation for its industrial distribution program describes same-day delivery capabilities.

For a plant in NJ where downtime is expensive, I'd generally establish accounts with McMaster + Grainger for broad emergency coverage, then add Applied or Motion for bearings/hydraulics/power transmission and MSC for machining/tooling. That gives you redundancy rather than relying on one distributor when something is out of stock.

If you tell me your NJ location (city/ZIP) and the types of equipment/parts you buy—e.g. bearings, hydraulic components, motors, electrical, pumps, conveyor parts, machine-tool parts—I can narrow this to the 5 closest distributors and compare their actual branch locations, delivery capabilities, and specialties.

Places ChatGPT showed

• A&M Industrial · 4.6★ · Industrial equipment supplier
• Dealers Industrial Equipment · 5.0★ · Electric motor store
• Middlesex Industrial Sales, Inc. · 5.0★ · Air compressor supplier
• HVH Industrial Solutions LLC · 5.0★ · Bearing supplier

If by “manufacturers trust” you mean family-owned distributors with established OEM/authorized-dealer relationships, technical capability, and long operating histories, several New Jersey firms stand out. There isn’t a reliable public metric for “manufacturer trust,” so I’d use those concrete indicators rather than treating it as a ranking.

• A&M Industrial — Rahway. A third-generation family-owned industrial distributor covering MRO, metalworking, safety, material handling, process equipment and related services. Its breadth makes it particularly relevant for manufacturers needing a broad industrial-supply partner.
• Dealers Industrial Equipment — Hillside. A third-generation, family-owned specialist in industrial motors, drives and controls. It reports authorized-distributor relationships with brands including Baldor, SEW-Eurodrive, Toshiba, WEG, Marathon and others.
• Middlesex Industrial Sales, Inc. — Fords. Family-owned since 1998, specializing in compressed-air systems, lubrication equipment, paint/pressure-washing equipment, installation and repair. Its supplier roster includes Graco, Lincoln, Balcrank, Alemite, Ingersoll Rand and others.
• HVH Industrial Solutions LLC — Garfield. Family-owned industrial distributor/service shop focused on motors, bearings, power transmission, pumps and rotating-equipment repair. Its combination of distribution and repair is useful for manufacturers where downtime is the primary concern.
• Metro Hydraulic Jack Co. — Newark. A third-generation family business dating to 1941, distributing hydraulic cylinders, motors, valves, pumps and lifts while also providing engineering and service.
• Maintainco — South Hackensack/South Plainfield. Family-owned and operating since 1958; an authorized/certified dealer for Toyota, Mitsubishi, E-Picker and JLG material-handling equipment, with sales, rental, parts, service and training.
• Woods Machinery — Freehold/Green Brook/Hainesport. Second-generation family-owned equipment dealer since 1984, with authorized relationships covering Bobcat, Wacker Neuson, Finn, Morbark/Rayco, Exmark, Toro, Scag and other manufacturers.
• Enpro, Inc. — particularly relevant for process industries. The company describes itself as a family-owned industrial-equipment distributor dating to 1961 and represents manufacturers including Flowserve/Kammer, API Heat Transfer, APV, Desmi, Warren Rupp, Vega and others, serving sectors such as biopharma, food, chemicals, power and metals.
• JESCO — a family-owned construction-equipment dealer founded in 1972. Its long-standing John Deere relationship and current territory covering NJ and neighboring states make it relevant if “industrial equipment” includes heavy construction equipment.

If you're evaluating them as potential channel partners

I'd divide the field by what you're manufacturing:

For a manufacturer deciding who could actually represent its product line, I'd put particular weight on whether the distributor already carries non-competing complementary products, has factory-trained sales/service personnel, covers your target geography, maintains inventory, and has demonstrable OEM authorization. Those are much more meaningful indicators than online review counts.

If you tell me what type of industrial equipment you manufacture (pumps, motors, automation, hydraulics, material handling, process equipment, etc.), I can narrow this to 5–10 NJ family-owned distributors that are plausible OEM/channel partners, including the manufacturers they currently represent and their territories.