JLG Industries Acquires Construction Robotics Firm Canvas to Expand Automation in Interior Finishing
JLG Industries, a global manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers, has acquired San Francisco–based construction robotics company Canvas in a move aimed at accelerating automation across interior construction workflows. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition includes Canvas’ core robotics technology, which powers the 1200CX drywall robotic platform, as well as the company’s engineering team. Canvas CEO Kevin Albert and his team will join JLG as employees and continue operating from San Francisco. JLG is a division of Oshkosh Corp.
“Robotics and automation will play an increasingly important role in the future of construction, especially as the industry looks for practical ways to deliver greater efficiencies, improve productivity and enhance consistency on job sites,” said Shashank Bhatia, chief technology officer for JLG’s access segment. “This acquisition strengthens our technology roadmap and accelerates our ability to deliver solutions that create real, measurable value for customers in the field.”
From Finishing Tool to Platform Capability
Canvas is best known for its robotic solutions for installing and finishing drywall, combining robotic precision with the expertise of trained tradespeople. Its platform automates fit-and-finish tasks, reduces rework, and delivers consistent quality while minimizing the physical strain on workers.
Bhatia said JLG plans to integrate Canvas’ technology into its broader autonomy and robotics strategy, including pairing it with JLG’s access equipment to support a range of interior construction applications.
“These new processes will be designed to assist skilled workers by taking on repetitive, physically demanding tasks so crews can focus on higher-value work,” he said.
A Relationship Years in the Making
According to Bhatia, JLG has tracked Canvas’ progress since its founding in 2017.
“We actually started communicating with them in 2017,” he said. “Their technology was always good, but we were not aligned at that time. Their go-to-market strategy was to be a general contractor.”
That alignment shifted as Canvas focused on product development, particularly with the launch of its 1200CX platform capable of achieving Level 5 drywall finishes.
“In 2021, I talked to Kevin again and that’s when they were working on the 1200CX product,” Bhatia said. “In 2024 we saw a glimpse of it, and I really liked it. My mind was churning into, ‘how can I use this in our current products?’ For us, products like the 1200CX fit so well in our vertical product line.”
Rethinking the Job Site
Bhatia said the combined company aims to transform tasks like drywall installation and finishing—still largely performed manually by individual laborers—into equipment-assisted workflows, similar to how hydraulic excavators replaced manual digging.
“The future of the job site is going to move from enabling work to executing work,” he said. “Helping the operator do the work.”
He added that JLG envisions scenarios where operators manage multiple robotic systems from the ground, particularly for work performed at height.
“You could definitely see a case where the best place for the operator is to be on the ground with a swarm of robots being controlled by operators on the ground that are doing the work at height,” Bhatia said.
Addressing Labor and Productivity Pressures
The acquisition comes as construction firms face ongoing labor shortages, rising costs, and pressure to improve productivity. By integrating robotics directly into equipment platforms, JLG is positioning itself to offer contractors new ways to maintain output while reducing physical strain on workers.
Canvas’ technology will now serve as a foundation for JLG’s future robotics and autonomy efforts in interior construction, signaling a broader shift toward equipment that not only enables access—but increasingly executes work itself.
