While big name cloud application vendors like Salesforce and NetSuite have risen to prominence by primarily delivering solution to organizations working in the “knowledge economy”, there has been little attention given to cloud solutions for what I like to call the real world.

T. Rowe Price led a $50 million investment in Plex Systems Inc., a software company that enables manufacturers to run their operations from the cloud.

Manufacturing industries are arguably an excellent place for cloud to be deployed, but for some reason it has been easier to tell a story around cloud solutions for professional services, technology, media organizations and their ilk.

T. Rowe Price led a $50 million investment in Plex Systems Inc., a software company that enables manufacturers to run their operations from the cloud.

The annual PowerPlex customer event is now an established fixture on the analyst circuit with some of the best minds in manufacturing ERP in attendance along with 900 other attendees. The company made a raft of important announcements including the closing of a $50 million investment round by T. Rowe Price and Accel Partners, new innovations in mobile, a roadmap for solutions that take Plex up the food chain and new support packages.

Plex provides manufacturing-focused cloud ERP to companies across industries including, aerospace and defense, food and beverage and motor vehicles.

Grand Rapids, MICH., June 10, 2014 — Plex, the leader in cloud ERP for the manufacturing enterprise, Tuesday announced Plex Enterprise Edition, a suite of applications built to support complex, global, multiplant manufacturing organizations’ Financial and Supply Chain Management requirements.

Grand Rapids, MICH., June 10, 2014 — Plex, the leader cloud ERP for the manufacturing enterprise, Tuesday demonstrated a new, role-based user experience as well as integration with Google Glass designed to seamlessly connect people — from the shop floor to the top floor — with the Manufacturing Cloud.

Troy, MICH., June 10, 2014 — Plex, the leader in cloud ERP for the manufacturing enterprise, Tuesday announced it has closed $50 million in new financing. The round was led by funds and institutional accounts managed by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., with participation from existing Plex investor Accel partners.

Grand Rapids, MICH., June 10, 2014 — Plex, the leader in cloud ERP for the manufacturing enterprise, Tuesday announced new mobile business intelligence capabilities, enabling manufacturing professionals to access and share role-based enterprise and plant-level analytic dashboards from virtually any mobile device, anywhere.