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Top 20 system suppliers
(Modern Materials Handling Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)While overall materials handling equipment sales in the U.S. showed
strong gains in 2005, the same can't be said of the 20 largest systems
suppliers worldwide.
In fact, total revenues for those companies were off nearly 4%, or
roughly $500 million, from 2004 levels of nearly $13 billion.
Looking at individual companies on the latest list, only eight showed
revenue increases in 2005 compared to double that number in 2004. Meanwhile,
one company reported virtually identical revenues to 2004 and the rest saw
revenues dip. Two companies are new to the list.
The minimum revenue for making the list this year has decreased from
$139 million in 2004 to $135 million now.
Europe continues to be the home of the most top suppliers with 13 of the
top 20. Germany was the strongest country with five suppliers on this year's
survey. As was the case in 2004, four the top 20 hail from the United States,
Japan has two and one Australian supplier made the grade.
After only a minor shakeup in the top five in 2004, there was more
movement in 2005. Nonetheless, Siemens Logistics & Assembly Systems once
again claims the top spot.
While staying on top, the company is undergoing some major changes. In
2005, it saw revenues decline $400 million. In addition, parent company Siemens
reorganized the division effective January 1, 2006. The former Distribution and
Industry Group is now known as Dematic, but remains a wholly owned subsidiary
of Siemens AG. Other materials handling operations are now organized as a
separate group within Siemens.
Thanks to positive revenue growth, both Daifuku and Schaefer moved up on
this year's list to spots two and three, respectively. Daifuku posted the more
impressive gains of the two, with $230 million more in revenue versus 2004. FKI
Logistex is now the fourth largest system supplier, posting $1.45 billion, a
slight decrease from previous year's revenues of $1.61 billion.
Kardex AG comes in at number five with revenues of $535 million. Murata
held this spot last year but its revenues declined more than $100 million, or
20%, dropping the company to the eighth spot on the list.
To make the list, companies must not only provide equipment, but supply
materials handling systems as well. Companies must also maintain a North
American operations center and manufacture a minimum of two major handling
system components. In addition to manufacturing, companies must have a
full-time staff that designs, installs, integrates and implements materials
handling systems that include two or more major equipment installations.
Eligible components include transportation devices, picking units,
storage and staging equipment, information management systems, sortation
systems, data capture technologies and other systems. Visit mmh.com to see
which components each company supplies.
Outside the top five, the list experienced more movement than in past
years. Of special note was Mecalux. The Spanish supplier saw its revenues soar
from just more than $300 million in 2004 to the half-billion dollar mark this
year, launching the company from 12th in 2004 to 7th this year. Linda Demke,
spokesperson for the company, points to organic growth as well as the
acquisitions of two software suppliersEsmena Storage Systems and
ThyssenKrupp Engineering and Systems Divisionas responsible for the surge.
Vanderlande makes the list at nine, breaking the top 10 for the first
time. Meanwhile, Swisslog tumbles to 10th from sixth a year ago and in the top
five two years ago. Spokesman for the company Steve Simmerman points to the
company's divestiture of its materials handling operations as reasons for the
supplier's slide. "In terms of 'on-going' operations (consulting, MHE
design/integration, software, and support) we are tracking quite nicely, and
profitably," he says.
Lockheed Martin Corp., which was 10th a year ago, declined to
participate in this year's survey and was removed from the rankings.
Despite falling only two spots to 11, German supplier Eisenmann saw
one-quarter of its revenues disappear in 2005, dropping from $420 million in
2004 to $310 million now.
The rest of the list saw little movement, as most companies stayed
relatively static from year-to-year revenues. Witron, HK Systems and Jervis B.
Webb bump up to spots 12, 13 and 14, respectively, posting similar revenues to
those reported in 2004.
Knapp Logistik Automation moves up two spots to 15, posting gains of $40
million during 2004, or 20% year-to-year. The Brambles Group stays put in 2005
at 16, posting virtually static revenues at roughly $200 million.
In a tie at 17 are Flexlink and Beumer, both reporting revenues of $155
million. While Flexlink lost $7 million in revenues year-to-year, Beumer bumped
up $3 million to move from 19th last year.
German-based supplier Durr saw its revenues drop by nearly $90 million
in 2005. As a result, Durr is no longer on the list, opening the door along
with the removal of Lockheed Martin for two new entries this year. As a result,
Sandvik and Tomkins Industries make appearances on the survey at numbers 19 and
20, respectively.
In the end, the top 20 systems suppliers continue to be in flux, with
some notable shifts in the past 12 months.
Top 20 materials handling systems suppliers worldwide Rank/Company
Rank last yr.
Worldwide 2005 annual sales* U.S. $
Headquarters
American business units
1. Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems
1
$3 billion
Nuremburg, Germany
Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems Grand Rapids,
Mich.
2. Daifuku Co., Ltd.
3
$1.8 billion
Osaka, Japan
Daifuku America Columbus, Ohio, Salt Lake City, Utah
3. Schaefer Holding International, GmbH
4
$1.684 billion
Neunkirchen, Germany
Schaefer Systems International, Inc. Charlotte, N.C.
4. FKI plc
2
$1.45 billion
London, UK
FKI Logistex NA Danville, Ky.
Acco Chain & Lifting Products York, Pa.
Certex Americas West Palm Beach, Fla.
Bridon American Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Harris Peachtree, Ga.
5. Kardex AG
7
$535 million
Zurich, Switzerland
Remstar International Westbrook, Maine
6. Columbus McKinnon Corp.
8
$530 million
Amherst, N.Y.
Gaffey, Inc. Marrietta, Ga.
American Lifts Greensburg, Ind.
Lift-Tech Intl. Muskegon, Mich.
Positech Corp. Laurens, Iowa
Abell-Howe Crane, Inc. Bolingbrook, Ill.
Clester Hoist Lisbon, Ohio
Coffing Hoists Charlotte, N.C.
Duff-Norton Company Charlotte, N.C.
Washington Equipment Co. Eureka, Ill.
Dixie Industries Chattanooga. Tenn.
Midland Forge Cedar Rapids, Iowa
7. Mecalux, S.A.
12
$506 million
Barcelona, Spain
Mecalux USA, Inc. Melrose Park, Ill.
8. Murata Machinery Ltd.
5
$440 million
Kyoto, Japan
Murata Machinery USA. Inc. Charlotte, N.C.
9. Vanderlande Industries, B.V.
11
$402 million
Veghel, The Netherlands
Vanderlande Industries, Inc. Marrietta, Ga.
10. Swisslog Holding, Ab
6
$324 million
Buchs, Switzerland
Swisslog Newport News, Va.
11. Eisenmann
9
$310 million
Boblingen, Germany
Eisenmann Corp. Crystal Lake, Ill.
12. Witron, GmbH
13
$260 million
Parkstein, Germany
Witron Arlington Heights, Ill.
13. HK Systems, Inc.
14
$240 million
Milwaukee, Wisc.
Materials Handling Systems Milwaukee, Wisc., Salt Lake City,
Utah
Unit Handling Systems Hebron, Ky.
Von Gal Montgomery, Ala.
Irista Software Milwaukee, Wisc.
14. Jervis B. Webb Co.
15
$200 million
Farmington Hills, Mich.
Jervis B. Webb Co. Farmington Hills, Mich.
Webb Forging Company Carlisle, S.C.
15. Knapp Logistik Automation GmbH
17
$220 million
Graz, Austria
Knapp Logistics Automation Cartersville, Ga.
16. The Brambles Group
16
$196 million
Sydney, Australia
Interlake Material Handling, Inc. Naperville, Ill.
17. Flexlink, AB
18
$155 million
Gothenberg, Sweden
Flexlink Systems, Inc. Bethlehem, Pa.
17. Beumer Mashinenfabrik GmbH
19
$155 million
Beckum, Germany
Beumer Corp. Bridgewater, N.J.
19. Sandvik
NR
$150 million
Sandviken, Sweden
Sandvik Sorting SystemsLouisville, Ky.
20. Tomkins Industries
NR
$135 million
Dayton, Ohio
Dearborn Mid-West Conveyor Co.Taylor, Mich. & Fairway,
Kan.
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