TOP 20 - Modern Materials Handling

modern SPECIAL REPORT
Top 20 worldwide materials handling systems suppliers
2008
Rank Company Web site
rials handling and actuator products.
Holding at No. 18 for the secondconsecutive
year, HK Systems experienced
a strong 2008, thanks in part to a
number of large projects and the robust
business of HK Production Logistics,
which provides integrated warehousing
and order fulfillment management.
Based in Sweden, FlexLink is No.
20 this year, with a sales increase of
$20 million. The growth can be attributed
partly to expansion into new markets
like electronics and solar and the
opening of three new U.S. offices,
which brings the company closer to its
customer, says Michael Hilsey, director
of marketing and indirect sales.
Rounding out the list at No. 7 is FKI
reporting $784 million for 2008 sales.
Making the list
To be eligible for Modern’s Top 20,
companies must have a presence in
North America to be considered worldwide
suppliers and must be suppliers
of materials handling systems, not just
equipment providers. Companies must
manufacture at least two major handling
system components. These equipment
types include transportation devices,
storage and staging equipment, picking
units, sortation systems, data capture
technologies, software and controls.
In addition, companies must also
employ full-time staff that design,
install, integrate and implement materials
handling systems.
2009 outlook
Looking ahead to next year, there are
some companies that may be vying
for a spot on the list. Keep an eye on
Eisenmann GmbH. Its 2008 revenue
was $200 million. Another one
to watch: Wynright. Last December
Warehouse Equipment Inc. (WEI) consolidated
with six affiliated companies
and changed its name to Wynright. Its
combined revenue in 2008 was $182
million—not enough to make this list,
but enough to make it a viable contender
for next year’s list.
In March of this year, Mecalux completed
its $30 million purchase of the
UFI/Interlake assets, which includes
plants in Pontiac, Ill., Sumter, S.C.,
Mexicali and Matamoros, Mexico.
The company, which has changed its
American division name to Interlake
Mecalux Inc., says this is a market
opportunity that means growing its
presence in North America further
enhancing their global expansion plan.
Last year’s revenue was up, mostly as
a result of projects already in the works.
Many questions are yet to be answered
about 2009, not the least of which is
the impact of a challenging economy.
Leading economic indicators for materials
handling equipment manufacturing
(MHEM) point to continued contraction.
Here are a few MHEM predictions
for 2009:
• New orders will decline about 19%
• Shipments will contract about 15%
• Domestic demand will contract about
15%, exports will decline as demand
in the economy contracts.
But once we get through this year,
we expect some bright spots to appear
in late 2009.
24 A PRIL 2009 / MODERN MATERIALS HANDLING mmh.com
2007
Rank
Worldwide 2008
revenue (US) Headquarters
1 Schaefer Systems International Inc. www.ssi-schaefer.us 1 $2.51 billion Neunkirchen, Germany
2 Daifuku Co. Ltd. www.daifukuamerica.com 2 $2.41 billion Osaka, Japan
3 Legris Industries www.legris.com N/A $1.09 billion Rennes, France
4 Dematic www.dematic.com 4 $1 billion Offenbach, Germany
5 Vanderlande Industries www.vanderlande.us 6 $911 million Veghel, The Netherlands
6 Mecalux, S.A. www.mecalux.com 5 $888 million Barcelona, Spain
7 FKI plc www.fkilogistex.com 3 $784 million Loughborough, UK
8 Murata Machinery Ltd. www.murata-usa.com 8 $778 million Kyoto, Japan
9 Swisslog AG www.swisslog.com 7 $744 million Buchs, Switzerland
10 Kardex AG www.kardex.com 9 $681 million Zurich, Switzerland
11 Columbus McKinnon Corp. www.cmworks.com 10 $635 million Amherst, N.Y.
12 Fives Group www.fivesgroup.com 11 $500 million Paris, France
13 TGW Transportgerate GmbH* www.tgw-group.com 12 $409 million Wels, Austria
14 Beumer Maschinenfabrik GmbH www.beumer.com 17 $380 million Beckum, Germany
15 Knapp Logistik Automation GmbH www.knapp.com 15 $323 million Graz, Austria
16 Witron GmbH www.witron.com 13 $300 million Parkstein, Germany
17 UFI (United Fixtures/Interlake)** www.interlake.com 14 $266 million Naperville, Ill.
18 HK Systems Inc. www.hksystems.com 18 $262 million Milwaukee, Wis.
19 Dearborn Mid-West Conveyor Co. www.dmwcc.com 20 $222 million Taylor, Mich.
20 FlexLink AB www.flexlink.com 19 $219 million FlexLink Systems (Allentown, Pa.)
*Will be reporting as TGW Logistics Group in the future
**Revenue reported by Mecalux, will be reported as one company (Interlake Mecalux) in the future
TOP 20 SYSTEMS SUPPLIERS