Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry manufacture material handling machinery and equipment, including forklifts, conveyors, elevators and escalators, and overhead cranes and hoists. Major companies include Honeywell Intelligrated, Hyster-Yale, Otis Elevator, and Terex (all of the US), as well as Cargotec and Konecranes (both of Finland), Daifuku and Toyota Industries (both of Japan), Heli (China), KION Group and SSI Schaefer (both of Germany), Manitou (France), and Schindler Holding.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by overall industrial production and companies' need to automate production and facilitate the efficient flow of goods to market. The profitability of individual companies depends on product innovation and efficient operations. Large companies have economies of scale in purchasing and greater ability to offer a wider range of products to a diverse customer base. Small companies can compete by specializing in niche products. Overall, the US industry is concentrated: the top 50 companies account for 60% of industry revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products include industrial trucks such as work trucks and forklifts (about 15% of industry revenue); unit handling gravity and trolley conveyors, personnel aerial work platforms, and parts and attachments for industrial trucks, accounted for about 10% each. Other products incudes bulk material handling belt conveyors, self-propelled industrial trucks, passenger elevators, and hoists.