Construction Machinery Manufacturing

The US construction machinery manufacturing industry consists of more than 700 companies that have combined annual revenue of $25 billion. Large manufacturers include Caterpillar, Terex, Komatsu, and Hitachi, and the construction divisions of heavy equipment manufacturers CNH, Deere, and Volvo. The industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest companies hold more than 80 percent of the market.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is highly dependent on the cyclical construction industry. During the last recession, production dropped 30 percent. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient manufacturing operations, since customers are very sensitive to price. Because of the large capital investment required to produce heavy construction machinery, this segment of the market is served mainly by the large manufacturers. Smaller companies can compete effectively by producing equipment that has specialized applications, or that is relatively simple to make. The industry is capital-intensive: annual revenue per worker is more than $300,000.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products are bulldozers, loaders, backhoes, power cranes, excavators, graders and rollers, crushers, mixers, pavers, concrete pumps, various types of off-road trucks and trailers, and a wide variety of specialized machinery. Such equipment is used for three major activities: earthmoving, paving, and lifting.

Like auto manufacturers, construction equipment manufacturers typically buy key components like engines and gears, hydraulic pumps and hosing, and structural steel and castings from parts suppliers, perform various finishing operations, and assemble the components. Materials represent 60 percent of finished product costs. Much ...