Modern's 12th-annual survey of top worldwide materials handling systems suppliers shows that 2008 was a year of stability for the top players.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. At least that’s true with this year’s Top 20 systems suppliers list, since 19 of this year’s top suppliers were also on last year’s list. The rankings are slightly different, but the names remain almost the same.

Once again, Schaefer Systems International holds the No. 1 position on the list, with $2.51 billion in revenue, up from $2.41 billion in 2007. Schaefer attributes its growth in large part to currency fluctuations. Daifuku Co. Ltd. came in at No. 2 with $2.41 billion. The most important news from the leaders was the October acquisition by Schaefer of systems integrator and software provider Salomon Automation.
Schaefer and Daifuku were not the only companies to experience growth in 2008. In fact, 17 of the Top 20 companies reported revenue increases for fiscal year 2008.

New to the list

Legris Industries bursts onto the Top 20 list in the No. 3 position this year, with an impressive $1.09 billion in sales revenue in 2008.

Welcome back
Dematic returns in the No. 4 position holding steady with $1 billion in sales. The biggest gains were reported by Vanderlande Industries (No. 5) up 24%; TGW Transportgerate, now known as TGW Logistics Group, (No. 13) also up 24%; Murata Machinery (No. 8) up 16%; Kardex AG (No. 10) up 10%; and FlexLink Systems (No. 20) also up 10%.

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.