Relative stability at the top was the guiding principle for the most recent installment of Metal Center News’ Top Brands survey.
Each year, MCN surveys our service center readers to get a sense of which manufacturers of metal processing and other equipment rests at the top of mind. Readers are polled on which companies they would recommend among the manufacturers of coil processing equipment, cutting machines, saws and saw blades, material handling of all types and, over the past five years, ERP systems.
This is not necessarily a reflection of which equipment is the absolute best. Rather, we want to know which products service centers and processors would advise others in the market for equipment to purchase.
In this year’s survey, two companies held down the top spot from the 2023 survey, while three other companies made short moves up to No. 1. Red Bud Industries, Red Bud, Ill., was once again No. 1 in the coil processing equipment. Likewise, Cosen Saws, Charlotte, N.C., repeated its position at the top of the sawing category.
Three other list fixtures jumped one spot from last year to No. 1 this year. Hypertherm Associates switched places with TRUMPF atop the list of cutting equipment makers, while Greensboro, N.C.-based Combilift assumed the top place among makers of material handling equipment. Finally, Enmark Systems jumped one spot up to No. 1 in the ERP category.
A few companies entered the Top 10 survey for the first time, or the first time in a long time. DESHAZO Crane, Bessemer, Ala., joined the ranks of material handling providers; Guild International cracked the Top 10 among coil processing equipment makers; BLM Group jumped all the way into the Top 3 among cutting companies; and CloudForge forged its way into the regulars among software providers.
For 2024, the podium finishers in each category are: Cutting: Hypertherm Associates, TRUMPF, BLM Group. Coil Processing:
Red Bud Industries, Braner, Butech. Sawing:
Cosen Saws, HYDMECH, Amada Machinery America. Material Handling: Combilift, Bushman Equipment, Signode. Software: Enmark Systems, Invera, P.S. Data Systems. For service centers and processors, all of these companies are becoming increasingly important in the competitive world of metal distribution. Value-added services have become the lifeblood of the modern service center, which can largely no longer rely on simply breaking bundles to generate healthy operating margins.
Each year, the types of processing being offered continue to expand, with service centers pushing further and further downstream to satisfy the increasing demands of a customer base that values a streamlined supply chain more and more. It’s not hard to envision a future with even more equipment categories listed in this annual event.
But that tightened supply chain nonetheless expects the highest quality metal products, putting increased pressure on manufacturers to deliver the most up-to-date, easy-to-use machinery. That challenge is only heightened by the increasing difficulty finding and keeping qualified workers to keep this expensive machinery operating.
The survey is designed to recognize just which companies are doing the best job of meeting all of these complex requirements.
These results wouldn’t be possible without the participation of MCN readers. To illustrate our appreciation, Metal Center News donated $2 for every response to Feeding America. We also conducted a random drawing among respondents, with the winner taking home a $200 Visa gift card.
Thank you for participating once again in the MCN Top 10 survey and congratulations to all of those companies recognized.
Click here to Download the 2024 Top 10 list.