Sany Heavy Industry Has Placed Sixth on International Construction's 2012 Yellow Table

With $7.861 billion in capital, Changsha, China-based Sany Heavy Industry has placed sixth on International Construction’s 2012 Yellow Table, a ranking of the world’s largest construction machinery manufacturers. 

Sany ranked 43rd in 2004, one year after the magazine first published the list. Since then, the company has consistently increased its market share and become a major participant in the global heavy equipment industry. While the Yellow Table continues to list Caterpillar and Komatsu in the first and second places, those firms are followed by Volvo, Hitachi and Terex.

Nine years ago, Chinese companies listed on International Construction’s first Yellow Table generated sales of $841 million, representing 1.6% of the total. In each of the past six years, the percentage has grown and Chinese companies now account for $30.6 billion. In terms of market share, these firms now control 16.9%, a ten-fold increase in share size.

Analysts believe Sany’s rapid growth originates not only from the rise of China’s domestic market, but also from the company’s strategic development and product line expansion. In 2011 Sany surpassed Komatsu to become the global leader in the excavator market just years after entering the field in 2003. Also, after years of fierce competition, Sany purchased Germany’s Putzmeister in January, shaving five to ten years from the company’s globalization strategy.

The 2012 Yellow Table also documents a 25% increase in sales by companies on the list. The current $182 billion breaks the pre-2008 record of $168 billion. International Construction Editor Chris Sleight commented that sales have benefited from rebounding markets in Europe, Japan and North America. Over the next 12 months, the recovery of the North America market will greatly influence the 2013 Yellow Table.