Now in the Data Store: Familiar names top expanded hose producer rankings

There's a new look to this year's second annual Rubber News Ranking of Hose Manufacturers, but one thing remains similar: most of the same names appeared at the top of the hierarchy.

Familiar companies such as Parker-Hannifin Corp., Danfoss Power Solutions (formerly the Eaton hydraulics business), Gates Industrial Corp. P.L.C. and the ContiTech unit of Continental A.G. are still the big players in the game in this year's rankings, both around the world and in North America.

But there also is sales data in the rankings for a wider range of players representing a broad cross-section of the hose manufacturing business.

In last year's inaugural effort, we ranked a total of 17 hose producers based on global revenues derived from their hose operations. We viewed it as a good first effort—particularly given how secretive the industry is about such data—but we wanted to try to expand the reach of our ranking.

To that end, rather than seek to get an exact number for the hose business for each company, we instead asked for the data to be given with a range of sales figures, starting with those at $1 billion or above, followed by those with revenues of $500 million to $999 million, and downward to include the small and medium players in the hose business.

Another change that you will see is that we split up our rankings, with one set of data focused on the global hose market and the second on North America, with a number of hose manufacturers appearing on both.

The intent of these changes was to get a higher rate of participation from companies across the hose spectrum. And from that perspective, the new approach was a success. Instead of the 17 total companies ranked in 2022, this year Rubber News was able to put together data for roughly 30 companies for the global ranking, and about 25 for North America, keeping in mind that there is overlap of hose manufacturers who appear on both rankings.

Parker-Hannifin ranked as the No. 1 hose producer both globally and in North America last year, and the Cleveland-based conglomerate again found itself at the top of the listing.

However, Parker-Hannifin had some company under the new format of grouping the firms within a sales range.

Parker was joined by both Danfoss and Gates as companies with more than $1 billion in hose sales worldwide. All three firms play a prominent role in both the industrial and hydraulic sectors of the hose industry, with Gates also being a player in automotive.

They are followed by a group of five companies that posted hose sales for 2022 from $500 million to $999 million. Those included ContiTech, Manuli Rubber Industries, Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd., AlfaGomma S.p.A. and Trelleborg Fluid Handling Systems.

A large group of 14 worldwide companies had hose sales from $100 million to $499 million. A number of the firms within this sales range derive much of their hose sales from the automotive market, including Cooper-Standard Holdings, Hutchinson S.A., Park-Ohio Holdings Corp. and Tristone Flowtech Group, among others.

Tristone said recently it was eyeing Serbia as a location for a new automotive hose factory.

One newcomer to the rankings that posted hose sales in this range is Caterpillar Inc., which has its own hydraulic hose manufacturing facility in Missouri to produce product for its heavy equipment. It touts itself as the only OEM in its field that makes its own hose components and assemblies, noting that they are designed as a system, not as individual components.

Other newcomers in this range include Polyhose India Pvt. Ltd. and IVG Colbachini S.p.A. of Italy.

In North America, Parker-Hannifin stands alone as the only company to post 2022 hose sales of $1 billion or more on the continent.

Following closely, again, are ContiTech, Danfoss and Gates, all of which have North American hose revenue of between $500 million and $999 million.

ContiTech made big news with its hydraulic hose business this past year, announcing that it was investing $40 million to locate a new factory in Mexico.

Danfoss also passed the one-year mark of its acquisition of the Eaton hydraulics business, which brought with it a substantial industrial and hydraulics hose operation.

Among those with sales from $100 million to $499 million was Japan's Yokohama Rubber, which maintains hose operations in the U.S. and Mexico.

In 2022, Yokohama Rubber said the hose and couplings business had progressed with the reorganization of its automotive hoses and couplings production network in the U.S. and Mexico. In 2023, the hose and couplings business will expand its production facility in Aguascalientes, Mexico, to bring its share of total group output to 31 percent.

Moving down the list, a number of the smaller- to medium-sized hose producers are appearing in the rankings for the first time.

They reflect the diverse nature of the hose industry, and include such firms as hose and ducting maker Flexaust; auto supplier Yusa Corp.; rubber and plastic hose supplier ProPulse, which has been expanding its operations; and Quebec's Premier Industrial Hose Manufacturing Ltd.

Data for the hose ranking was derived from a number of different sources. Rubber News sent out surveys to hose manufacturers seeking information on revenue from their hose businesses, along with information such as products made, end markets served and materials used.

We also gleaned information from company annual reports, public and industry data, and information from a number of veteran industry sources to come up with the best estimate of what sales were for the leading companies.

As we close the book on this second annual hose ranking, we again want to improve on next year's reporting. To do that we will need your help. If you believe your company should be ranked, please participate in our data-gathering next time around.

In the meantime, please direct any questions or feedback to either Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected] or Editorial Researcher Robin Clark at [email protected].