It appears relatively straightforward to name the top 10 largest connector companies in total world sales. That’s simple enough. Tyco Electronics is number one, Molex number two, Amphenol number three, etc. However, the connector industry is very diverse and fragmented, serving all electronic market sectors and manufacturing hundreds of different connector products. It is a highly niche-rich environment that supports more than 1,000 connector manufacturing companies worldwide, placing connector companies in every industrialized country. The diversity of the connector industry makes it important for connector users to be informed and knowledgeable about the top suppliers.

Needless to say, we believe it is reasonable to assume that a company ranked in the top 10 in sales has achieved that status by doing many things correctly. If that assumption is accurate, then connector users have a starting point to reduce the list of 1,000 suppliers to the top suppliers that meet their business needs. First, identify the companies that meet your interconnect requirements, and then analyze those companies with the highest annual sales.

This is not a simple task. The list of top suppliers will vary greatly, depending on your connector requirements and your definition of the top 10. For example, are you looking for top suppliers in fiber optics, RF, high-speed backplane, or miniaturized consumer PCB connectors? Are you looking for suppliers located close to your manufacturing and engineering departments? Are you looking for suppliers with the highest quality, lowest price, fastest delivery, or shortest lead times? Are you looking for the best engineering capabilities? Are you looking for the top suppliers with experience in telecom, computers, vehicles, or consumer products?

The top supplier list will depend on your definition of top 10. Here’s a start. These are the top 10 companies in:

• Total World Sales
• Total Sales by Geographic Region
• Total Sales by Market Sector
• Total Sales by Product Type

The Top 10 in World Sales

The following table identifies the top 10 connector companies by total world sales in 2007.

2007 Top 10 World Sales

These are the largest companies, but as the following table shows, many do not achieve top 10 status in all geographic regions.

The Top 10 by Geographic Region

As noted, the list changes when the definition changes. Who are the largest companies by geographic region? Here are the top 10 in each region:

Top 10 by Region

The top 10 are now the top 23. The 13 new companies with top 10 ranking by region are Deutsch, 3M, ITT, HARTING, Lear, Souriau, Rosenberger, Sumitomo, Hosiden, SMK, Pan International, LEOCO, and Suyin.

The Top 10 by Market Sector

Changing the definition to “the top 10 companies by market sector” adds companies to the list, as shown in the next two tables.

Top 10 by Market Sector

The top 10 by market sector is now the top 27. The 17 new companies added to the original 10 include Hosiden, Pan International, SMK, Yamaichi, Elco, LEMO, Rosenberger, Samtec, Multi-Contact, Smiths, ITT, Lear, HARTING, Lumberg, Phoenix Contact, ABB Entrelec, and Sumitomo.

The Top 10 by Product Type

The following two tables identify the top 10 largest connector companies by connector product type.

Top 10 by Product Type

The original top 10 are now the top 43 when larger companies are identified by sales within a product category. The companies added to the top 10 ranking are Elco, Samtec, Pan International, 3M, Radiall, LEOCO, SMK, Hosiden, Honda, Conec, Rosenberger, Huber+Suhner, Emerson, Telegartner, I-Pex, Deutsch, Glenair, Souriau, ITT, Lumberg, Hi-Rel, LEMO, Suyin, Yamaichi, Iriso, Multi-Contact, ABB Entrelec, Phoenix Contact, Weidmuller, Omron, BizLink, Sumitomo, and Lear.

Reducing the List to the Best Companies

Bishop & Associates Inc. publishes two reports that can help you determine the best connector companies for your needs: the “World’s Top 100 Connector Manufacturers” and the “World’s Connector Companies.” These reports identify all the connector companies in the world and provide you with their size, location, and capabilities. For more information, visit www.connectorindustry.com.