2018 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers by Revenue

Top 10 Connector Manufacturers - 2018 Results

The top 10 connector manufacturers, as a group, achieved $36 billion in annual sales in 2018, or 59.8% of world connector demand. This is down from 2017’s market share of 60.6%.

 The following table identifies the 2018 top 10 as defined by total world connector sales.

Top 10 Ranked by World Sales

The above table reveals some interesting trends:

• The top four connector manufacturers are all US-based companies: TE Connectivity (1), Amphenol (2), Molex (3), and Aptiv (4).
• There are three Japanese companies in the top 10: Yazaki (7), JAE (8), and J.S.T.(9).
• There is one top 10 company from Europe: Rosenberger (10).
• There is one top 10 company from the Asia Pacific region: Foxconn (FIT) Taiwan (6).
• There is one top 10 company from China: Luxshare (6).

The top 10, as a group, reported a sales increase of 10.6% in 2018. This compares favorably to an industry- wide sales increase of 11.0%. The stellar performance of the top 10 was aided by growth in the world economy, especially the United States, and continued industry consolidations.

Note, the three largest companies, TE Connectivity, Molex, and Amphenol, are very active acquirers. Rosenberger made the top 10 for the first time in 2017, previously ranking in the top 15.

The Top 10 Market Share (1980-2018)

The following table compares the top 10 combined annual sales to world connector demand.

The Top 10 Market Share (1980-2018)

The top 10 accounted for 38% of the world connector demand in 1980 and 59.8% in 2018. Much of this growth can be attributed to acquisitions made by the top 10. In the last decade, significant M&A activity has occurred, e.g., TE acquired Deutsch ($670 million – 2011), Aptiv (Delphi) acquired the MVL division of FCI ($950 million - 2012), Molex acquired Oplink Communications ($200 million – 2014), Amphenol acquired FCI ($600 million – 2016), and Aptiv acquired Winchester ($650 million – 2018). In addition to those mentioned, manufacturers listed in the top 10 made over 50 acquisitions during the past five years.

The following graph shows market share of the top 10 connector manufacturers for 1980, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and the period 2010 through 2018.

Top 10 Market Share - Percentage of World Market

Top 10 Landscape Changes

Since 1980, there has been a dramatic change in the companies that comprise the top 10. Some companies have moved up in rank, others have moved out of the top 10, and still others have gone out of business or have been acquired by larger companies.

The following table provides a history of the top 10 over a 38-year time frame.

The Top 10 (1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2015, 2018)

Some highlights include:

• TE Connectivity has remained the largest connector company since 1980. The name changed from AMP to Tyco International to Tyco Electronics and to its current name, TE Connectivity.
•  Molex and Amphenol have remained in the top 10 throughout the 38-year time frame. Molex moved from the tenth largest in 1980 to the third largest in 2018. Amphenol, the second-largest in 1980, fell to fifth in 2000 but moved up to the third largest in 2010 and was the second largest in 2018.
•  Companies that were in the top 10 in 1980 but have not retained a top 10 ranking are ITT Cannon, DuPont (Berg) 3M, Winchester, Augat, Cinch, and Burndy. DuPont (Berg) was acquired by Framatone (FCI) in 1998 and later by Amphenol in 2016. Augat was acquired by Thomas & Betts in 1996 and Thomas & Betts’ OEM division was acquired by Tyco Electronics in 2000. Cinch was acquired by Bel in 2010. Burndy was acquired by Framatone (FCI). ITT and 3M were still ranked in 2018 but they have slipped to positions outside the top 10.
•  There were no Asian companies in the top 10 in 1980. In 2018, five Asian companies were in the top 10.

The following table shows the number of top 10 companies by region of the world over the 38-year period (1980-2016).

Top 10 by Region (1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2018)

Luxshare Precision achieved a top 10 rank in 2015, making it the first and only Chinese company achieving top 10 status. They maintained this ranking in 2018. Rosenberger, who achieved top 10 status in 2017 and 2018, is the first European company to achieve top 10 ranking since 2011.

In the near future, we will analyze the 10 connector manufacturer’s rankings by region, products manufactured, and markets served. This analysis is interesting and informative because it highlights many additional companies that have achieved success by implementing a focused product and market approach.

Bishop & Associates has published a 10-chapter research report that provides a complete analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers. This report furnishes detailed statistics that benchmark the leading connector manufacturers by 2017/2018 total sales, sales by end-use equipment market, sales by product category, and many other key industry measurements. All manufacturers are exhibited by 2018 sales, and are ranked by region of the world with percent year-to-year change. The report provides all the key data needed to analyze each of the top 100 worldwide electronic connector suppliers. Click here for more information.

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