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2018 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers

By Ron Bishop | September 03, 2019

The 2018 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 connector manufacturers as defined by global connector sales.

2018 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers Ranked by Global Connector Sales

2018 Top 10 connector manufacturers ranked by global connector sales

This table reveals several interesting trends. First, the top four connector manufacturers all have North America as their base of origin: TE Connectivity (1), Amphenol (2), Molex (3), and Aptiv (4). There are also three Japanese companies in the top 10: Yazaki (7), JAE (8), and J.S.T. (9). In addition, there is one top-10 company from Europe: Rosenberger (10), which made the top 10 for the first time in 2017, having previously ranked in the top 15, one top-10 company from the Asia Pacific region: Foxconn (FIT) Taiwan (6), and one top-10 company from China: Luxshare (6).

The top 10, as a group, reported a sales increase of 10.6% in 2018, which is favorable in comparison to an industry-wide 2018 sales increase of 11.0%. The stellar performance of the top 10 2018 connector manufacturers was aided by growth in the global economy, and especially in the United States, and continued industry consolidations. In fact, it is also worth noting that the three largest companies, TE Connectivity, Molex, and Amphenol, are very active acquirers.

Top 10 Connector Companies’ Global Market Share: 1980–2018

The following table compares the combined annual sales of each year’s top 10 connector companies to global connector demand for several years spanning 1980–2018.

2018 Top 10 Connector Companies’ Global Market Share Over Time

The top 10 connector companies accounted for 38% of the global 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 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity has occurred. For instance, TE Connectivity acquired DEUTSCH for $670 million in 2011, Aptiv (Delphi) acquired the MVL division of FCI for $950 million in 2012, Molex acquired Oplink Communications for $200 million in 2014, Amphenol acquired FCI for $600 million in 2016, and Aptiv acquired Winchester for $650 million in 2018. In addition to those mentioned, manufacturers listed in the top 10 made more than 50 acquisitions during the past five years.

The following graph shows the top 10 connector companies’ percentage of global market share for the same several years spanning 1980–2018.

Top 10 Connector Companies’ Percentage of Global Market Share

Top 10 Landscape Changes 

Since 1980, there has been a dramatic change in the companies that comprise the annual top 10 list. 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 connector companies over a 38-year time frame.

Top 10 Connector Companies by Name (1980–2018)

Top 10 Connector Companies by Name (1980–2018)

Highlights of these major landscape changes include:

TE Connectivity has remained the largest connector company since 1980. The name changed from AMP to Tyco International and then Tyco Electronics before changing to its current name, TE Connectivity.

Both Molex and Amphenol have remained in the top 10 throughout this 38-year time frame. Molex moved up from the tenth largest connector company in 1980 to the third largest in 2018. Amphenol, which was 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 include ITT Cannon, DuPont (Berg) 3M, Winchester, Augat, Cinch Connectivity Solutions, and Burndy. DuPont (Berg) was acquired by Framatone (FCI) in 1998 and 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 and Burndy was acquired by Framatone (FCI). ITT and 3M were still ranked in 2018 but have since slipped to positions outside the top 10.

In addition, although there were no Asian companies in the top 10 in 1980, five Asian companies earned a place in the top 10 in 2018.

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

Top 10 Connector Companies by Region (1980–2016)

2018 Top 10 Connector Companies by Region

Luxshare Precision achieved a top 10 ranking in 2015, making it the first and only Chinese company to have yet achieved top 10 status. The company maintained this ranking in 2018.

Rosenberger, who achieved top 10 status in both 2017 and 2018, is the first European company to have achieved a top 10 ranking since 2011.

In the near future, we will analyze the 2018 top 10 connector manufacturers’ 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.

A complete analysis of the World’s Top 100 Electronic Connector Manufacturers is available from Bishop & Associates.

No part of this article may be used without the permission of Bishop & Associates Inc.

Like this article? Check out our other Top 10, Facts & Figures, and Connector Industry News articles and our 2022, 2021, 2022 and 2021 Article Archives.

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Additional Top 10 Connector Manufacturer articles:

 

2020 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers

Top 10 Automotive Connector Manufacturers

2019 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers

2019 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers: An Exercise in Expertise

Top 10 Connector Manufacturers – Customer survey results

2021 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers: Best Overall Performance

2021 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers: On-Time Delivery and Meeting Promised Ship Dates

2021 Top 10 Connector Manufacturers: Product Quality and Problem Handling

2019 European Customer Survey Results

2018 US Customer Survey Results

Ron Bishop
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