Hydraulic power units are standalone systems that provide everything necessary to activate a hydraulic circuit.
Consisting of a prime mover, reservoir, valve and a pump, hydraulic power units can range in size from less than 30 pounds in weight to several tons.
Dozens of industries utilize hydraulic power units, and to serve them, dedicated companies exist all across the nation.
Below is an overview of the hydraulic power unit industry and the top ten companies in that space.
Brief look at the industry
With average sales just shy of $394 million, companies that build hydraulic power units may not appear to contribute significantly to the national economy. However, when considering that there are only 63 companies that are in this field, the per capita sales exceeds $6.2 million per company.
While increase in employees has remained flat at just 0.67%, sales growth has been strong with a 5.14% increase in sales since last year, according to MNI, compiler and publisher of the industrial data that powers IndustryNet. Rapid domestic expansion in manufacturing, transportation and construction have positively affected the industry.
Related: Growth trends in the U.S. industrial hydraulics sector
As with other segments of the hydraulic industry, reshoring and trade tariffs have made their impact known. Demand for American hydraulic power units remains high as a relatively high 38% of companies distribute internationally.
Regional distribution of hydraulic power unit manufacturers
Hydraulic power unit companies are not very large compared to other sectors of the hydraulics industry. The largest firm has 250 employees with many others operating with fewer than 50 people. The majority are privately held with only 5% categorized as public.
As mentioned earlier, only 63 companies comprise this part of the industry. The locations of these firms are fairly even throughout all regions save for the Midwest.
This area of the country accounts for 48% of the hydraulic power unit manufacturers. The rest of the nation is more homogeneous with 22% in the South, 19% in the West and 11% in the Northeast.
Top ten hydraulic power unit companies in the U.S. at a glance
| Company | Employees | City | STATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPX FLOW | 250 | Rockford | IL |
| Bucher Hydraulics, Inc. | 165 | Grand Rapids | MI |
| Morrell, Inc. | 150 | Auburn Hills | MI |
| Electro-Hydraulic Automation, Inc. | 135 | Cedar Rapids | IA |
| Iowa Fluid Power | 100 | Cedar Rapids | IA |
| Logan Industries International Corp. | 100 | Hempstead | TX |
| Hydra-Power Systems, Inc. | 75 | Portland | OR |
| MFP Automation Engineering, Inc. | 70 | Hudsonville | MI |
| Innotek Corporation | 60 | Maple Grove | MN |
| Robeck Fluid Power | 60 | Aurora | OH |
| Dakota Fluid Power, Inc. | 50 | Sioux Falls | SD |
About the top ten hydraulic power unit companies
The result of a spin-off from SPX Corporation in 2015, SPX FLOW focuses on flow control products, air treatment products and process equipment. SPX FLOW caters to the food and beverage, power and energy industrial markets with these products. Based in Rockford, Illinois, SPX FLOW employs 250 people.
One part of a massive international hydraulics company, the Grand Rapids, Michigan branch of Bucher Hydraulics is their hydraulic power unit segment. Some of the uses for their AC and DC power units include dock levelers, scissor lifts, car hoists, exercise equipment, aerial platforms and security gates. This company employs 165 people.
With multiple ISO certifications, Morrell Inc. is committed to quality. The 150 people who work at Morrell Inc. pride themselves on being a single-source for their customers regarding anything in the fluid power and automation fields.
Electro-Hydraulic Automation Inc.
Operating out of a 32,000 square foot facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Electro-Hydraulic Automation employs 135 people. They can custom-build any hydraulic power solution and troubleshoot existing units. Unit sizes range from 5 gallons to 500 gallons in reservoir size and are used in dozens of industries, including offshore operations.
When it comes to motion control, Iowa Fluid Power has all the bases covered.
From their Cedar Rapids, Iowa headquarters, 100 employees and one robot work together to serve 13 states with hydraulic power units, dedicated engineering, repair, field service, manufacturing, customer service and accounting.
Some of the brands that Iowa Fluid Power distributes includes Bosch Rexroth, Sun Hydraulics and Festo.
Logan Industries International Inc.
Situated near the oil economy of Houston, Texas in a town called Hempstead, Logan Industries International supplies the energy industry with reliable and potent hydraulic power units.
Capable of taking the harshest abuse, their units also see work in industrial manufacturing.
Beginning in 1970, Hydra-Power Systems has manufactured and distributed hydraulic components including power units. Some of their diverse clientele include subsea construction, entertainment and mining. They also develop custom test stands for customers to service and inspect their hydraulic components with.
MFP Automation Engineering Inc.
Formerly known as Michigan Fluid Power, MFP Automation Engineering has 47,000 square feet of headquarters filled to the brim with advanced CNC machines, inventory and testing equipment.
At one point in time, they would outsource all their manifold engineering. Today, they custom build manifolds for some of the biggest hydraulic manufacturers in the world. As their name suggests, their sole focus is on the automation industry.
Strong partnerships define this company. With 45 years working with Bosch Rexroth and 30 years working with Hydac, this Maple Grove, Minnesota based company wears its ISO 9001: 2015 certification with pride and purpose.
Headquartered in Aurora, Ohio, Robeck Fluid Power offers standard and custom hydraulic power sources. Founded in 1983, this company operates with a 60-person staff distributing and engineering all manner of fluid power control and activation systems. In addition to hydraulics, Robeck also sells automation systems for manufacturers and mass production lines.
On- and off-highway construction, mining, agriculture and food processing are the main customers of this Sioux Falls, South Dakota company. With a heavy focus on training and education, Dakota Fluid Power Inc. has a 35-person classroom on site.
Customers can learn about hydraulic safety, filtration, preventative maintenance and creative fluid power strategies.
Finding hydraulic power unit suppliers
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