Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
London, United Kingdom
Last Updated: May 2024
SIC C28.220Revenue
£4.7bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
£XXX.Xm
Employees
19,557
Businesses
835
Wages
£XXX.Xm
Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry analysis
Revenue prospects for the lifting and handling manufacturing industry largely depend on the performance of downstream manufacturing, construction and freight-handling industries and their business expenditure levels. Following the EU referendum, business confidence dipped, weighing on domestic market prospects, as downstream companies restricted their capital spending. However, construction activity has been resilient, with overall growth in the total value of construction supporting industry revenue. Exports have grown, spurred by a weak pound, making UK-manufactured products more competitive in overseas markets. However, import competition has remained intense thanks to cost advantages held by manufacturing excellence like Germany, driving down prices.
Trends and Insights
- UK construction surge boosts revenue. Despite an unsteady economic landscape, a surprising surge in the UK construction industry, mainly in residential and infrastructure, offers fresh revenue streams for companies needing construction machinery and tools.
- Lift truck sales gain from US export surge. Forklift and working truck sales are poised for expansion, buoyed by robust export growth to the US, as global construction rebounds post-pandemic.
- Proximity to trade routes boosts manufacturing performance. Being close to major ports, airports and trade routes plays a crucial role in export-heavy industries, reducing distribution costs, enabling manufacturers in these regions to thrive in a competitive market.
- Major manufacturers benefit from global parent supply chains. As subsidiaries of global companies, these manufacturers can leverage existing supply chains, strong brand recognition and secure clients to dominate market shares.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 2.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £4.7bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
A booming UK construction industry provides revenue opportunities
- The UK construction sector has experienced substantial quarterly volatility since the pandemic, though it has trended upwards, driven primarily by residential and infrastructure construction.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Domestic market opportunities will provide a steady flow of new orders for manufacturers
- The total value of UK construction is expected to accelerate as the UK aims to fulfil its speculative housing targets, supporting cranes, forklifts, hoists and work truck sales.
Biggest companies in the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (£m)
2025 |
|---|---|---|
Hyster-Yale UK Ltd | 564.5 | |
Kone plc | 193.3 | |
Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd | 130.8 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 5 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Elevators and conveyors for moving materials and goods, Lifting and handling equipment parts and Forklifts and work trucks. Elevators and conveyors for moving materials and goods is the largest segment of the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK.
Trends and Insights
Exports of elevators and conveyors expand, driven by a weak exchange rate
- Manufacturing and materials handling companies use elevators and conveyors to transport goods and materials within the production process. In the past, the mining sector was a heavy user of conveyors.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Agricultural & Forestry Machinery Manufacturing in the UK
Complementors
- Mining, Quarrying & Construction Machinery Manufacturing in the UK
- Shipbuilding in the UK
- Railway Equipment Manufacturing in the UK
International industries
- Forklift & Conveyor Manufacturing in the US
- Automated Guided Vehicle Manufacturing in the US
- Overhead Crane Manufacturing in the US
- Forklift Manufacturing in the US
- Forklift & Conveyor Manufacturing in Canada
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Companies in this industry manufacture lifting and handling equipment, including hand-operated or power-driven lifting, handling, loading or unloading machinery. The industry also includes elevators, conveyors, lifts, escalators, moving walkways, continuous-action elevators and specialised parts for lifting and handling equipment.
What's included in this industry?
Elevators and conveyors for moving materials and goodsLifting and handling equipment partsForklifts and work trucksPulley tackle, hoists, winches and capstansEscalators, lifts and moving paths for moving peopleCranesOther lifting, handling, loading and unloading machineryCompanies
Hyster-Yale UK LtdKone plcLinde Material Handling (UK) LtdPurchase this report to view all 5 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
CRANEPAYLOADWINCHCapstanIndustry Code
SIC 28.22 - Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
UK construction surge boosts revenue. Despite an unsteady economic landscape, a surprising surge in the UK construction industry, mainly in residential and infrastructure, of...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Lift truck sales gain from US export surge. Forklift and working truck sales are poised for expansion, buoyed by robust export growth to the US, as global construction reboun...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
- International Trade
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
- Total imports, level and trend
- Total exports, level and trend
- Trade Balance
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
- International trade, including imports by country and exports by country
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
- Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Proximity to trade routes boosts manufacturing performance. Being close to major ports, airports and trade routes plays a crucial role in export-heavy industries, reducing di...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Major manufacturers benefit from global parent supply chains. As subsidiaries of global companies, these manufacturers can leverage existing supply chains, strong brand recog...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Hyster-Yale UK navigates currency impact on revenue. Changes in the pound value significantly affect the company's revenue, with examples seen in 2017 after the EU referendum...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Hyster-Yale UK Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Kone plc's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 2 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Hyster-Yale UK Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Kone plc, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 2 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
The manufacturing sector faces strict regulatory obligations. With laws regarding the product, workplace safety, and environmental protection, manufacturers must abide by a w...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
The pandemic shakes profitability for equipment manufacturers. Affected by elevated material prices and operation costs due to the pandemic and geopolitical situations, profi...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Liquidity Ratios (2018-2022)
- Coverage Ratios (2018-2022)
- Leverage Ratios (2018-2022)
- Operating Ratios (2018-2022)
- Assets (2018-2022)
- Liabilities (2018-2022)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the UK include:
- Office for National Statistics
- Office for Budget Responsibility
- Bank of England
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom in 2024?
The market size of the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom is £4.7bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in 2024?
There are 835 businesses in the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.1 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom has been declining at a CAGR of 2.4 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK market in United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing market in United Kingdom are Hyster-Yale UK Ltd, Kone plc and Linde Material Handling (UK) Ltd
What does the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK in United Kingdom include?
Elevators and conveyors for moving materials and goods and Lifting and handling equipment parts are part of the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK in United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in United Kingdom is Hyster-Yale UK Ltd.
How competitive is the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Lifting & Handling Equipment Manufacturing in the UK industry in United Kingdom.
