COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 33312

Construction Machinery Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

20companies1864–1999founding years20still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedDeutz AG
1864
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
FoundedSandvik AB
1868
FoundedAtlas Copco AB
1873
FoundedThe Manitowoc Company, Inc.
1902
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedIngersoll-Rand Company Ltd.
1905
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedAB Volvo
1915
FoundedKomatsu Ltd.
1921
FoundedCaterpillar Inc.
1925
FoundedColumbus McKinnon Corporation
1929
1931
EconomyThe Empire State Building rises in just over a year.
FoundedHitachi Zosen Corporation
1934
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
FoundedIn-Sink-Erator
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedBlount International, Inc.FoundedLiebherr-International AG
1949
FoundedThe Charles Machine Works, Inc.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedIHC Caland N.V.
1965
FoundedJLG Industries, Inc.
1969
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedASV, Inc.
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedCNH Global N.V.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Deutz AG →
Active · founded 1864 · Germany
Deutz AG is one of Germany's leading manufacturers of diesel and gas engines for the global market.
Sandvik AB →
Active · founded 1868 · Sweden
Sandvik AB is an industrial engineering group based in Sandviken, Sweden, and trading through an international network…
Atlas Copco AB →
Active · founded 1873 · Sweden
Atlas Copco AB is one of the world's leading producers of compressors, mining and construction equipment, power tools,…
The Manitowoc Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1902
The Manitowoc Company, Inc.
Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1905
Ingersoll-Rand Company Ltd.
AB Volvo →
Active · founded 1915 · Sweden
The largest company in Sweden in revenue terms and the biggest employer in that nation's private sector, AB Volvo is…
Komatsu Ltd. →
Active · founded 1921 · Japan
World War II:[fsps*3.5]The company supplies the Japanese navy with antiaircraft artillery shells and bulldozers.
Caterpillar Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Early 1930s:Remaining production in California is shifted to Peoria, where the company's headquarters are also…
Columbus McKinnon Corporation →
Active · founded 1929
With a history that spans more than a hundred years, Columbus McKinnon Corporation has made its reputation on the…
Finning International Inc. →
Active · founded 1933 · Canada
Finning International Inc.
Hitachi Zosen Corporation →
Active · founded 1934 · Japan
Hitachi Zosen Corporation operates as one of Japan's largest heavy industrial machinery firms.
In-Sink-Erator →
Active · founded 1938 · United States
Racine, Wisconsin-based In-Sink-Erator is the world's largest manufacturer of food waste disposal units and hot water…
Blount International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1949
Blount International, Inc.
Liebherr-International AG →
Active · founded 1949 · Switzerland
Liebherr-International AG is the Swiss holding company of the Liebherr Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers…
The Charles Machine Works, Inc. →
Active · founded 1958
The Charles Machine Works, Inc.
IHC Caland N.V. →
Active · founded 1965 · Netherlands
2004: IHC announces its decision to sell the shipbuilding busi-ness instead of spinning it off as a separate company.
JLG Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
JLG Industries, Inc.
ASV, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
ASV, Inc., is a designer and manufacturer of track-driven vehicles renowned for their ability to traverse a variety of…
CNH Global N.V. →
Active · founded 1991
c.
Metso Corporation →
Active · founded 1999 · Finland
Metso Corporation, a leading worldwide manufacturer of forestry, pulping, and paper machinery, is the product of the…
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