While overall materials handling equipment sales in the U.S. showed strong gains in 2005, the same can't be said of the 20 largest systems suppliers worldwide.

In fact, total revenues for those companies were off nearly 4%, or roughly $500 million, from 2004 levels of nearly $13 billion.

Looking at individual companies on the latest list, only eight showed revenue increases in 2005 compared to double that number in 2004. Meanwhile, one company reported virtually identical revenues to 2004 and the rest saw revenues dip. Two companies are new to the list.

The minimum revenue for making the list this year has decreased from $139 million in 2004 to $135 million now.

Europe continues to be the home of the most top suppliers with 13 of the top 20. Germany was the strongest country with five suppliers on this year's survey. As was the case in 2004, four the top 20 hail from the United States, Japan has two and one Australian supplier made the grade.

After only a minor shakeup in the top five in 2004, there was more movement in 2005. Nonetheless, Siemens Logistics & Assembly Systems once again claims the top spot.

While staying on top, the company is undergoing some major changes. In 2005, it saw revenues decline $400 million. In addition, parent company Siemens reorganized the division effective January 1, 2006. The former Distribution and Industry Group is now known as Dematic, but remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens AG. Other materials handling operations are now organized as a separate group within Siemens.

Thanks to positive revenue growth, both Daifuku and Schaefer moved up on this year's list to spots two and three, respectively. Daifuku posted the more impressive gains of the two, with $230 million more in revenue versus 2004. FKI Logistex is now the fourth largest system supplier, posting $1.45 billion, a slight decrease from previous year's revenues of $1.61 billion.

Kardex AG comes in at number five with revenues of $535 million. Murata held this spot last year but its revenues declined more than $100 million, or 20%, dropping the company to the eighth spot on the list.

To make the list, companies must not only provide equipment, but supply materials handling systems as well. Companies must also maintain a North American operations center and manufacture a minimum of two major handling system components. In addition to manufacturing, companies must have a full-time staff that designs, installs, integrates and implements materials handling systems that include two or more major equipment installations.

Eligible components include transportation devices, picking units, storage and staging equipment, information management systems, sortation systems, data capture technologies and other systems. Visit mmh.com to see which components each company supplies.

Outside the top five, the list experienced more movement than in past years. Of special note was Mecalux. The Spanish supplier saw its revenues soar from just more than $300 million in 2004 to the half-billion dollar mark this year, launching the company from 12th in 2004 to 7th this year. Linda Demke, spokesperson for the company, points to organic growth as well as the acquisitions of two suppliers—Esmena Storage Systems and ThyssenKrupp Engineering and Systems Division—as responsible for the surge.

Vanderlande makes the list at nine, breaking the top 10 for the first time. Meanwhile, Swisslog slips to eighth from sixth a year ago and in the top five two years ago. Spokesman for the company Steve Simmerman points to the company's divestiture of its materials handling operations as reasons for the supplier's slide. "In terms of 'on-going' operations (consulting, MHE design/integration, software, and support) we are tracking quite nicely, and profitably," he says.

Lockheed Martin Corp., which was 10th a year ago, declined to participate in this year's survey and was removed from the rankings.

Despite falling only two spots to 11, German supplier Eisenmann saw one-quarter of its revenues disappear in 2005, dropping from $420 million in 2004 to $310 million now.

The rest of the list saw little movement, as most companies stayed relatively static from year-to-year revenues. Witron, HK Systems and Jervis B. Webb bump up to spots 12, 13 and 15, respectively, posting similar revenues to those reported in 2004.

Knapp Logistik Automation moves up to 14, posting gains of $40 million during 2004, or 20% year-to-year. The Brambles Group stays put in 2005 at 16, posting virtually static revenues at roughly $200 million.

In a tie at 17 are Flexlink and Beumer, both reporting revenues of $155 million. While Flexlink lost $7 million in revenues year-to-year, Beumer bumped up $3 million to move from 19th last year.

German-based supplier Durr saw its revenues drop by nearly $90 million in 2005. As a result, Durr is no longer on the list, opening the door along with the removal of Lockheed Martin for two new entries this year. As a result, Sandvik and Tomkins Industries make appearances on the survey at numbers 19 and 20, respectively.

In the end, the top 20 systems suppliers continue to be in flux, with some notable shifts in the past 12 months.