Leadership in Automation 2014: First Team Honorees

Preferences for specific product types and the manufacturing brands behind them can be just as strong in the industrial world as they are in the consumer realm. Considering that, in the world of automation, most technologies are installed with the goal of having them operate for years or even decades, brand loyalties can become very entrenched—and so can brand resentments. That’s why an open-ended reader survey, such as Automation World’s Leadership in Automation program, can serve as a useful snapshot of current reader preference for certain suppliers in very specific technology categories.

Like most automation technology surveys, the major automation suppliers play a dominant role in many of the categories. This is hardly surprising considering their breadth of product offerings, decades of experience supplying the industry, and ever-increasing services programs. Despite this, many smaller suppliers received enough write-in votes to qualify for First Team honors.

The fact that Leadership in Automation First Team Honorees—be they large or small companies—receive their recognition from a write-in survey is significant, because it demonstrates that respondents were not swayed by a list of names on a voting form that could direct votes toward specific companies.

Considering all the changes that have taken place in the automation technology space over the past several years, as well as those we anticipate in the coming years, we hope our annual list of First Team Honorees helps you better assess suppliers based on the recommendations of your peers.

To return the favor and keep the program relevant, we encourage you to participate in the ongoing Leadership in Automation program to let us know who your preferred suppliers are today, as well as how your preferences may be changing in the years to come. The online survey for 2015 will be opening up again soon at www.automationworld.com/leadership. Stay tuned for voting to open (we’ll be sending out reminders later in the year), so that you can vote for your favorite supplier in each relevant category. Your input will be greatly appreciated by your peers as they go about making their supplier decisions.

ACTUATORS & VALVES

Emerson Process Management
Festo
Parker Hannifin
SMC

ALARM MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Emerson Process Management
Honeywell
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry

CABLES, CONNECTORS, I/O

AutomationDirect
Belden
HARTING
Phoenix Contact
Siemens Industry
TURCK
WAGO
Weidmüller

DATA ACQUISITION HARDWARE

ABB
InduSoft
National Instruments
Omega
Opto 22
Red Lion Controls
Siemens Industry

DRIVES

ABB
Bosch Rexroth
Omron
Parker Hannifin
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Yaskawa

ENCLOSURES

Hammond
Pentair
Rittal