1999 Top Diemakers

Top diemakers push the $200 million sales envelope in the face of declining profit margins and projections for growth.

By David Luttenberger

Although the headlines herald a 7.2 percent increase to a record $193 million in sales during 1998, the top 25 diemakers' ledgers cry a different story.

On the surface, say die industry insiders, it was a good year. However, expectations of continued consolidation and potential or already-realized forced sell-offs of non-core business units are cause for concern among diemakers who, on average, posted net sales of nearly a half-million dollars more in 1998 than in '97. New Era Die, who was ranked fourth in 1998, dropped to 13th this year following the divesture of its rotary die manufacturing business. New Era President James LaBounty declined comment on issues specific to the move, other than to say that the sold business accounted for about 50 percent of New Era's total sales.