Heyl & Patterson

What Heyl & Patterson does

Heyl & Patterson, founded in 1887 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now headquartered in Canonsburg, PA, is a custom manufacturer of heavy-duty bulk material handling equipment serving industrial customers worldwide. The company designs and builds railcar unloading systems (rotary dumpers, C-shaped rotary dumpers, turnover dumpers, and hybrid rotary/bottom-discharge units), barge unloading systems (continuous barge unloaders, grab bucket unloaders, and barge haul systems), railcar movers and positioners, and stacker reclaimers (boom pivot, trencher, mast supported, and bucket wheel variants). Ancillary offerings include traveling hammermills for frozen material clearing, the only in-platen NTEP-certified weigh scales on the market, and train holding devices. Manufacturing is conducted in-house at an Ellwood City, PA facility, and the company serves agriculture/grain, ports & terminals, mining, power generation, midstream bulk transfer, and steel customers across North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.

The business operates as a direct enterprise capital-equipment vendor with an aftermarket service tail. Equipment is custom-engineered to site-specific requirements and quote-priced, with delivery lead times extending to twelve months; throughput benchmarks include up to 10,000 tons per hour on rotary railcar dumpers in tandem configuration and up to 5,000 tons per hour on continuous barge unloaders. Revenue streams span one-time capital equipment sales, hardware aftermarket parts and upgrades (for both Heyl & Patterson and other OEM equipment), and professional field services covering inspections, engineering studies, start-up assistance, and 24-hour emergency support. The company markets through industry trade shows (notably GEAPS Exchange), trade publications (Dry Cargo International, International Bulk Journal, Bulk Solids Handling), gated product brochures, and a direct enterprise sales team.

Since December 2016, the company has operated as the Bulk Material Handling Division of The HALL Group, a Pittsburgh-area diversified industrial conglomerate, with engineering and support staff continuity preserved through the ownership transition. The installed base includes twelve Continuous Barge Unloaders running 24/7 on the Mississippi River for ADM, Bunge, Cargill, Louis-Dreyfus, ZenNoh, and CHS, alongside coal-fired power plants, phosphate mining operations, and export terminals including a Vancouver, British Columbia facility upgraded to 30 million tonnes transfer capacity.

Name

Heyl & Patterson

Legal name

Heyl & Patterson Equipment, Division of The HALL Group

Website

https://heylpatterson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heyl & Patterson designs and manufactures custom bulk material handling equipment — railcar dumpers, barge unloaders, stacker reclaimers, and railcar movers — for grain, mining, power, and port operators worldwide, operating since 2016 as a division of The HALL Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Bulk Material Handling Equipment

NAICS

Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Material Handling Systems (Belt Conveyors, Feeders, Stackers, Reclaimers) (IMAHABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ), Forklifts & Industrial Trucks (IC & Electric) (IMAHABAA)

Keywords

• Bulk material handling
• Railcar unloading systems
• Barge unloaders
• Stacker reclaimers
• Railcar positioners

Headquarters

HQ city

Canonsburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Capital Equipment Sales: Custom-designed and engineered bulk material handling equipment including railcar dumpers, barge unloaders, stacker reclaimers, railcar movers, and ancillary equipment. Equipment is custom-built to customer specifications with delivery times up to 12 months.
2. Aftermarket Parts & Upgrades: Replacement parts, upgrades, retrofits, and life extensions for both Heyl & Patterson and other manufacturers' equipment. Includes mechanical and electrical upgrades for dumpers and barge unloaders.
3. Field Services & Engineering: Visual, mechanical, and structural inspections, consulting on parts installations, outage planning, maintenance recommendations, comprehensive upgrades, start-up assistance, and engineering studies to extend equipment life.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Heyl & Patterson designs, manufactures, and supports custom-engineered bulk material handling equipment for industrial customers — including rotary railcar dumpers, continuous barge unloaders, stacker reclaimers, railcar movers/positioners, hammermills, NTEP-certified in-platen weigh scales, and train holding devices. The company supplements its capital equipment with aftermarket replacement parts, mechanical and electrical upgrades, field inspections, engineering studies, and lifecycle service that supports equipment operating for more than 30 years.

Product overview

Heyl & Patterson is a bulk material handling equipment manufacturer offering a portfolio of interconnected systems for moving and processing bulk materials. The core product lines include Railcar Unloading Systems (rotary dumpers, C-shaped rotary dumpers, and turnover dumpers), Railcar Movers & Positioners (CUB movers and train indexers/positioners), Barge Unloading Systems (continuous barge unloaders, grab bucket unloaders, and barge haul systems), and Stacker Reclaimers (boom pivot, trencher, mast supported, and bucket wheel types). These systems work together to enable complete material handling workflows from railcar/barge delivery through unloading and stockpiling. Ancillary products include Hammermills for frozen material clearing, In-Platen Weigh Scales for NTEP-certified weighing, and Train Holding Devices for secure operations. The company also provides comprehensive Aftermarket Services including parts, upgrades, inspections, field services, and engineering studies to support equipment throughout its operational life. Equipment is custom-designed for industries including agriculture, ports & terminals, mining, power generation, and midstream bulk transfer, with a focus on heavy-duty industrial applications since 1887.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Railcar Unloading Systems Customizable railcar unloading systems (rotary dumpers/wagon tipplers and related variants) that turn railcars to empty contents into a pit, with cycle times as fast as 35–45 seconds per car and throughput up to 10,000 tons per hour in tandem configuration. Includes Rotary Railcar Dumpers, C-Shaped Rotary (CR) Dumpers for random/rotary/non-rotary coupled cars, Turnover Railcar Dumpers for shallow foundations, and Hybrid Rotary/Bottom Discharge unloaders capable of 36 cars per hour with a 4,500 tph take-away conveyor. Sold to grain, mining, power, and port customers worldwide.
• Railcar Movers & Positioners Specialized equipment for moving railcars short distances for loading, unloading, sorting, and positioning without requiring a locomotive. Includes the compact, cost-effective CUB Railcar Mover for 0–20 railcars and heavy-duty Train Indexers & Positioners (rack-and-pinion drive) capable of moving 200+ loaded cars at variable speeds for semi-automatic cycles, retrofit-capable for existing installations. Sold to enterprise grain, mining, and power customers.
• Barge Unloading Systems High-capacity barge unloading equipment for emptying barges carrying coal, iron ore, grain, alumina, corn, wheat, soybeans, wood chips, and limestone. The product line includes the Continuous Barge Unloader (CBU) with free digging rates up to 5,000 tons per hour and lower horsepower than pneumatic systems, the Grab Bucket Barge Unloader with dust suppression (up to 1,500 tph), the Dual Slip CBU with continuous, uninterrupted unloading at all river elevations exceeding 120,000 bushels per hour, and Barge Haul Systems for low-cost, single- or multi-barge positioning at fixed or variable speeds.
• Stacker Reclaimers Heavy-duty stacker reclaimers for stacking and reclaiming bulk materials such as coal, iron ore pellets, and aggregates in steel mills, coal yards, and transfer stations. Configurations include the Boom Pivot Stacker Reclaimer (luffing/slewing, stacking and reclaiming on both sides of the feed conveyor), the Trencher Stacker/Reclaimer (travels rather than slews for limited yard capacities), the Mast Supported Stacker/Reclaimer, and the Bucket Wheel Stacker Reclaimer with bucket wheel spinning around a central axis (light to medium duty units ranging 2,000–4,000 tons per hour and 50–200 ft booms). Features a proprietary slew design for ease of maintenance access.
• Hammermill Traveling hammermill that clears frozen and oversized materials from grates and grizzlies beneath railcar dumpers, with travel speeds up to 30 feet per minute and operation up to 12 months a year. Adaptable to new or existing facilities and designed for fuel-efficient performance. Sells to enterprise rail unloading sites including coal-fired power plants in regions with frozen winters.
• In-Platen Weigh Scales NTEP (National Type Evaluation Program) certified weigh scales installed in railcar dumpers to automatically record the weight of each rail car and its contents without impacting cycle time. Meets NTEP specifications and is positioned as the only in-platen NTEP-certified weigh scale available from any manufacturer.
• Train Holding Devices Railcar holding devices including A-Style and B-Style wheel chocks, grippers, holding arms, and retarders/ejectors designed to secure railcars during dumping operations at railcar dumper installations.
• Railcar Unloader Upgrades Aftermarket mechanical and electrical upgrades for railcar dumpers, including platen weigh scales, spill girders, equalized trunnions, hydraulic clamps, chain upgrades, and variable frequency drive (VFD) systems. Extends equipment life and modernizes legacy installations, supporting both Heyl & Patterson and competitor equipment.
• Barge Unloader Upgrades Aftermarket mechanical and electrical upgrades for continuous barge unloaders (CBU), including equalized trolley wheels, bucket design upgrades, auto-lube systems, variable frequency drives, and digital data collection to extend equipment life and modernize legacy installations.
• Aftermarket Services Comprehensive aftermarket support including visual, mechanical, and structural inspections, consulting on parts installations, outage planning, maintenance recommendations, comprehensive upgrades, start-up assistance, and engineering studies to extend equipment life across railcar dumpers, barge unloaders, stacker reclaimers, and other bulk material handling equipment. Includes a 24-hour emergency hotline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Railcar unloading rates increased to 30-36 cars per hour with rotary dumpers
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Metso: Global supplier of mining and bulk material handling equipment including stackers, reclaimers, and conveyors for ports and terminals; directly competes for large bulk material handling capital projects in mining, ports, and aggregates.
• FLSmidth: Provider of mineral processing and bulk material handling systems for mining and cement; competes with Heyl & Patterson for stockpile, reclaiming, and bulk transfer equipment specifications at large industrial sites.
• Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions: Engineering-led supplier of bulk material handling, port, and mining infrastructure systems; competes on stacker reclaimers, ship loaders/unloaders, and port material handling projects globally.
• TAKRAF (Tenova): Specialist in bulk material handling technologies—conveyors, stackers, reclaimers, and ship unloaders—serving mining, ports, and metals; competes for many of the same large project specifications as Heyl & Patterson.
• Beumer Group: Family-owned manufacturer of conveying, loading, and bulk material handling systems including ship unloaders and stacker reclaimers; competes on similar port, cement, and grain terminal contracts.
• Schenck Process (Coperion): Supplier of weighing, feeding, and bulk material handling systems for mining, power, and grain; competes directly in weigh-in-motion and scale systems, plus conveying and stockyard equipment.
• Bradken: Specialty industrial manufacturer of wear parts and bulk material handling equipment for mining and ports; competes in niche applications tied to railcar and stockpile machinery servicing similar commodity customers.

Broad incumbents

• Caterpillar: Largest heavy equipment manufacturer globally with material handling and mining surface equipment arms; addresses adjacent portions of bulk handling and mine site logistics with broader scale.
• Terex Corporation: Diversified industrial equipment manufacturer with port and bulk material handling solutions including Terex Finlay and MPS lines; competes for ports and aggregate mining projects at a wider scale.
• Sandvik: Engineering-led mining and rock processing equipment provider with adjacent bulk material handling solutions; relevant on the mining-vertical side of Heyl & Patterson's installed base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HeylPatterson

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heyl & Patterson