The Robbins Company
The Robbins Company designs and manufactures custom tunnel boring machines, small boring units, mine development machines, conveyors, and cutters for global infrastructure and mining contractors and government clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1952
- HeadquartersSolon, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Robbins Company does
The Robbins Company, founded in 1952 by James Robbins and headquartered in Solon, Ohio, designs and manufactures tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and related underground construction equipment for global infrastructure and mining customers. Its core product lines cover five TBM architectures — Main Beam, Double Shield, Single Shield, Crossover XRE, and Earth Pressure Balance — each engineered for specific geological conditions ranging from competent hard rock to soft ground and variable mixed-face conditions. Supporting offerings include Small Boring Units (SBU, Motorized SBU, Rockhead, Remote Controlled SBU), a Mine Development Machine, conveyor systems for muck handling, disc cutters, and a parts-and-service business with field personnel and equipment rental.
The company's competitive position rests on proprietary advancements such as OFTA, the McNally Support System, real-time Cutter Monitoring, Difficult Ground Solutions (DGS), and the industry-first in-tunnel diameter change capability demonstrated at the Mill Creek Drainage Relief Tunnel in Dallas. Robbins operates one of only three major global TBM manufacturing franchises alongside Herrenknecht AG and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Revenue is generated through direct enterprise field sales of custom-engineered capital equipment plus a recurring aftermarket stream of cutters, spare parts, and field service, with recent deployments at Anglo American's Grosvenor mine (Australia), the Hiroshima mega-project (Japan), the Ellicott City flood tunnel (Maryland), and Ivanhoe Electric's Santa Cruz Copper Project (Arizona).
The Robbins Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Robbins Company
- Legal name
- The Robbins Company
- Website
- https://therobbinscompany.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1952
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Robbins Company designs and manufactures custom tunnel boring machines, small boring units, mine development machines, conveyors, and cutters for global infrastructure and mining contractors and government clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Robbins Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Underground Construction Machinery
- NAICS
- Construction Machinery Manufacturing (333120), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)
- SIC
- Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Underground Mining Equipment (Loaders/LHDs, Continuous Miners, Longwall Systems) (IMAKANAB)
Keywords
Where The Robbins Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Solon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Robbins Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tunnel Boring Machine Sales: Design, manufacture, and sale of custom tunnel boring machines for infrastructure and mining projects. Machines include Main Beam, Double Shield, Single Shield, Crossover, and Earth Pressure Balance types. Sales typically involve custom specifications for specific project requirements.
- Parts and Service: Spare parts supply, field personnel deployment, and technical assistance services for TBM operations. Includes equipment rental options.
- Conveyor Systems: Design and supply of conveyor systems including components, vertical conveyors, and stacker/overland systems for material handling during tunneling operations.
- Cutters and Small Boring Machines: Sale of cutter bits and small boring machines including Small Boring Units (SBU), Motorized SBUs, Rockhead systems, and Remote Controlled SBUs for various tunneling applications.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
The Robbins Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Robbins Company designs, manufactures, and services custom tunnel boring machines (TBMs) — including Main Beam, Double Shield, Single Shield, Crossover XRE, and Earth Pressure Balance models — for underground construction and mining projects worldwide. The company also supplies small boring machines, a Mine Development Machine, conveyor systems, and cutters, supported by spare parts, equipment rental, and on-site field service.
Product overview
The Robbins Company is a manufacturer of tunnel boring machines and underground construction equipment, founded in 1952. Their product portfolio centers on various types of Tunnel Boring Machines (Main Beam, Double Shield, Single Shield, Crossover, and Earth Pressure Balance models) designed for different geological conditions from competent hard rock to soft ground. The company also produces Small Boring Machines (SBU, Motorized SBU, Rockhead, Remote Controlled SBU) for smaller diameter applications, a Mine Development Machine for mining operations, and a full range of Conveyor Systems (components, vertical, and stacker/overland) for material handling. Supporting products include Cutters (disc cutters) and comprehensive Parts & Service offerings including equipment rental, spare parts, and technical field support. Robbins also offers Back-Up Systems as supporting infrastructure for TBM operations. The company serves global tunneling and mining projects with customized machinery solutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Main Beam TBM
Quantifiable outcome
- In-tunnel diameter change from 11.6m to 9.9m achieved at Mill Creek Drainage Relief Tunnel - first in industry
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Robbins Company
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Robbins Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature11 records
The Robbins Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Robbins Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- China Railway Construction Heavy Industry (CRCHI): Chinese state-backed TBM manufacturer rapidly growing global market share, especially in emerging markets. Direct competitor on EPB, slurry, and hard rock TBMs, often at lower price points.
- Terratec: Hong Kong/Australia-based TBM manufacturer focused on smaller-diameter and EPB machines. Direct competitor particularly in Asia-Pacific metro and utility tunnel projects.
- Herrenknecht AG: The world's largest TBM manufacturer, headquartered in Germany. Directly comparable product portfolio across all TBM types (hard rock, soft ground, EPB, slurry) serving the same mining and infrastructure customers as Robbins.
Broad incumbents
- Sandvik: Swedish mining and rock excavation solutions provider with adjacent equipment and consumables (drill rigs, cutters, loaders). Comparable through its underground mining focus, cutter consumables business, and Difficult Ground-adjacent tooling.
- Hitachi Zosen Corporation: Japanese industrial company with a shield TBM and tunnel segment business. Competes with Robbins on infrastructure tunnel projects, particularly in Japan and Southeast Asia.
- Komatsu: Global mining and construction equipment giant. While not a primary TBM manufacturer, Komatsu competes with Robbins on the mine development machine side and across broader underground mining equipment.
- Kawasaki Heavy Industries: Japanese industrial conglomerate with a TBM division that competes directly with Robbins on slurry and EPB machines, particularly in Asian markets. Larger parent provides greater financial firepower.
- Lovat (now Caterpillar): Originally a direct TBM peer acquired by Caterpillar; the TBM product line now sits within Cat's broader underground mining and construction equipment portfolio, providing distribution and aftermarket scale Robbins lacks.
Emerging players
- XCMG: Chinese construction equipment maker expanding into TBM manufacturing. Competes on price in emerging-market infrastructure tenders where Robbins also pursues metro and utility projects.
- SANY Heavy Industry: Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer with a growing TBM product line. An emerging global competitor with cost advantages, increasingly active in infrastructure projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Robbins Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe Robbins Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Robbins Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Robbins Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Robbins Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Robbins Company
What does The Robbins Company do?
The Robbins Company designs, manufactures, and services custom tunnel boring machines (TBMs) — including Main Beam, Double Shield, Single Shield, Crossover XRE, and Earth Pressure Balance models — for underground construction and mining projects worldwide. The company also supplies small boring machines, a Mine Development Machine, conveyor systems, and cutters, supported by spare parts, equipment rental, and on-site field service.
Is The Robbins Company a public or private company?
The Robbins Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Robbins Company founded?
The Robbins Company was founded in 1952. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Robbins Company based?
The Robbins Company is headquartered in Solon, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Robbins Company make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tunnel Boring Machine Sales are the primary driver. The others are parts and Service, conveyor Systems and cutters and Small Boring Machines.
Who are The Robbins Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are China Railway Construction Heavy Industry (CRCHI), Terratec and Herrenknecht AG. Broad incumbents are Sandvik, Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Komatsu, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Lovat (now Caterpillar). Emerging players are XCMG and SANY Heavy Industry.
Does The Robbins Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Robbins Company.
What industry is The Robbins Company in?
The Robbins Company's product category is Underground Construction Machinery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKANAB, Underground Mining Equipment (Loaders/LHDs, Continuous Miners, Longwall Systems). Its NAICS code is 333120 and its SIC code is 3530.