McGrath Industries

What McGrath Industries does

McGrath Industries Ltd. is a family-owned Australian industrial equipment manufacturer founded in 1964 by Vincent and Emma McGrath and now operated by third-generation principals Chris McGrath and Elizabeth Cozens. The company designs and manufactures proprietary air cargo handling equipment, including slave dollies and pallets built around micro-castor technology, ball and castor decks, manual and powered roller conveyors (GII/GIII lines), truck docks and hoists, transfer vehicles and shuttles, elevating transfer vehicles (ETVs), powered omni decks, main deck workstations, control systems, roving transfer vehicles, and the patent-pending Cobra Slave Dolly Transporter. Its products integrate mechanical handling with electrical control and IT/ULD tracking functions.

The company's customer base consists of enterprise air cargo and express logistics operators, with named customers including Air New Zealand, Menzies Aviation, DHL, and Qantas, and stated solutions that also extend into marine cargo and entertainment industries. It operates from its Australian headquarters with a New Zealand office and reaches international markets through a partner channel: BT Bearings handles Australia/New Zealand distribution, JBT HeliRoll acts as integrator and reseller, and LOC8 serves as Middle East representative into the UAE.

Revenue mechanics are B2B industrial equipment sales on a quote basis to enterprise logistics operators; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The 11–50 employee headcount, niche product focus, and capital-equipment sales cycle mean each customer contract is high-value but lumpy, with replacement cycles stretching across multi-decade equipment lifespans. The business model is fundamentally project-based industrial manufacturing rather than recurring software or consumables revenue.

Name

McGrath Industries

Legal name

McGrath Industries Ltd.

Website

https://mcgrath-industries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

McGrath Industries is a family-owned Australian manufacturer of proprietary air cargo handling equipment, including slave dollies, conveyors, transfer vehicles, and control systems, serving logistics operators such as Air New Zealand, Menzies Aviation, DHL, and Qantas across Oceania and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Cargo Handling Equipment

NAICS

Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392), Conveyor and Conveying Equipment Manufacturing (333922), Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Conveyors & Sortation Systems (Warehouse & Parcel) (IMAHABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Loading/Unloading & Transfer Equipment (Telescopic Conveyors, Loaders, Tipplers) (IMAHABAI)

Keywords

• Air cargo handling
• ULD container handling
• Airport ground equipment
• Freight handling systems
• Industrial materials handling

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Air Cargo Handling Equipment Sales: Manufacture and sale of specialized air cargo handling equipment including Slave Dollies, Slave Pallets, Ball Decks, Castor Decks, Manual and Powered Roller Conveyors, Truck Docks, Hoists, Transfer Vehicles, ETVs, Roving Transfer Vehicles, Omni Decks, Main Deck Workstations, and Control Systems

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

McGrath Industries designs and manufactures specialized air cargo handling equipment and integrated systems for aircraft ULD (Unit Load Device) container and pallet handling within terminal and warehouse environments. The product range covers the complete spectrum from high performance manually operated equipment to fully mechanised and automated systems, including Slave Dollies, Slave Pallets, Ball Decks, Castor Decks, Manual and Powered Roller Conveyors, Truck Docks & Hoists, Transfer Vehicles, Elevating Transfer Vehicles, Powered Omni Decks, Main Deck Workstations, and proprietary Control Systems, all manufactured in-house using quality Australian steel.

Product overview

McGrath Industries offers a comprehensive, integrated product portfolio for aircraft ULD container handling within terminal and warehouse environments. The offering spans the complete spectrum from manually operated equipment to fully mechanised and automated systems. Core products include Slave Dollies and Slave Pallets for forklift-based ULD transfer, Ball Decks & Castor Decks for multi-directional maneuvering, and Manual Roller Conveyors (GII/GIII variants) for general freight and express operations. Mechanical handling is enabled through Truck Docks & Hoists, Transfer Vehicles & Shuttles, Elevating Transfer Vehicles (ETV), and Roving Transfer Vehicles (RTV). Powered solutions include Powered Roller Conveyors and Powered Omni Decks for reorientation. Workstations include Main Deck Workstations for freighter operations. The portfolio is tied together by proprietary Control Systems for electrical management and ULD tracking. The Cobra Slave Dolly Transporter serves as a dynamic prime mover within the Slave Dolly workstation system. All equipment is manufactured using quality Australian steel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment operates consistently at high performance for the life of the machinery
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.

• BT BearingscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMcGrath Industries represents B&T Bearings in Australia and New Zealand as distributor. BT Bearings' Ball Transfer Units (BTUs) are used and recommended in McGrath's Ball Decks. The partnership provides premium quality BTUs (model CS6030) integrated into McGrath's modular ball deck solutions.
• LOC8regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLOC8 serves as Representative in the Middle East for McGrath Industries with offices in Dubai (Telephone +971 4 368 1565) and Abu Dhabi (Telephone +971 2 667 7250). Contact email: [email protected]

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ALSTEF Group: ALSTEF Group designs and manufactures automated material handling systems, including baggage and cargo handling equipment for airports and parcel logistics. Directly comparable to McGrath in the specialized air cargo ULD and parcel handling equipment space, serving similar airport and integrator customers in Europe and international markets.
• Beumer Group: Beumer Group provides integrated airport baggage and cargo handling systems, including conveyor technology, sortation, and automated ULD handling solutions. Comparable to McGrath in the cargo handling systems category, with overlapping customer base among airports, airlines, and express integrators seeking end-to-end terminal automation.
• Fives Group: Fives Group provides industrial material handling and process equipment, including baggage and cargo handling systems for airports. Directly comparable to McGrath in supplying engineered ULD and cargo handling solutions to airlines, ground handlers, and airports, particularly in international markets.
• TLD Group: TLD is a major manufacturer of airport ground support equipment, including cargo and baggage tractors, belt loaders, and ULD/container handling systems. Directly comparable to McGrath as a specialist in airline ramp and terminal cargo handling hardware, serving similar global airline and ground handler customers.
• Lödige Industries: Lödige Industries specializes in material handling and logistics systems including lifts, conveyors, and automated storage for airports, warehouses, and industrial facilities. Comparable to McGrath in providing engineered heavy lift and transfer solutions, with overlapping applications in airport cargo and freight forwarding environments.
• JBT Corporation (JBT AeroTech): JBT AeroTech is the dominant global supplier of airport ground support equipment, including air cargo ULD handling systems, transfer vehicles, and container/pallet dollies. Directly competes with McGrath Industries in the same product categories serving the same airline, ground handler, and integrator customers. Note that JBT is also listed as a McGrath partner via JBT HeliRoll.

Broad incumbents

• Daifuku: Daifuku is a global material handling automation leader offering conveyors, automated storage and retrieval systems, and sortation for airports, warehouses, and distribution centers. Overlaps with McGrath's conveying and material handling equipment portfolio but operates as a broad incumbent serving diverse industries beyond aviation.
• Vanderlande (Siemens Logistics): Vanderlande, acquired by Siemens, is a large integrated airport and parcel logistics automation provider with baggage handling, cargo handling, and warehouse automation portfolios. Overlaps with McGrath in air cargo handling but typically delivers larger integrated programs alongside baggage systems, positioning it as a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcgrath-industries-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 McGrath Industries