MagneTek

What MagneTek does

Magnetek is a brand of Columbus McKinnon Corporation (NYSE: CMCO), specializing in digital power and motion control systems for industrial cranes, hoists, elevators, mobile hydraulic equipment, and mining machinery. The company was founded in 1984 through the leveraged buyout of Litton's Magnetics Group and grew through the acquisitions of Power Controls Corporation (1986), Electromotive Systems and Mondel Engineering (1999), and Telemotive Industrial Controls (2003). Magnetek became part of Columbus McKinnon in 2015 and is now headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, alongside the parent's Charlotte, North Carolina corporate office.

The product portfolio centers on the IMPULSE®·G+/VG+ variable frequency drives (VFDs) for overhead cranes, OmniPulse™ digital DC drives, Quattro® AC elevator drives, M-FORCE® severe-duty mining traction drives, and the Intelli-Crane® / Intelli-Guide™ / Intelli-Connect® automation and diagnostics platform. Supporting products include Flex VUE®, Flex EX2, MLTX2, and Flex Fit™ industrial radio remote controls, LaserGuard2 collision avoidance systems, 200S industrial duty brakes, ELECTROBAR® Elite conductor bar systems, cable and festoon systems, inverter duty motors, pendant pushbutton stations, and AC line regenerative drives. All branded products carry the Energy Engineered® designation for efficiency compliance. The portfolio is built around a deterministic embedded-controls architecture (drives, programmable automation, sensors, radio telemetry) rather than AI/ML systems.

Magnetek operates as a B2B enterprise field-sales business targeting industrial manufacturers, OEMs, and end users in aerospace, automotive, steel, mining, and general material handling. Pricing is quote-based on Engineered-to-Order application requirements, with multi-year contract cadences for large installations. Distribution combines Columbus McKinnon's global authorized distributor and authorized repair center network with direct enterprise sales and an online distributor locator. Magnetek itself is not separately listed, and standalone revenue is not publicly disclosed. In 2020, the elevator drives business was divested to UK-based CP Automation, narrowing Magnetek's scope to crane, hoist, mobile hydraulic, and mining power and motion control.

Name

MagneTek

Legal name

MagneTek (Brand of Columbus McKinnon Corporation)

Website

http://www.magnetek.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Magnetek, a brand of Columbus McKinnon Corporation, supplies digital power and motion control systems—variable frequency drives, radio remote controls, crane automation, brakes, and mining drives—to industrial manufacturers, aerospace, automotive, metals, and mining customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Motion Control & Power Electronics

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531), Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) (IMAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motion Control Controllers & CNC/Robot Drives (Motion Controllers, Multi-axis) (IMAGACAH), Motion Control Electronics & Controls (Controllers, Drivers, Feedback Interfaces) (IMAHAGAJ)

Keywords

• Variable frequency drives
• Crane automation systems
• Industrial motion control
• Radio remote controls
• Elevator drives

Headquarters

HQ city

Menomonee Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Industrial Power and Motion Control Hardware: Sale of digital drive systems, variable frequency drives, motors, brakes, radio remote controls, conductor bar systems, and crane components for material handling, elevator, and mining applications. Products sold as individual components and integrated turnkey solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MagneTek manufactures digital power control systems and motion control products, including variable frequency drives (VFDs), radio remote controls, crane automation systems, motors, brakes, and conductor bars. Products are primarily built-to-order to customer specifications and serve material handling, elevator, mobile hydraulic, and mining applications. The company also offers training and after-sales support through authorized distributors and channel partners.

Product overview

MagneTek is a leading supplier of digital drive systems for crane and hoist applications, offering a comprehensive portfolio under the Columbus McKinnon family since 2015. The product portfolio centers on the Energy Engineered brand and includes radio remote controls (bellybox transmitters, handheld transmitters, receivers), braking and collision avoidance subsystems, motors for industrial cranes and hoists, digital motion control systems for elevators, and drive systems for mining equipment. Core product lines include AC Motor Control Systems (IMPULSE G+/VG+ drives), DC Motor & Magnet Control Systems (OmniPulse DDC), Elevator Drives (Quattro AC), Industrial Radio Remote Controls (Flex VUE, MLTX2, Flex Fit), Mining Drives (M-FORCE SD500), Automation & Diagnostics (Intelli-Crane, Intelli-Connect, ProPath), Collision Avoidance (LaserGuard2), Cable & Festoon Systems, Conductor Bar Systems (ELECTROBAR Elite), Brake Products, Regenerative Drives, and Inverter Duty Motors. The offerings are sold as individual components and integrated systems for material handling, elevator, mobile hydraulic, and mining applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Energy Engineered: Product certification mark for MagneTek motion control products that meet or exceed industry standards for high efficiency and power quality.

Products and services

• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) Digital drives used to control the speed and torque of electric motors in material handling, elevator, mobile hydraulic, and mining applications. Built to customer specifications as Engineered-to-Order (ETO) products for industrial OEMs and end-users.
• Radio Remote Controls Wireless remote control systems used to operate cranes, hoists, and other material handling equipment. Sold to industrial customers seeking safer and more flexible operation of overhead lifting and motion equipment.
• Crane Automation Systems Integrated crane automation solutions combining drives, controls, and software (Intelli-Crane, Intelli-Guide, Intelli-Connect) for automated and semi-automated crane operation in material handling environments.
• Motors Industrial electric motors for material handling, elevator, mobile hydraulic, and mining applications. Distributed in the UK and Ireland through CP Automation as a partner channel.
• Brakes Industrial braking products used in material handling and motion control systems to provide stopping, holding, and safety functions.
• Conductor Bars Electrified conductor bar systems that supply power to moving equipment such as overhead cranes and hoists in industrial facilities.
• Elevator Drives Drive products engineered for elevator applications, providing motion and power control for elevator systems.
• Mining Drives Drives engineered for harsh mining environments to deliver motion and power control in mining equipment and systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Automated load routing increases productivity by allowing operators to work on different tasks while loads move to programmed destinations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CP AutomationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020CP Automation, a power quality specialist, acquired Magnetek's elevator division in 2020 as part of their expansion into power quality and automation solutions. CP Automation operates across the UK, France, and South Africa, providing drives, automation, and power quality solutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Konecranes: Global crane and lifting equipment manufacturer offering crane automation, drives, and service. Sister brand to MagneTek under the same Columbus McKinnon family, with direct overlap in crane automation and aftermarket service.
• Yaskawa America: Major manufacturer of AC variable frequency drives, motion controllers, and servo systems for industrial automation. Directly comparable to MagneTek in VFDs and motion control across material handling, crane, and elevator applications.
• Danfoss Drives: Global VFD and motor-control specialist with strong presence in cranes, hoists, and material handling. Competes head-to-head with MagneTek's IMPULSE and OmniPulse drives in industrial motion applications.

Broad incumbents

• Rockwell Automation: Major industrial automation provider with Allen-Bradley drives, motion control, and crane-specific solutions. Comparable in industrial motion control with a stronger software/logic-controller stack.
• Schneider Electric: Global energy management and automation company with Altivar variable frequency drives for industrial and crane applications. Comparable to MagneTek in VFD technology at broader scale.
• ABB Drives: Largest industrial drives portfolio globally, including AC and DC drives for cranes, hoists, elevators, and mining. Overlaps with MagneTek's product set but operates at a much broader scale with deeper software/services.
• Siemens Industrial Drives: Global automation incumbent offering SIMATIC and SINAMICS drives for cranes, elevators, and motion control. Competes with MagneTek via integrated automation suites rather than crane-specific specialization.
• Eaton: Diversified industrial manufacturer offering motor controls, drives, and power management products used in material handling and industrial applications, overlapping with MagneTek's drive and motor product lines.

Emerging players

• Nidec Motion Control: Motor and motion control specialist offering inverter-duty motors and integrated drive systems for industrial machinery. Comparable to MagneTek's inverter-duty motors and motor-drive integrated solutions.
• Invertek Drives: Specialist VFD manufacturer focused on energy-saving drives for industrial and HVAC applications. Comparable to MagneTek in drive technology but smaller scale and broader general-industry focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/magnetek
• Facebookfacebook.com/Magnetek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magnetek

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MagneTek