How the Top 10 U.S. Manufacturing Companies Use a CMMS

The manufacturing industry is one of the top five segments forming the backbone of the U.S. economy and it’s only getting bigger — growing from 10 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023 to 11 percent in 2024. This small bump reflects the resilience of manufacturing companies as well as their ability to grow, even during an election year.

And, of course, within such a prominent sector of the American economy, you’re sure to find some established big-name players — corporate titans that impact the lives of millions such as IBM, PepsiCo, General Motors and Apple, to name just a few. It would be hard to picture our daily way of life, let alone the national financial landscape, without these manufacturing giants.

In this overview, we’ll take a look at America’s top manufacturing companies ranked in terms of sales (based Forbes’ 2024 Global 2000 List), their factories and products, and how industrial maintenance software helps them oversee the vital equipment used to run their invaluable production processes.

10. IBM

Sales: $62.1 billion

Industry: Information Technology

No. of manufacturing plants: IBM’s main plant is located in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Products manufactured: Mainframe computers and Power Systems servers

Key pieces of equipment to track: Manufacturing equipment found at IBM’s New York plant would include everything from robots and welding guns, to clamps, to electronic accounting machines. 

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: There are numerous ways manufacturing companies such as IBM could be assisted by computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software. Real-time monitoring of equipment, for example, can help quickly pinpoint and resolve any issues that arise. And the software’s preventive maintenance capabilities include the scheduling and tracking of regular machinery oversight, preventing breakdowns and reducing downtime. A CMMS also centralizes information about all assets, simplifying the management of their use by tracking every piece of equipment’s performance and maintenance history.

9. Procter & Gamble

Sales: $84.1 billion

Industry: Consumer Goods

No. of manufacturing plants: Procter & Gamble operates dozens of manufacturing plants across the U.S., including one in Cincinnati where its global headquarters is located. 

Products manufactured: Procter & Gamble is a maker of a massive array of products, many of them related to home and family care — such as diapers and wipes, paper towels and toilet paper, laundry detergents and shampoos, and even grooming and healthcare items. 

Key pieces of equipment to track: With its immense product line, a company like Procter & Gamble requires all sorts of equipment to not only make its goods but to also package, transport and inspect them as well. Conveyors and robotic arms, mixers and blenders, labeling machines and shrink wrappers, and weighing and measuring devices are just a few examples. 

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: In addition to improved asset management and operational efficiency, a CMMS can assist a consumer goods group like P&G with safety inspections and compliance reports. This can enhance scalability for future growth by adapting to increased complexity without compromising accuracy and efficiency.

8. Dell Technologies

Sales: $88.5 billion

Industry: Information Technology

No. of manufacturing plants: Dell has more than 150 manufacturing facilities globally, including 17 in the U.S.

Products manufactured: Dell is a technology company that produces not only personal computers (PCs) and servers but also networking equipment and software.

Key pieces of equipment to track: Dell’s numerous pieces of manufacturing equipment includes everything from high-tech automated assembly lines to 3D printing and scanning machinery to environment control systems that ensure optimal conditions for manufacturing. Automated inspection equipment helps make certain that the QA process is efficient and reliable.

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: A CMMS can assist with Dell’s maintenance by helping plan, schedule and track production orders, ensuring that the plant operates seamlessly. It can also oversee inventory in real time, allowing for quick procurement of components. Workforce productivity can be optimized, too, with important digital work instructions and training materials provided to employees.

7. Johnson & Johnson

Sales: $89.7 billion

Industry: Healthcare

No. of manufacturing plants: Johnson & Johnson has almost 200 manufacturing plants globally, including 14 in the U.S. spread across various states.

Products manufactured: Pharmaceuticals, medical devices and consumer health products.

Key pieces of equipment to track: Johnson & Johnson relies upon machinery such as automated assembly lines and sophisticated packaging machines to make sure products are boxed safely and securely. Other key equipment includes HVAC resources to maintain healthy conditions for materials and workers and advanced robotics to oversee delicate or repetitive tasks.  

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: A CMMS can help Johnson & Johnson ensure that all maintenance activities and inspections are documented, assisting the company in the crucial adherence to strict regulations and safety standards.

6. PepsiCo

Sales: $91.9 billion

Industry: Food & Beverage

No. of manufacturing plants: 1,000+ across the world

Products manufactured: PepsiCo is a maker of well-known beverages like Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Gatorade, plus popular snacks such as Lay’s Potato Chips and Doritos. 

Key pieces of equipment to track: With its production of food and drinks, PepsiCo typically employs machinery such as mixing and blending equipment, filling machines, conveyors and packaging tools, labeling machines, cleaning equipment, refrigeration equipment, and palletizers that stack and ready products for transport.

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: A corporation like PepsiCo — with its large variety of products and production methods, not to mention the packaging, labeling and other processes — definitely benefits from the data-driven decisions guided by a CMMS. With centralized data on maintenance activities, PepsiCo can analyze trends, check key performance indicators (KPIs) and make informed choices that lead to better maintenance.

5. Tesla

Sales: $94.7 billion

Industries: Automotive and Renewable Energy

No. of manufacturing plants: Tesla has six active plants, including four currently in the U.S.

Products manufactured: Tesla produces a number of different electric vehicles (EVs) — including sedans, sports cars, SUVs and cyber-trucks — as well as energy storage products, solar panels, lithium-ion batteries for its vehicles and solar products, and even some of its own equipment and tools. 

Key pieces of equipment to track: Factories like Tesla’s rely heavily on automation and artificial intelligence. The company’s automated guided vehicles (AGVs) move the various products and materials being produced, while robotic arms and conveyors assist in the production process.

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: Maintenance management software is invaluable in many ways to large plants like Tesla’s making high-quality products with hundreds of different part types and materials. Streamlined management of work orders is one benefit, as is enhanced worker productivity driven by easily accessible spare part lists, procedure details and tools that curtail delays and elevate efficiency.

4. General Motors

Sales: $174.9 billion

Industry: Automotive

No. of manufacturing plants: GM has more than 150 facilities in the U.S. alone, including 15 manufacturing plants.

Products manufactured: GM is a motor company that makes vehicle parts and various vehicles — including cars, trucks and SUVs — under brand names like Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Buick and others. 

Key pieces of equipment to track: In addition to AGVs and plenty of conveyor belts, GM plants also employ Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines for precision machining of parts, forklifts and pallet jacks, and stamping machines to form metal into parts. Other equipment includes welding and painting tools, assembly line robots and high-tech quality control equipment. 

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: A busy heavy-duty plant like those at GM get a big boost from the extended equipment lifespans that a CMMS helps provide with its industrial preventive maintenance support. With the array of parts and materials used by GM, the seamless inventory management provided by a CMMS is huge as well.

3. Ford

Sales: $177.5 billion

Industry: Automotive

No. of manufacturing plants: Ford has 14 manufacturing plants spread across several states in the U.S.

Products manufactured: Ford’s entire focus is on vehicle production, producing many different kinds such as passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, electric and commercial vehicles, high-performance muscle cars and luxury vehicles. 

Key pieces of equipment to track: Like GM, Ford uses various equipment (such as robotic arms, conveyor belts and AGVs) needed to move materials around its plants and through the many stages of production. Standard maintenance tools and equipment for keeping the large and sophisticated machinery functioning optimally are also in large supply. 

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: Not only do Ford factories benefit from improved equipment reliability driven by regularly slated maintenance, they’re also rewarded with better resource allocation by matching urgent tasks with available technicians. Employee safety is also enhanced by using equipment maintenance software, as regular smart maintenance cuts back on the risk of dangerous equipment failures and related accidents.

2. Cardinal Health

Sales: $220.6 billion

Industry: Healthcare

No. of manufacturing plants: Cardinal Health has several USA manufacturing plants, including significant ones in California, Indiana, Tennessee and Texas.

Products manufactured: Cardinal Health produces a variety of healthcare products, including pharmaceuticals, lab products, sterile packaging and other medical supplies, plus home healthcare items like bandages and mobility devices. 

Key pieces of equipment to track: With Cardinal Health producing and parceling so many different medical devices and medications, its plants rely greatly on molding machines (to create plastic components), sterilization equipment, labeling devices and numerous quality control and testing resources. 

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: Healthcare manufacturing must adhere to strict regulatory standards, and maintenance management software can maintain comprehensive details of maintenance activities, inspections and even audits — assisting greatly in complying with industry standards and regulations.

1. Apple

Sales: $381.6 billion

Industry: Technology

No. of manufacturing plants: Apple relies mainly on contract manufacturers, primarily Foxconn, Pegatron, Wistron and Compal Electronics, to produce its products. These companies operate numerous factories globally.

Products manufactured: Consumer electronics and software, including smartphones, tables and computer operating systems. 

Key pieces of equipment to track: Among the many types of equipment needed at plants manufacturing Apple products are soldering stations for attaching electronic components to circuit boards, CNC machines for precise parts creation, and printing and coating machines for applying labels and other applications. 

Benefits of implementing maintenance software: With the tremendous amount of Apple products being made, a CMMS helps keep equipment downtime to a minimum and keeps production lines humming along.