Our 13th Annual Readers' Choice Awards

By Steve Kuehn, Managing Editor

s we have done every year since 1991 were broadcasting our readers opinions of process automation and control technologies vendors. Does this 13th Annual Readers Choice Awards reveal any breathtaking new winners or any striking falls from grace? Well, in a word no, but thats a good thing, perhaps reflecting a continuity to the industry in spite of some tough recessionary years and waves of consolidation among the suppliers we all count on to help us get the job done. As you scan the categories youll encounter some familiar names, many who appear also in The CONTROL Top 50 list.

What our readers opinions do reveal is that year-after-year, certain companies have, through good technology and good service, been able to retain that key front-of-mind awareness. In other words, a positive presence that is readily recalled when the CONTROLs Readers Choice Awards survey lands in the inbox and asks readers to name the vendors delivering the best technologies across 71 categories.

Similarly, we asked readers to rate vendors ability to deliver customer service (see Table). This line of inquiry goes right to the heart of the matter because even if a company has the best technology it wont mean much if the mechanisms of delivery and service before the sale and long after are not in place to keep you satisfied after the check has cleared.

To our mind our readers are the ultimate judges of the character of the industrys suppliers, and through your interactions with them, have the only truly valid opinion of their performance. Our intent with the Readers Choice Awards is to provide our readers with a vehicle to voice their opinions in way that broadcasts loud and clear to suppliers how they stand* with the people who put the P in their profit margins. You know who you are. Are you listening?

* Differences of less than 3% are ties; company divisions are shown: "Emerson Process-Rosemount"; trade names or former names are shown: "Thermo Electron (Polysonics)"; service scores are rounded to a single decimal.

13th Annual Readers' Choice Awards Winners

ANALYZERS, AMBIENT GAS DETECTORS
1. MSA - 40%
2. Draeger - 9%
Scott Bacharach - 7%

ANALYZERS, DENSITY/CONCENTRATION
1. Emerson Process-Micro Motion - 46%2. Endress+Hauser - 12% ANALYZERS, GAS CHROMATOGRAPH
1. Siemens-Applied Automation - 28%2. Emerson Process-Rosemount Analytical - 23%3. ABB - 18% ANALYZERS, HUMIDITY/MOISTURE
1. GE Panametrics - 20%2. Vaisala - 14%3. Ametek - 8% ANALYZERS, PH/ORP/CONDUCTIVITY 1. Emerson Process-Rosemount Analytical - 38%2. Yokogawa - 11%3. ABB - 8%    Invensys Foxboro - 7%    GLI Hach div. of Danaher - 7%    Endress+Hauser - 6%7. Mettler-Toledo - 5% ANALYZERS, PROCESS SPECTROMETER1. ABB - 7%    Ametek - 7%    Emerson - 7% ANALYZERS, STACK GAS/ EMISSIONS1. Emerson Process-Rosemount Analytical - 24%2. Horiba Instruments - 7%    Siemens - 7% ANNUNCIATORS
1. Ronan Engineering - 21%2. Ametek Panalarm - 16%3. Rockwell Automation - 11% CONTROL VALVES
1. Emerson Process-Fisher Controls - 65%2. Flowserve-Valtek - 11%3. Dresser Masoneilan - 7% ENCLOSURES
1. Hoffman - 73%2. Rittal - 9% FLOWMETERS, CORIOLIS
1. Emerson Process-Micro Motion - 81%2. Endress+Hauser - 9% FLOWMETERS, MAGNETIC
1. Emerson Process-Rosemount - 43%2. Yokogawa - 11%    Endress+Hauser - 9%4. ABB - 8%    Krohne - 6%6. Invensys Foxboro - 5% FLOWMETERS, OPEN CHANNEL
1. Siemens-Milltronics - 23%2. Emerson Process-Rosemount - 9%    Badger Meter - 7%     Endress+Hauser - 7% FLOWMETERS, POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT
1. Emerson Process-Brooks - 48%2. Badger Meter - 6%    IDEX Liquid Controls - 6% FLOWMETERS, THERMAL MASS FLOW
1. FCI - 45%2. Kurz Instruments - 13%    Emerson Process-Brooks - 11%4. Sierra Instruments - 5% FLOWMETERS, TURBINE 1. Emerson Process-Daniel - 28%2. Hoffer Flow Control - 9%    Badger Meter - 8%4. Flow Technology - 5% FLOWMETERS, ULTRASONIC
1. GE Panametrics - 34%2. Emerson Process-Daniel - 23%3. Thermo Electron-Polysonics - 14%4. Controlotron - 9%    Endress+Hauser - 7% FLOWMETERS, VARIABLE AREA
1. Emerson Process-Brooks - 54% FLOWMETERS, VORTEX SHEDDING
1. Emerson Process-Rosemount - 39%2. Yokogawa - 22%3. Invensys Foxboro - 13%4. Endress+Hauser - 9% FLOW SWITCHES
1. FCI - 35%2. Endress+Hauser - 12%    ifm efector - 10%3. Dwyer - 5% INDUSTRIAL COMPUTERS
1. Dell Computer - 25%2. Rockwell Automation - 15%3. Advantech - 6%    Xycom - 5% INPUT/OUTPUT (I/O) SYSTEMS
1. Rockwell Automation - 38%2. Emerson Process Management - 9%3. Automation Direct - 5% INSTRUMENT FITTINGS
1. Swagelok - 63%2. Parker Hannifin - 26% INTRINSIC SAFETY BARRIERS1. Pepperl+Fuchs - 19%2. Banner Engineering - 11%    MTL - 11%4. Rockwell Automation - 6%    Phoenix Contact - 5%    Turck - 5% LEVEL GAUGES, ELECTRICAL PROPERTY-BASED1. Ametek Drexelbrook - 16%   Endress+Hauser - 16%    Emerson Process-Fisher Controls - 14%4. Magnetrol - 6% LEVELS GAUGES, FLOAT/DISPLACER TYPE
1. Emerson Process-Fisher Controls - 35%2. Magnetrol- Orion - 31%3. Danaher Gems Sensors - 8%    Dresser Masoneilan - 6%     K-Tek - 6% LEVELS GAUGES, INVENTORY GRADE
1. Emerson Process- Saab Rosemount - 30%2. Endress+Hauser - 12% LEVEL GAUGES, NON-CONTACT RADAR
1. Ohmart Vega - 30%    Emerson Process-Saab Rosemount - 28%3. Endress+Hauser - 19%4. Siemens-Milltronics - 7% LEVEL GAUGES, NUCLEAR
1. Ohmart Vega - 36%2. Thermo Electron - 33% LEVEL GAUGES, TDR RADAR
1. Ohmart Vega - 31%2. Emerson Process-Rosemount - 26%3. Endress+Hauser - 22%    Magnetrol - 22%5. Krohne - 9%
LEVEL GAUGES, ULTRASONIC1. Siemens Milltronics - 37%2. Endress+Hauser - 11%3. Magnetrol - 6%    Emerson Process-Saab Rosemount - 6%    Ohmart Vega - 6%    Flowline - 5% LEVEL SWITCHES, POINT
1. Endress+Hauser - 26%2. Ametek Drexelbrook - 17%3. Magnetrol - 11%4. SOR - 5%    Thermo Electron - 5% OPERATOR INTERFACE TERMINALS
1. Rockwell Automation - 47%2. Honeywell - 5% PANEL DISPLAYS
1. Rockwell Automation - 45%2. Red Lion - 10% PORTABLE CALIBRATORS
1. Fluke, a Danaher Co. - 51%2. Altek/Transmation - 12%3. GE Druck - 7%    Emerson Process-Rosemount - 5% POWER SUPPLIES
1. Sola/Hevi-Duty - 27%2. Acopian - 17%3. Phoenix Contact - 8%4. Idec - 5% PRESSURE TRANSMITTERS
1. Emerson Process-Rosemount - 73%2. Honeywell - 7% PROCESS CONTROL/AUTOMATION SYSTEMS
1. Emerson Process Management - 29%2. Rockwell Automation - 22%3. Honeywell - 9%    Invensys - 9%5. Siemens - 6%    ABB - 5% PROCESS LOOP CONTROLLERS
1. Honeywell - 19%2. Emerson Process Management - 9%    ABB (sold to MicroMod Inc.) - 8%    Invensys-Foxboro - 8%    Yokogawa - 8%    Moore Industries - 7%7. Siemens - 5% PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS1. Rockwell Automation - 67%2. Schneider Electric - 6%    AutomationDirect.com - 5%     Siemens - 5% PURGE SYSTEMS
1. Pepperl+Fuchs-Bebco - 36% RECORDERS
1. Yokogawa - 25%2. Honeywell - 14%3. Invensys Eurotherm Chessell - 6%   ABB - 5% REMOTE TERMINAL UNITS
1. Rockwell Automation - 34%2. Emerson Process Management - 6%    Honeywell - 6%    SixNet - 5% RESISTANCE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS1. Emerson Process-Rosemount - 47%2. Pyromation - 10%3. Omega Engineering - 7%    Burns Engineering - 5%    JMS Southeast - 5% SAFETY/EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN SYSTEMS
1. Invensys- Triconex - 22%2. Rockwell Automation - 11%    Honeywell - 9%4. Siemens - 6% SIGNAL CONDITIONERS
1. Moore Industries Intl - 18%2. Invensys Eurotherm Action Instruments - 14%3. Phoenix Contact - 8%    Acromag - 6% SOFTWARE, ADVANCED PROCESS CONTROL
1. Emerson Process Management - 25%2. Honeywell - 12%    Rockwell Automation - 11%4. Aspentech - 9%    Invensys - 9% SOFTWARE, ASSET MANAGEMENT
1. Emerson Process Management - 37%2. SAP - 8% SOFTWARE, BATCH CONTROL
1. Emerson Process Management - 27%2. Rockwell Automation - 13%3. Invensys Wonderware - 8%    Invensys Foxboro - 7%    Honeywell - 6% SOFTWARE, CALIBRATION MANAGEMENT 1. Emerson Process Management - 25%2. Honeywell - 11%3. Danaher Fluke - 5% SOFTWARE, DESIGN/DOCUMENTATION1. AutoDesk AutoCAD - 36%2. Microsoft Visio - 8%    Intergraph - 7% SOFTWARE, HUMAN-MACHINE INTERFACE1. Invensys Wonderware - 32%2. Rockwell Automation - 24%3. GE Infrastructure - 12% SOFTWARE LOOP TUNING
1. Expertune - 20%2. Emerson Process Management - 16%3. Rockwell - 7%    Honeywell - 6% SOFTWARE, NEURAL NETWORKS
1. Emerson Process Management - 15%2. Pavillion Technologies - 10% SOFTWARE, PROCESS CONTROL
1. Emerson Process Management - 27%2. Rockwell Automation - 18%3. Honeywell - 10%4. Invensys Wonderware - 7%    Invensys Foxboro - 7% SOFTWARE, PLC PROGRAMMING
1. Rockwell Automation - 68%2. Schneider Electric - 6% SOFTWARE, SCADA
1. Invensys Wonderware - 21%2. GE Infrastructure - 12%    Rockwell Automation - 11%4. Emerson Process Management - 6%    National Instruments - 6%    OSISoft - 5% SOFTWARE, SIMULATION
1. Aspentech - 20%2. Mynah Technologies - 10%    Rockwell Automation - 10%    Invensys - 9% TEMPERATURE SENSORS, INFRARED
1. Danaher Fluke- Raytek - 24%2. IRCON - 13% TEMPERATURE TRANSMITTERS
1. Emerson Process-Rosemount - 60%2. Honeywell - 8%3. Invensys Foxboro - 5%    Omega Engineering - 5% TERMINAL BLOCKS
1. Rockwell Automation - 26%    Phoenix Contact - 24%2. Weidmuller - 17%3. Entrelec - 7% THERMOCOUPLES
1. Omega Engineering - 23%    Emerson Process- Rosemount - 21%3. Pyromation - 7%    JMS Southeast - 5%    Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company - 5% VALVE ACTUATORS, ELECTRIC
1. Flowserve-Limitorque - 13%    Rotork - 12%3. Emerson Process-Fisher Controls - 10%    Flowserve-Valtek - 8%5. Beck - 6% VALVE ACTUATORS, PNEUMATIC
1. Emerson Process-Fisher Controls - 54%2. Flowserve-Valtek - 12% VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES
1. Rockwell Automation - 58%2. ABB - 6%    Toshiba - 6% VIBRATION SENSORS
1. GE Energy (Bently Nevada) - 57% VISUAL LEVEL INDICATOR
1. Magnetrol-Orion - 18%    K-Tek - 16%3. Penberthy - 11%4. Clark-Reliance (Jerguson) - 8%    Emerson Process-Brooks - 8%
WEIGHING SYSTEMS, LOAD CELL
1. Mettler Toledo - 35%2. Vishay BLH - 13%3. Hardy Instruments - 10%4. Danaher Venture Measurement (Kistler Morse) - 7% WEIGHING SYSTEMS, INLINE
1. Mettler Toledo-Hispeed - 20%2. Thermo Electron-Ramsey - 9%    Siemens-Milltronics - 9% WIRE & CABLE
1. Belden - 56%
Notes:
Differences of less than 3% are ties.
Company divisions are shown: "Emerson Process-Rosemount"
Trade names or former names are shown: "Thermo Electron (Polysonics)"
Service scores are rounded to a single decimal.Readers' Choice Awards survey demographicsDemographics: Total 555 responses