Slow growth for connector market

According to Reed Electronics Research, connector suppliers continue to struggle with continuing price pressures, the changing customer base, and the migration of production from Western Europe. As a result growth to 2009 is forecasted to reach only €5.9 billion. In recent years, Western Europe has faced a large number of production transfers to China, merger and acquisitions. Germany is the largest market for connectors in Western Europe, with 35.1% market share in 2004. The second largest Western European market is France (14.8%), and the third largest market is the UK (12.4%). The driving market behind the Western European Connector Market is the Automotive Sector (34.2%). According to Reed Electronics Research, Molex has consolidating its position as the second largest connector supplier in the world, after Tyco Electronics, and Amphenol, after a number of small acquisitions, recently announcing the purchase of Teradyne Connection Systems to overtake FCI to become the world's third largest connector supplier. In Western Europe FCI is the second largest connector supplier.