Analysis
NAICS 423830 is the 2022 national industry for industrial machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers, part of 42383 (Industrial Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers). Census lists 115 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 25,949 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 374,989 people at an average annual payroll of $91,835 per employee (79th percentile of national industries). 45% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 10% and employment rose 1%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include actuators, fluid power, merchant wholesalers, air compressors (except air-conditioning, refrigeration)…, bakery machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers and balancing machines (except automotive) merchant wholesalers, among 115 in all.
For example, merchant wholesale distribution of specialized machinery, equipment, and related parts generally used in construction, mining (except oil well), and logging activities are classified in 423810 (Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers) instead.
Census lists 2 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 423810 and 423840. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of specialized machinery, equipment, and related parts generally used in manufacturing, oil well, and warehousing activities.
Illustrative Examples:
Fluid power transmission equipment merchant wholesalers Metalworking machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers Food processing machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers Oil well machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers Material handling machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Merchant wholesale distribution of specialized machinery, equipment, and related parts generally used in construction, mining (except oil well), and logging activities | 423810 Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers |
| Merchant wholesale distribution of supplies used in machinery and equipment generally used in manufacturing, oil well, and warehousing activities | 423840 Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers |
Index entries (115)
- Actuators, fluid power, merchant wholesalers
- Air compressors (except air-conditioning, refrigeration) merchant wholesalers
- Bakery machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers
- Balancing machines (except automotive) merchant wholesalers
- Beverage bottling machinery merchant wholesalers
- Beverage processing machinery merchant wholesalers
- Blanks, tips, and inserts merchant wholesalers
- Blowers, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Bottling machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers
- Broaches (i.e., a machine tool accessory) merchant wholesalers
- Burners, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Cement making machinery merchant wholesalers
- Chainsaws merchant wholesalers
- Chemical industries machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers
- Coil winding machines, spring, merchant wholesalers
- Commercial fishing equipment and supplies (except boats, ships) merchant wholesalers
- Compactors, trash, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Compressors (except air-conditioning, refrigeration) merchant wholesalers
- Condensing units (except air-conditioning, refrigeration) merchant wholesalers
- Conveying equipment (except farm) merchant wholesalers
- Cranes, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Crushing, pulverizing, and screening machinery, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Cryogenic cooling devices merchant wholesalers
- Dies, metalworking, merchant wholesalers
- Diesel engines and parts, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Distillery machinery merchant wholesalers
- Dyeing machinery, textile, merchant wholesalers
- Elevators merchant wholesalers
- Engines, internal combustion (except aircraft, automotive), merchant wholesalers
- Engraving machinery merchant wholesalers
- Environmental controlling instruments and equipment merchant wholesalers
- Escalators merchant wholesalers
- Fans, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Fluid meters, industrial, merchant wholesalers
- Fluid power transmission equipment merchant wholesalers
- Food processing machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers
- Forklift trucks (except log) merchant wholesalers
- Foundry machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers
- Furnaces, industrial process, merchant wholesalers
- Gas detecting equipment and supplies (except household-type) merchant wholesalers