AMT: Manufacturing Technology Orders Up 8.8% in 2012

June U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $462.95 million according to AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 0.6% from May and down 1.8% when compared with the total of $471.49 million reported for June 2011. With a year-to-date total of $2,682.37 million, 2012 is up 8.8% compared with 2011.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“Suppliers to technology builders are experiencing a backlog two to three times above normal levels, and consequently growth in manufacturing technology orders has slowed. A significant uptick in order activity is expected after IMTS (the International Manufacturing Technology Show),” said Douglas K. Woods, AMT President. “Along with monthly gains in industrial production, manufacturing payrolls also saw gains for the second consecutive month — an indicator that companies are both confident and optimistic that demand will increase.”

The United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report, compiled by the trade association representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

U.S. manufacturing technology orders are also reported on a regional basis for five geographic breakdowns of the United States.

Northeast Region
Northeast Region manufacturing technology orders in June stood at $63.23 million, 0.3% less than May’s $63.40 million and down 11.0% when compared with June a year ago. At $377.27 million year-to-date, the 2012 total is slightly more than the $377.08 million for 2011 at the same time.

Southern Region
Manufacturing technology orders in the Southern Region in June totaled $87.59 million, up 11.6% from May’s $78.49 million and up 32.3% when compared with the June 2011 figure. The year-to-date total of $381.28 million is 18.1% more than the comparable figure for 2011.

Midwest Region
Midwest Region manufacturing technology orders totaled $136.07 million in June, down 9.8% from the $150.86 million total for May and 13.6% less than the total for June 2011. At $869.07 million, 2012 year-to-date is up 3.3% when compared with 2011 at the same time.

Central Region
At $136.75 million, June manufacturing technology orders in the Central Region were up 8.5% when compared with the $126.08 million total for May and up 9.2% when compared with June a year ago. With a year-to-date total of $797.52 million, 2012 is up 18.0% when compared with 2011 at the same time.

Western Region
June manufacturing technology orders in the Western Region totaled $39.31 million, 15.8% less than May’s $46.71 million and off 23.7% when compared with the June 2011 figure. At $257.23 million, the 2012 year-to-date total was 3.8% more than the comparable figure for 2011.