Manufacturing technology consumption for January totaled $297.48 million, according to AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association and AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total was down 9.8% from December, but up 30.9% from the total of $227.23 million reported for January 2006.
"While early forecasts for 2007 have suggested it is unlikely that growth in our industry's sales will surpass the results of 2006, January has made an impressive start," said John J. Healy, AMTDA president. "Results were well above year-ago levels in almost every region, and were the highest for the month since 2000."
The United States Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations reports on consumption data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology consumption provides a reliable leading economic indicator, according to the organizations, as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.
On a regional basis the Northeast Region manufacturing technology consumption in January stood at $54.19 million, down 5.9% from December's $57.57 million but 75.2% higher than the $30.94 million January 2006 total.
January manufacturing technology consumption in the Southern Region was $32.03 million, 41.1% less than the $54.39 million tallied in December and 12.7% less than the $36.68 million total for January 2006.
The Midwestern region totaled $77.61 million, up 7.2% compared with December's $72.39 million and 11.1% higher than the $69.88 million total for January a year ago.
While the Central Region totaled $74.88 million, 8.6% less than December's $81.91 million, but up 41.9% when compared with the $52.78 million total for January 2006.
At $58.76 million, the Western Region January manufacturing technology consumption was 7.7% less than December's $63.63 million, but 59.0% more than the January 2006 total of $36.95 million.
