Machine Tool Orders Up in March

March U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $399.83 million according to AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology (McLean, VA). This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was up 30.3 percent from February’s $306.96 million but down 18.7 percent when compared with the total of $491.73 million reported for March 2014. With a year-to-date total of $1,052.29 million, 2015 was down 12.7 percent when compared with 2014.

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

“There are many indications that our end-user customers are making significant investments in their manufacturing facilities to increase capacity, including GM’s announcement that it will invest billions in its U.S. plants,” said AMT president Douglas K. Woods. “Overall we expect the industry to hold steady with a push-pull between strong domestic investment in manufacturing but a drag on foreign trade due to the dollar’s strength.”

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 six geographic breakdowns of the United States:

Northeast Region
Northeast Region 2015 year-to-date manufacturing technology orders totaled $222.69 million, 11.8 percemt more than the 2014 total at the same time.

North Central-East Region
With a March total of $116.75 million, North Central-East Region manufacturing technology orders were 56.1 percent more than February’s $74.77 million but 41.7 percent less than the March 2014 total. Year-to-date orders totaled $283.99 million, down 22.9 percent from the comparable figure for 2014.

North Central-West Region
Year-to-date manufacturing technology orders in the North Central-West Region totaled $216.13 million, up 23.9 percent when compared with 2014 at the same time.

South Central Region
South Central Region year-to-date manufacturing technology orders for 2015 totaled $84.91 million, down 51.9 percent from the comparable figure for 2014.

www.amtonline.org