August Machine Tool Orders Above 2,000 Units – Sign of Strong Market
According to USMTO, machine tool orders in August 2012 were 2,011 units and $425,511,000. This is the 11th time in the last 13 months that orders have been above 2,000 units, which is historically a sign of a very strong machine tool market.
#brandbuilding
According to USMTO, machine tool orders in August 2012 were 2,011 units and $425,511,000. This is the 11th time in the last 13 months that orders have been above 2,000 units, which is historically a sign of a very strong machine tool market. However, August was the second month in a row that orders contracted compared to the same month one year ago. In August 2012, orders were 4.1% below the level of orders in August 2011. This is an increase in the rate of contraction in the one-month rate of change. The annual rate of change is still growing, but it has been growing more slowly since May 2011.
The annual rate of change in the broad exchange rate for the U.S. dollar is growing at an accelerating rate (moving down in the chart below). When the dollar is gaining value relative to other world currencies, machine tool orders tend to contract. This indicator is pointing to slower machine tool sales in 2013. But, the Fed’s announcement of further quantitative easing should cause the dollar to lose value relative to other currencies. Therefore, we could see this indicator begin moving in the other direction in 2013 and be supportive of stronger machine tool sales.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Shifting Landscape of Technology Is a Never-Ending Education
Brent Donaldson, Senior Editor, Modern Machine Shop and Additive Manufacturing Magazine discusses how the shifting landscape of technology that all of Gardner’s writers and editors cover is a never-ending education. If we are truly doing our jobs, we will never feel like we’ve mastered them. As I continue writing and reporting for AM and MMS, it’s easy to imagine how these technologies’ interdependency will continue to grow. It also seems clear that this kind of reporting — the kind that requires editors to experience and share new manufacturing technologies and strategies — is the kind of reporting that only Gardner can produce with any depth. I’m grateful to be part of it.
-
Creating a Brand Identity -- Logo Logic
Establishing brand identity is important, and consistent logo appearance is key. Here’s food for thought in designing or deploying yours. How do you keep your logo, and its contribution to brand identity, intact and recognizable, wherever used? Here are three insights and a big conclusion. It’s your brand . . . your logo. You need to control its use in every way possible to maintain consistency.
-
Marketing Mistakes Could Be Fatal to Manufacturing Companies
Although the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting service and travel industries the hardest, B2B manufacturers and industrial companies are not immune. And just as human patients with underlying issues are more susceptible to the pandemic, so are B2B companies with underlying financial, organizational and marketing issues. It’s time to acknowledge the marketing issues you have and get in front of them. Turn underlying B2B marketing problems into bonafide marketing differentiators. Here are four underlying marketing issues that could prove catastrophic to B2B manufacturers.