WASHINGTON—U.S. sales of machine tools totaled $496 million in March, an increase of 11 percent from February sales, according to AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology. With a year-to-date total of $1.35 billion, 2012 is up 13 percent compared with 2011.
WASHINGTON—A new report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program shows that since the beginning of 2010, manufacturing employment has increased by 5.2 percent in the Midwest, while it has gone up by only 2.2 percent in the South.
CHICAGO—Seventy-two percent of small and midsized manufacturers expect their revenues to increase this year. In addition, 56 percent plan to add employees, and 41 percent plan to increase capital expenditures from 2011 levels, according to a new survey from Prime Advantage.
ROLLING MEADOWS, IL—In an another indication of the improving economy, U.S. metal service centers shipped more than 40.7 million tons of steel in 2011, an increase of 14.2 percent compared with 2010.
WASHINGTON—U.S. sales of machine tools totaled $444.06 million in February. That’s a 9 percent increase from January and a 35 percent increase compared with February 2011 sales.
WASHINGTON—U.S. corporations were sitting on $1.24 trillion of cash at the end of 2011. However, recent data indicate firms are finally starting to spend that cash on things that will actually grow the economy.
CHICAGO—Fifty-nine percent of manufacturers expect moderate to high growth from their key customers in 2012, and nearly 95 percent plan to invest in new manufacturing equipment this year, according to a new survey of CFOs at U.S. manufacturing companies.
