Latest AMTDA report shows strong growth in manufacturing technology consumption

April U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $281.54 million, according to the latest report released June 11 from the Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors Association (AMTDA). This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was down 27.2 percent from March, but up 2.2 percent from the total of $275.43 million reported for April 2006. With a year-to-date total of $1,259.09 million, 2007 was up 8.7 percent compared with 2006.

“Strength in the oil field and auto sectors has brought increased demand in the Central region of the country,” said John B. Byrd III, president of the Association for Manufacturing Technology. “Through April this region has the greatest increase in consumption, bringing it into a tie with the traditional leader, the Midwest region.”

Reports from the five geographic regions are as follows:

The Northeast Region’s April manufacturing technology consumption stood at $44.27 million, 20.6 percent less than the $55.72 million tallied in March and 0.6 percent less than the total for April a year ago. However, with a YTD total of $197.58 million, 2007 was running 11.9 percent ahead of 2006 for the same time period.

The Southern Region reported manufacturing technology consumption of $37.12 million, 17.6 percent less than March’s $45.06 million, but 8.8 percent more than the April 2006 total. The YTD tally of $153.60 million was 7.0 percent less than the comparable figure in 2006.

Typically leading the pack, the Midwest Region stood at $81.28 million in manufacturing technology consumption in April, down 31.0 percent when compared with the $117.79 million total for March, but up 17.0 percent when compared with last April. With a YTD total of $241.76 million, 2007 was 1.8 percent ahead of 2006 for the same time period.

Central Region manufacturing technology consumption in April was $77.40 million, 25.7 percent less than the $104.21 million tallied in March and down 4.4 percent when compared with April a year ago. At $351.87 million, the YTD total was 20.0 percent higher than at the same time in 2006.

Manufacturing technology consumption in the Western Region in April totaled $41.48 million, 34.9 percent less than the $63.70 million total for March and 10.5 percent less than the April 2006 total. The YTD total of $204.28 million was up 14.9 percent when compared with last yeat at the same time.