Machine Tool Consumption Up 6.7% to September

September U.S. manufacturing technology consumption was $438.95 million, according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors'Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 21.7% from August, and up 2.9% from the total of $426.39 million reported for September 2006. With a year-to-date total of $3,076.65 million, 2007 was up 6.7% compared with 2006.
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These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program.
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Evidence that manufacturing is alive and well in the U.S. can be seen in September's extraordinary surge in manufacturing technology orders," said John B. Byrd III, AMT president. "It is especially impressive that orders surpassed those placed in September of 2006, when the biennial International Manufacturing Technology Show was held in Chicago, traditionally a peak in order activity.
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The U.S. Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. consumption data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment.  ;
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Analysis of machine tool consumption provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.
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U.S. manufacturing technology consumption is also reported on a regional basis for five geographic breakdowns of the U.S.
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Northeast Region
Manufacturing technology consumption in the Northeast Region in September stood at $46.26 million, down 8.9% when compared with August's $50.77 million and 21.8% less than the total for September a year ago. At $470.54 million, the 2007 year-to-date total was 10.9% higher than the comparable figure for 2006.


Southern Region
Totaling $49.86 million, September manufacturing technology consumption in the Southern Region was 6.3% higher than August's $46.90 million and 19.4% higher than the September 2006 tally. Th e year-to-date total of $401.86 million beats the comparable figure for 2006 by 6.5%.

Midwestern Region
At $206.04 million, Midwestern Region manufacturing technology consumption in September was up 79.8% when compared with August's $114.60 million, and 46.7% higher than the September total last year. Compared with 2006 at the same time, the year-to-date total of $974.16 million represented an 8.7% increase.

Central Region
In September, Central Region manufacturing technology consumption stood at $97.48 million, 3% less than the $100.48 million total for August and 20.5% less than the total for last September. Compared with 2006 at the same time, the year-to-date total of $811.76 million was up 8.6%.


Western Region
At $39.31 million, Western Region manufacturing technology consumption in September fell 17.9% compared with the $47.90 million total for August, and was 37.0% less than in September 2006. The year-to-date total of $418.34 million was 4.4% less than the comparable figure in 2006.