Manufacturing Barometer: Less Pessimism Among Industrial Manufacturers

The latest edition of the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Manufacturing Barometer reports less pessimism among U.S.-based industrial manufacturers over the US and global economies, according to the second quarter report. While a majority of survey respondents continued to view the U.S. and global economies as declining in the second quarter of 2009, their overall outlook through the second quarter of 2010 shows improvement.

In the prior four quarters, an overwhelming majority of respondents viewed the US and world economies as declining. However, the outlook began to shift in Q2 with a 30 point drop to 63% of industrial manufacturing executives maintaining that the US economy is in decline. Similarly, 66% of respondents doing business abroad continued to view the world economy as declining in the second quarter, a marked improvement compared to the first quarter when nearly all (98%) viewed the world economy as declining.

While the majority of industrial manufacturers still believe the US and world economies declined in Q2 2009, the overall outlook for the next 12 months shows improvement -- with the lowest levels of pessimism and the highest levels of optimism seen in the past five quarters for both the US and world economies.

Forty-three percent of respondents are optimistic about the US economy, up 27 points from Q1, and only 18% are pessimistic, down 37 points from the prior quarter. Among those respondents doing business abroad, 43% were optimistic about the world economy, up 31 points from last quarter, and only 18% were pessimistic, which was down significantly from the 58% reported in the first quarter.

The decline in pessimism is promising since it shows increased economic confidence at both a US and global level," said Barry Misthal, partner and industrial manufacturing sector leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Many manufacturing executives still appear to be cautious in terms of identifying a turnaround for the economy, but many more are feeling optimistic than were last quarter. It's still evident we have quite a ways to go, but we are certainly on the right trajectory."

More industrial manufacturers are expecting positive growth than are expecting negative growth over the coming 12 months. In Q2, 43% of respondents are forecasting positive growth rates, up from 34% in the prior quarter. Nearly one-third (32%) are forecasting negative growth over the next year. Overall, the projected average revenue growth for industrial manufacturers over the next 12 months is minus 0.4%, well above the minus 7.9% for calendar year 2009, which is a signal of less pessimism that economic conditions may stabilize.

Although concern about market demand dropped in Q2 from the overwhelming survey high of 95% last quarter, it still remains the chief potential barrier to growth for US manufacturers over the next 12 months, according to 82% of survey respondents. Decreasing profitability is the second highest concern once again, cited by 50% of respondents (down 19 points from last quarter), followed by concern about new taxation policies (43%).

International sales for U.S.-based industrial manufacturers selling abroad showed a slight upturn in Q2 after dropping consecutively for the past four quarters. Nearly one-fourth (24%) of respondents reported an increase in international sales in Q2, compared to 19% in the prior quarter. Additionally, companies reporting a decrease in international sales fell to 47% in Q2 from 60% in the first quarter. Despite this improvement in international sales, the projected contribution of international sales to total revenue over the next 12 months dropped from 36% in Q1 to 30% in Q2, which is the lowest projection reported in the previous four quarters.

Plans for major new investments of capital over the next 12 months rebounded slightly to 27% from last quarter's survey low of 24%. Those respondents planning to make new investments also plan to spend more, with the mean

investment rising to 6.2% of total sales, up from 5.4% last quarter.

Industrial manufacturers planning for M&A activity during the next 12 months grew to 28% in Q2 2009, up 13 points from last quarter. The increased interest in M&A activity was primarily driven by a desire to purchase another business (up 15 points to 25% this quarter). Plans to expand to new markets abroad are also increasing, rising to 27% from 18% last quarter. Forging new strategic alliances also remains of great interest, rising to 30% this quarter.

In the second quarter, the survey found that costs and prices continued to show a net decrease. However, reversing the trend seen in the past four quarters, more respondents this quarter cited increasing costs and prices, and fewer experienced decreasing costs. Only 17% of U.S.-based industrial manufacturers reported higher costs, while 42% reported lower costs. On the pricing side, only 18% raised prices, compared to the 30% that lowered them.

Talent Management
This quarter, the Barometer asked executives about the impact their cost management strategies may be having on their short-term and long-term talent management strategies. Additionally, they were also asked about their efforts to identify, develop and prepare rising talent within their organizations.

Almost all senior executives surveyed (95%) said their organizations executed cost-cutting strategies over the last six months related to talent management. Nearly half (48%) have implemented across-the-board layoffs. But more often, companies relied on job freezes (88%), salary or bonus freezes (88%), and a reduction in contractors (70%) to keep costs in check.

While almost two-thirds (61%) of senior executives believe their workforce is properly aligned to meet their company's key business objectives over the next 12-24 months, the rest of the survey respondents do not appear as confident. More than one-third (36%) think they are aligned only somewhat well and 3% feel they are not well aligned. Though most are confident in their workforce's alignment with company objectives, more than half (52%) of senior executives believe there is a need to fill skill gaps in managerial abilities so that staff are better equipped to lead the organization over the next 12-24 months.

More than three-quarters (77%) of senior executives reported reductions in skill development programs. Despite the cutbacks in skill development programs, half of senior executives believe their training programs are designed to meet the values and expectations of their top talent. But almost one-third (30%) lacked confidence in their program's design, and 16% were not certain.

PricewaterhouseCoopers' Manufacturing Barometer is a quarterly survey based on interviews with 60 senior executives of large, multinational US industrial manufacturing companies about their current business performance, the state of the economy and their expectations for growth over the next 12 months.