Manufacturing Technology Orders Drop in January

March 13, 2012
Though Dipping From the Rise That Orders Saw in December, the Latest Numbers From the USMTO Report Are Up More Than 8% Year Over Year

U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $401.69 million in January, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report from the Assn. for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). The number reflects a 26.5% drop from December, but is up 8.4% over January 2011.

“January’s increase in manufacturing technology orders over 2011 is great in light of lower forecasts by experts,” said Douglas Woods, AMT’s president. “I think the continued growth highlights manufacturers’ increasing confidence in future growth and that their bottom lines are being channeled into investments in advanced manufacturing technologies.”

Taking a closer look at U.S. regions, the USMTO report noted that the Central region was the only part of the country to see an increase from December to January, rising 11.6% to $128.3 million. This number stands 16.1% higher than January 2011.

The South was hardest hit in January, falling 62.1% from December to $35.57 million. This total is also down 33.6% year over year. The Western region also saw a dip from 2011 numbers, falling 7% year over year and 24.1% from December. The Northeast dropped 43.2% from December, but increased 12.5% from January 2011, AMT reported.