Year-End Workholding Shipments are down from 2007 levels.

Press Release Summary:



At $245 million for 2008, shipments of workholding equipment from U.S. were down 5.7% from 2007 according to Advanced Workholding Technology Group of AMT. Workholding equipment shipments within U.S. by companies participating in statistical report totaled $211 million while exports amounted to $34 million. Fourth quarter 2008 shipments were also down over 3rd quarter 2008. Companies reported $57.1 million in shipments, a decline of 5.2% from last quarter.



Original Press Release:



Year-End Workholding Shipments Down From 2007 Levels



At $245 million for 2008, shipments of workholding equipment from the United States were down 5.7 percent from 2007 according to the Advanced Workholding Technology (AWT) Group of AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. Workholding equipment shipments within the United States by the companies participating in the AWT statistical report totaled $211 million while exports amounted to $34 million.

Fourth quarter 2008 shipments of workholding equipment from the United States were also down over third quarter 2008. The 34 companies participating reported $57.1 million in shipments, a decline of 5.2 percent from the last quarter. Domestic shipments declined 0.3 percent to $50.3 million while exports declined 30.5 percent to $6.8 million. Exports in the third quarter were unusually high, making the slide to a weak fourth quarter especially sharp.

For 2008, the Midwest remained the largest domestic destination with 43 percent of total domestic shipments going to that region. The Central region accounted for 18 percent, the South 15 percent, the Northeast 14 percent, and the West 11 percent. Additionally, 2008 employment levels were up 0.2 from 2007.

The Advanced Workholding Technology Group is comprised of AMT members who produce chucks, jaws, collets, vises, fixtures, and other workholding equipment. The AWT operates as a forum to serve the interests of U.S. manufacturers of workholding equipment. The overriding goal of the AWT is to develop ways to better serve the workholding customer, and to implement programs to help the workholding community in this endeavor. While AWT members must be members of AMT, any OEM workholding manufacturer or U.S.-based company that is a sole distributor of a foreign-built workholding product line may participate in the AWT statistical program.

The Workholding Market Data Report is the only accurate, timely source of detailed statistics on workholding equipment for marketing and planning purposes. There is no cost to participate. The only obligation is to complete the simple survey form each month. Absolute confidentiality is guaranteed.

For more information, contact Kim Brown, Industry Economist, at 703-827-5223 or kbrown@AMTonline.org. For more information about the AWT and its efforts to promote the workholding industry in the United States, please call Malcolm Mason, Business Development Director, at 703-827-5216 or msmason@AMTonline.org.

Contacts:

Malcolm Mason, Business Development Director, 703-827-5216, e-mail: msmason@AMTonline.org

Kim Brown, Industry Economist, 703-827-5223, e-mail: kbrown@AMTonline.org

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