Hello.
In this week’s Thomas Index we’re going to take a look at sourcing activity in the first week of January this year, compared to sourcing activity in the first week of January last year.
Specifically, we’re going to look at the ten product or service categories that saw the biggest increase in sourcing activity in early 2018 this year, compared to their activity the same week in 2017.
This comparison will be a good indicator of some of the industry trends to look for this year, as 2018 unfolds.
Sourcing for Prototypes is at the top of the list — up 297 percent over its activity from early last year. We covered an upward trend in sourcing for prototyping in last week’s Thomas Index, and it’s a great sign that new product development is looking strong for 2018.
Next up is sourcing for CNC Machining for Aircraft and Aerospace, up 175 percent over last year.
Following that we have sourcing for Manufacturing Services, up 168%, sourcing for Machinery, up 157%, sourcing for Valves, up 117 percent, and sourcing for Bags, up 109 percent.
Next, sourcing for Bolts is up 82 percent, sourcing for Contract Manufacturing for Medical Devices is up 79 percent, and sourcing for Adhesive Tapes is up 71 percent.
Rounding out this top ten list is Private Label Manufacturing, up 56 percent. We covered a significant upward sourcing trend in Private Label Manufacturing back in August of 2017 and predicted continued strong growth in this category.
Well, that’s what we’re seeing this week.
If you’re interested in getting a free custom report on exactly which buyers are in-market today for the products and services you offer, visit Thomasnet.com/BuyerReport.
Thanks for watching!