FMA releases "Q1 2015 Forming & Fabricating Job Shop Consumption Report"

The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA), Rockford, Ill., has released its "1st Quarter 2015 Forming & Fabricating Job Shop Consumption Report"—one of the most complete tools available for forecasting activity in the heart of the manufacturing cycle.

According to the report, the level of capacity utilization for small and midsize metal fabricators is lower than the national norm by about 10 points. Of those participating in the survey, 78 percent indicate that their usage and new orders are either stable or increasing, while 22 percent report that usage and orders are decreasing.

Employment is stable or increasing, with 85 percent of respondents falling into one of these two categories. Fifteen percent of those surveyed reported decreased employment. Many companies report they are struggling to find appropriate workers.

The stable or falling prices of steel and aluminum have been a boon for many manufacturing companies. Only 19 percent of respondents have seen prices rise, and those seem to be mostly in the aluminum area.

Most respondents report that logistics costs are stable and relatively high. Twenty-seven percent of companies have seen costs rise, while just 4 percent have seen decreases in costs.

According to the report, 53 percent of respondents are on track with plans for capital investment. For 23 percent of companies, though, capital investment plans have been postponed indefinitely.