Survey finds U.S. manufacturers optimistic despite challenges

Eight out of 10 U.S. manufacturers expect to grow sales this year, buoyed by their optimism about the strength of regional, national, and global economies, according to the “2019 National Manufacturing Survey Report” prepared by Leading Edge Alliance (LEA), a Chicago-based association of 220 accounting and consulting firms.

"Across the board, manufacturers are optimistic about the regional economy, sector growth, and increasing revenue expectations in 2019," the report states. "Looking ahead, manufacturers expect raw materials, labor costs, lack of available talent, and competition to be significant hurdles in 2019. The tariffs implemented by President Trump provide productivity issues; however, an increase in spending on Big Data and business intelligence are delivering innovative technology for minimizing productivity concerns."

More than 350 manufacturing executives participated in the survey, which includes respondents involved in industrial/machining; transportation/automotive; construction; and food and beverage.

According to the report:

• Eighty-one percent of manufacturers expect their revenue to increase in 2019, and 61 percent expect their overall sector to expand in 2019.
• Optimism for the regional and national economies has increased by more than 12 percentage points over the last two years.
• Manufacturers' top three priorities are growing sales, improving profitability, and addressing the workforce shortage.
• Fifty-two percent of manufacturers cited labor/talent as their greatest barrier to growth, followed by competition (34 percent) and profitability (25 percent).
• Seventy-six percent plan to investigate/prioritize cybersecurity in 2019, and 43 percent said they will prioritize Big Data/ERP/IoT.
• Twenty-one percent expect to acquire another business in 2019, and 16 percent are in the preplanning stage of a merger or acquisition.