U.S. manufacturing remained in expansion territory in August 2026, but new orders and backlogs lost momentum. For maintenance and purchasing teams, however, the bigger signal may be what did not improve: supplier deliveries slowed further, raw-material prices remained elevated, and key industrial inputs continued to be reported in short supply. Quick Take Source: Institute for Supply … Read more
U.S. factory orders declined in June, but the headline masks a materially different pattern inside the machinery sector. The U.S. Census Bureau reported on August 4 that total manufactured-goods orders fell 0.3 percent to $656.5 billion. Machinery new orders, however, increased 0.3 percent to $43.9 billion, machinery shipments rose 1.8 percent to $42.2 billion, and … Read more
U.S. manufacturing activity accelerated sharply in July, but the same data that point to stronger production also expose a more difficult operating environment for maintenance, reliability and MRO teams. The Institute for Supply Management’s July 2026 Manufacturing PMI report, released August 3, placed the headline index at 55.6 percent—2.3 percentage points above June and its … Read more