MCLEAN, VA, April 14-February U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $308.50 million, according to AMT, the Association for Manufacturing Technology, and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was down 4.0% from January, but up 4.4% from the total of $295.39 million reported for February 2007. With a year-to-date total of $624.28 million, 2008 is up 1.2% compared with 2007.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the United States Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) program.

“Industry forecasters called for a first-half downturn in manufacturing technology orders,” says John B. Byrd III, AMT president. “The economic stimulus package has kept orders from falling in the first quarter, but the full impact of the package won’t be realized until the fourth quarter."