AEM predicts equipment sales

The construction equipment manufacturing industry expects continued business declines in the United States through year-end 2008 of 8.6 percent, followed by flat growth in 2009 of 0.04 percent, according to the annual “outlook” survey of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

“The overall slowdown of the past year or so, after record expansion, accelerated this fall with a worsening housing market and collapse of major financial institutions in the U.S. The continued financial turmoil is affecting commercial projects as well. While the strength of the global economy has spurred equipment export growth, we now face a slowdown here as well,” stated AEM President Dennis Slater. “This is certainly a challenging and unpredictable time. But we have learned from previous downturns how to operate more efficiently, and we are positioned for a rebound, hopefully as 2009 progresses, and into 2010,” he added. “Government measures to boost infrastructure investment will play a critical role in our industry’s recovery as well as strengthening the U.S. economy overall.”

Sales of concrete and aggregate equipment by year-end 2008 are predicted to decline 8.6 percent for the U.S. while increasing 20.4 percent for worldwide markets. For 2009, sales are expected to increase 4.6 percent in the U.S., and predicted to gain 3.9 percent for worldwide markets. Your comment?