PTDA trend data for May shows declines

Industrial Distribution staff -- Industrial Distribution, 7/9/2008 9:45:00 AM

Sales by U.S. distributors of power transmission/motion control products declined 7.2 percent in May 2008 compared to April 2008, according to the May 2008 trend data for distributors and manufacturers of PT/MC products, released by the Power Transmission Distributors Assn.

Sales were up one percent over May, 2007. However, the confidence index of U.S. distributors was 5.6 in May—down from 5.8 in April (on a 10-point scale), marking the first decline since February 2007.

Sales by U.S. manufacturers increased in from April to May by 0.9 percent, representing a 3.8 percent increase from the same period a year ago. The confidence level of U.S. manufacturers rose 0.3 in May 2008 to 5.4.

Canada’s numbers also reflected a decline as distributors’ sales were down 5.4 percent in May. The confidence level of Canadian distributors in May held steady for the fourth month in a row at 5.7.

Canadian manufacturer’s sales declined in May by 10.3 percent. Sales were down 11.1 percent when compared to the same period last year.  The confidence level of Canadian manufacturers decreased 0.1 to 4.9 (on a 10-point scale) from April 2008 to May 2008.  This was the first time the confidence level has fallen below 5.0 since January 2003.

Four categories for U.S. manufacturers—variable speed drives, clutches & brakes, unmounted bearings and positioning systems/ linear motion products—posted sales gains. For Canadian manufacturers, three product lines saw increases—variable speed drives, shaft couplings, clutches and brakes.