Looking Forward 2014 with Hypercat

As 2013 came to end, there were signs that 2014 might be another good year for America’s manufacturing sector. In December, there were a number of different positive indicators released worth mentioning including:

• 9K net new manufacturing workers in December, fifth straight month of gains

• Narrowing of the trade deficit which included a 2% jump in manufactured goods exported for the first 11^th months of 2013

• 32.5K net gain in fabricated metal products jobs, and 31.7K in transportation equipment in 2013

• Manufacturing PMI average went from 51.5 in the first half of 2013 to 56.3 in the second

Though these are only a few of the many positive statistics from 2013, they are a good representation of what we are hoping to expect from 2014.

As far as trends Hypercat is watching for 2014, perhaps the most important is an even brighter spotlight on reshoring. According to labor stats, America has added 550K new manufacturing jobs since 2011. Combined with rising costs of doing business overseas (including higher salary demands and shipping costs), it is our hope that more companies see the wisdom in embracing the “Made in USA”. While we do purchase and sell on a global level, we also understand and support the Made in America movement.  It is a positive sign that the manufacturing of products rarely made in U.S., like cell phones and other electronics, are shifting to American soil.

Everyone at Hypercat is optimistic for 2014. As the year goes on, we will keep you informed on the progress of manufacturing in the U.S. so please check back every month!