PMMI’s quarterly How's Business report, gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, and general business conditions. The report contains several indexes that give the current state of manufacturing, including the ISM Report on Business, the Consumer Price Index, and the Producer Price Index. Together, these give members our most up-to-date information on how the industry is doing right now.
2nd Quarter 2026 How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in July 2026, examines quarterly member survey responses and macroeconomic indicators to assess industry conditions. Drawing on PMMI surveys, the tariffs quickie survey and measures such as PMI, CPI and PPI, the analysis indicates notable shifts in demand and orders. Key focus areas include demand signals and backlog dynamics, including new orders and quotations; financial health and receivables, such as late payments and liquidity; and supply chain resilience and trade impacts, from disruptions to tariffs. Emerging patterns show modest expansion amid volatility, and charts highlight relative performance versus quarters; download the full report to see where companies are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
1st Quarter 2026 How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines quarterly member survey data and public economic benchmarks to assess manufacturing activity and near‑term outlook. Drawing on PMMI’s How’s Business survey alongside ISM PMI and BLS CPI/PPI indicators, the analysis indicates cooling demand and shifts in working capital, with focus areas around demand and backlog, including new orders, quotations and late payments; supply‑chain and tariff impacts; and macro benchmarks and outlook. Emerging patterns generally show elevated payment risk and supply volatility that influence operational planning, and charts highlight comparative quarter‑over‑quarter trends. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
How’s Business: 4th Quarter 2025, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in January 2026, examines macro and member-sourced indicators from late 2024 through Q4 2025 using PMMI’s How’s Business and Quickie surveys alongside public economic series such as PMI, CPI and PPI. The analysis indicates strengthening demand and growing backlog, while focus areas highlight demand dynamics and backlog management, supply-chain resilience and tariff impacts on procurement and pricing, and cash-flow pressures tied to late payments; charts highlight quarter-over-quarter movements and benchmark comparisons around neutral index thresholds. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
How’s Business: 3rd Quarter 2025, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines current business conditions for packaging and processing equipment suppliers using quarterly survey data from late 2024 through Q3 2025 . The analysis highlights evolving demand signals from new orders and quotation activity, shifting backlog patterns, and ongoing pressures tied to late payments and supply chain reliability. Emerging patterns indicate mixed but stabilizing operating conditions, with charts showing modest easing in disruptions and heightened sensitivity to tariff-driven cost changes. Broader manufacturing indicators such as PMI, CPI, and producer pricing trends provide context for member sentiment, offering a view into how macroeconomic dynamics may shape near-term planning. The report reveals how industry leaders are interpreting these signals to navigate a cooling yet resilient market environment.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, late payments, backlog, and general business conditions.
How’s Business: 2nd Quarter 2025, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines near-term conditions shaping packaging and processing markets across mid-2024 through mid-2025 . The analysis highlights how new orders, quoting activity, late payments, backlog levels, and supply chain pressures are shifting amid geopolitical uncertainty and tariff-driven cost dynamics. Charts and trendlines indicate generally steady demand paired with softening growth rates, tightening cash-flow conditions, and re-emerging sourcing disruptions. Broader manufacturing indicators—including PMI readings, CPI and PPI movements, and a three-year U.S. macro outlook—provide comparative context for understanding where investment sentiment is stabilizing or slowing. The report reveals where machinery builders and CPGs are adapting to evolving market pressures and planning for the next phase of recovery.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, late payments, backlog, and general business conditions.
1st Quarter 2025 How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines manufacturing and packaging sector dynamics in Q1 2025 using PMMI’s How’s Business Survey alongside public macroeconomic sources such as the ISM PMI, CPI and PPI. The analysis indicates areas of focus around demand and order momentum, financial health and payment timeliness, and supply-chain resilience, grouping related concerns such as new orders, quotation activity and backlog together with late payments and disruption trends. Emerging patterns show muted but stabilizing growth compared against recent quarters and trade-policy uncertainty shaping near-term decisions; charts highlight comparative benchmarks and trend trajectories. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, late payments, backlog, and general business conditions.
How’s Business: 4th Quarter 2024, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry momentum and conditions across demand, supply and financial health using PMMI’s survey and macro indicators. The analysis, covering Q4 2024, indicates improving order momentum and quotation activity, while pressure remains in late payments and backlog and supply‑chain disruptions generally ease. Focus areas include demand and backlog, including new orders and quotations; working capital and receivables, including late payments and terms; and supply‑chain resilience, including supplier risk and lead times. The report synthesizes survey results with industry indices such as PMI, CPI and PPI, and charts highlight comparative benchmarks and emerging patterns. The report reveals where engineers are prioritizing investments to strengthen resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, late payments, backlog, and general business conditions.
How's Business: 3rd Quarter 2024, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry conditions from Q4 2023 through Q3 2024 using PMMI member survey data alongside public indicators such as the ISM PMI and the Consumer Price Index. The analysis centers on three focus areas: demand and backlog (new orders and quotations), liquidity and payment trends (late payments and cash flow), and operational resilience (supply chain disruptions and capacity). Emerging patterns indicate new orders have contracted while quotation activity tends to rise, late payments generally show expansion, and supply chain frictions have eased; charts highlight quarter-over-quarter shifts and benchmark comparisons. The report reveals where industry leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, late payments, backlog, and general business conditions.
How’s Business: 2nd Quarter 2024, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry conditions from Q3 2023 through Q2 2024 using PMMI member survey data alongside public economic indicators such as the ISM PMI, CPI and PPI. The analysis indicates softening demand and shrinking backlogs contrasted with rising proposal activity, while late payments and improved supply‑chain stability reflect changing financial and procurement dynamics; focus areas include demand and capacity management, cash‑flow and receivables, and supply‑chain resilience and digital readiness, with comparisons to the neutral 50‑point benchmark and broader macro outlook. Charts highlight these patterns and emerging operational priorities. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, late payments, backlog, and general business conditions.
How’s Business: 1st Quarter 2024, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines quarter-over-quarter activity from Q2 2023 to Q1 2024 using PMMI member survey data alongside macro indicators such as the ISM Manufacturing PMI, Consumer Price Index, and Producer Price Index. Focus areas include demand indicators and backlog dynamics, supply-chain disruptions and payment timeliness, and pricing and macro outlook that influence capital allocation. The analysis indicates new orders and backlog generally trend below midpoints while quotations and late payment patterns tend to show stability or easing, and charts highlight declining supply-chain disruptions relative to recent quarters. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, late payments, backlog, and general business conditions.
4th Quarter 2023 How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry momentum across Q1–Q4 2023 using PMMI member surveys alongside macroeconomic indicators such as the PMI, CPI, and PPI. The analysis indicates shifting demand and operational pressures and groups findings into focus areas: order and backlog dynamics, from new orders to backlog; cash-flow and payment behavior, such as late payments; and supply-chain resilience and digital-tool adoption. Emerging patterns generally show contracting new orders but improving quotation activity, declining supply-chain disruptions, and mixed signals for backlog and payments, while charts highlight trends benchmarked against index midpoints and macro indicators. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, backlog, and general business conditions.
3rd Quarter 2023 PMMI Quarterly How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines market indicators and member survey responses spanning Q4 2022 through Q3 2023 to assess near-term performance and outlook. Drawing on PMMI’s member survey alongside macroeconomic data from ISM and BLS and a multi-year industry outlook, the analysis indicates shifts across operational focus areas—order activity and proposal pipelines, working-capital pressures such as late payments and backlog, and supply-chain resilience—where patterns tend to vary by segment. Charts highlight comparative benchmarks and historical trends, and the report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, lead time, cash flow, and general business conditions.
2nd Quarter 2023 How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines Q2 2023 market dynamics using PMMI member survey data alongside macroeconomic indicators and industry benchmarks such as PMI, CPI, and the Producer Price Index. The analysis indicates shifting demand and order patterns and groups findings into focus areas: demand and backlog management including new orders and quotations; operational resilience and supply-chain performance such as lead times, shipments, and disruptions; and financial health and payment trends including late payments and price pressures. Charts highlight comparative trends across recent quarters and benchmarks, and emerging patterns generally show where leaders are adjusting priorities. The report reveals where packaging leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, lead time, cash flow and general business conditions.
June 2023 PMMI Monthly How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines market activity and operational trends across the packaging and processing sector using PMMI’s How’s Business Survey alongside public macroeconomic indicators through June 2023. Focus areas include demand and order flow (new orders, quotations, backlog, shipments), supply-chain and lead-time dynamics (lead times, component disruptions), and financial pressures and pricing (late payments, CPI/PPI context), with comparative benchmarking to PMI and a three-year outlook. The analysis indicates varying expansion and contraction patterns across equipment segments such as primary, secondary, and end-of-line, and charts highlight evolving risk concentrations. The report reveals which segments and operational levers leaders are monitoring to navigate near-term headwinds.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, lead time, cash flow and general business conditions.
How’s Business (May 2023), published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines monthly industry conditions using PMMI member survey responses alongside public economic indicators and benchmark indices from the same quarter. The analysis focuses on demand and order trends, including new orders, quotations, and shipments; operational pressures and cash flow, such as lead times, backlog, and late payments; and macroeconomic benchmarks like PMI, CPI, and PPI to provide comparative context. Emerging patterns indicate pockets of contraction amid selective expansion across equipment types, and charts highlight persistent supply‑chain frictions that tend to influence delivery and payment dynamics. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in April 2023, examines recent survey responses and public economic indicators to assess near-term trends in the packaging and processing equipment sector. Drawing on quarterly member surveys, industry indices and benchmark comparisons against the midpoint index, the analysis indicates shifting order flows and capacity pressures, liquidity and receivables dynamics, and evolving supply‑chain resilience and fulfillment priorities. Focus areas cluster around order flow and capacity planning (new orders, lead times, backlog), cash‑flow and payments (quotations, late payments), and supply‑chain disruption and shipments; charts highlight month‑over‑month shifts and relative benchmarks. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
How’s Business: March 2023, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines month-over-month industry conditions using member survey data alongside public economic indicators such as the ISM PMI, CPI and PPI. The analysis frames three focus areas: demand and order health, including new orders, quotations and backlog; operational constraints and cash flow, such as lead times, supply-chain disruption and late payments; and macroeconomic benchmarking, showing patterns that generally indicate modest expansion in some segments while constraints persist in others. Charts highlight comparative trends versus historical midpoints and the analysis indicates where firms are prioritizing resilience investments and operational adjustments. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
How’s Business, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in April 2023, examines industry operating conditions across February 2023 and recent months using PMMI member survey data alongside public indicators such as the ISM PMI, CPI and PPI and forward-looking outlooks. Focus areas include market activity and order flow (new orders and quotations), operational constraints and lead times, financial pressures including late payments and backlog, and supply-chain disruption and resilience. The analysis indicates activity generally hovers near expansion midpoints, emerging patterns show easing lead times but persistent segment-level disruption, and charts highlight cross‑segment divergence. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
How’s Business: January 2023, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry trends using member survey responses and public indicators such as the ISM Manufacturing PMI and Consumer Price Index across recent quarters and quarter-over-quarter benchmarks. The analysis focuses on market activity and demand signals (new orders and quotations/proposal activity), operational pressures (lead times, supply chain disruptions and delivery performance), and financial and workforce dynamics (cash flow and labor shortages), and generally indicates persistent disruptions that tend to compress lead times and influence quoting behavior. Charts highlight comparative indexes and emerging patterns across segments. The report reveals where manufacturing and engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
PMMI's How's Business, which gives members benchmarking data on new orders, quotations, lead time, cash flow and general business conditions.
How’s Business: December 2022, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines late‑2022 manufacturing and packaging trends using PMMI member survey responses alongside ISM PMI, CPI measures, and macro outlooks to benchmark sector performance. Focus areas include supply‑chain disruptions and resiliency, demand and cash‑flow dynamics (including new orders, lead times and cash flow), and workforce and operational continuity with companion themes of digital‑tool adoption and nearshoring to support knowledge capture and version control. The analysis indicates firms tend to prioritize buffer strategies and selective technology investment, while charts highlight comparative trends across cohorts; emerging patterns show incremental recovery signals. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.
