Economic Reports

The Quarterly Business Indicator March 2020, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines packaging and processing investment trends and industry outlooks across six sectors, drawing on OEM and end-user survey responses and macroeconomic sources such as PMI and retail data. The analysis indicates three focus areas: investment alignment and demand forecasting, including OEM–end-user gaps and planned projects; sector benchmarking and growth comparisons, such as foods, beverages and durables; and macro-operational signals around lead times, labor and price pressures. Charts highlight emerging patterns that tend to favor equipment investment if current conditions persist. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments heading into 2021.

November 2019 Quarterly Business Indicator, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines Q3 2019 investment trends and market signals across packaging and processing sectors using OEM and end-user surveys alongside ISM, Conference Board and labor and price data. Key focus areas include investment alignment and OEM–end-user demand dynamics, industry outlooks and planned projects including beverage, personal care and durables, and macroeconomic and supply‑chain indicators from lead times to input prices. The analysis indicates divergence in reported new-order pacing, and emerging patterns show broad expansion that varies by sector; charts highlight these gaps and anticipated equipment priorities. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

2019 State of the Industry: US Packaging Machinery Report, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines U.S. production, shipments and market segmentation using 2014–2018 base‑year data, IHS Markit and U.S. Census inputs and projects trends to 2024. The analysis centers on market segmentation and benchmark growth; machinery categories and technology adoption, including labeling and coding, form‑fill‑seal and inspection systems; regulatory traceability and serialization alongside sustainability; and operational resilience through modular lines, automation and workforce capability. Emerging patterns indicate increasing demand for flexibility, thinner materials and higher automation, and charts highlight cross‑sector shifts and customer‑type mix. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Quarterly Business Indicator — August 2019, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines OEM and end-user investment trends using survey data and public economic indicators through Q2 2019. Drawing on surveys and series such as ISM, retail sales and employment, it highlights three focus areas: market alignment and investment planning (OEM versus end-user orders and planned projects); industry benchmarking and momentum (pharmaceuticals, foods, beverages and durables); and macro signals shaping capital deployment (PMI, lead times, price indices). The analysis indicates OEMs tend to under-index versus end users on new orders and that industries generally show varied project pipelines; charts highlight these divergences. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

May 2019 Quarterly Business Indicator, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines quarter-to-quarter shifts in packaging and processing investment sentiment using PMMI Purchasing Indexes and public economic series from ISM, the Conference Board and BLS. The analysis indicates mixed industry dynamics and investment intent, with focus areas on market performance and outlook (outperformance in Pharmaceuticals/Medical Devices versus stagnation in Beverages), investment planning and project execution (planned projects and OEM–end user alignment), and macro and supply-chain indicators (PMI, lead times, import/export prices). Charts highlight comparative benchmarks and emerging patterns that tend to inform near-term capital decisions. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing equipment investment to navigate near-term economic shifts.

Quarterly Business Indicator, February 2019, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines investment trends and market signals for packaging and processing by synthesizing OEM and end‑user survey responses, industry benchmarks and macroeconomic indicators. Covering Q4 2018 with forward expectations for 2019–2020, the analysis indicates alignment in total market new orders alongside industry divergences from foods and beverage to durables and pharmaceuticals. Focus areas include investment alignment and project planning, industry performance benchmarking, and macro drivers like retail sales, ISM PMI and capacity utilization; charts highlight comparative trends and emerging patterns that generally show cautious but positive investment momentum. Download the full report to see where leaders prioritize capital and capability investments to strengthen operational resilience.

December 2018 PMMI Quarterly Business Indicator, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines Q3 2018 survey responses and leading economic data to assess packaging and processing investment activity. The analysis synthesizes OEM and end-user Purchasing Index inputs, macroeconomic indicators and industry benchmarks across key time frames, with focus areas on industry performance and project execution (planned projects and on-track delivery), workforce and knowledge capture, and digital-tool adoption and capital-allocation strategies. Emerging patterns indicate end-user optimism tends to outpace OEM order realization, while charts highlight industry-specific resilience in Foods, Chemicals and Beverage. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Quarterly Economic Outlook: Planning for 4th Quarter 2018, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industrial production and business‑cycle dynamics using data through mid‑2018 and forward-looking indicators to frame forecasts into 2019–2020. The analysis synthesizes national and regional production indexes and leading indicators, providing benchmark comparisons across sectors; focus areas include business-cycle and demand forecasting, sectoral production and regional risks, and operational readiness—workforce development and retention, knowledge capture and documentation, and digital-tool adoption and version control—to guide capacity and pricing decisions. Charts highlight emerging patterns by industry, and the analysis indicates firms generally tend to prioritize agility over scale. The report reveals where manufacturers are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

2018 State of the Industry: US Packaging Machinery Report, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines market size and trajectories using a 2017 base year and supplier questionnaires and IHS Markit and US Census Bureau data to project trends through 2023. The analysis indicates focus areas: market sizing and machinery-category performance, including the rise of multi‑function form‑fill‑seal systems; sector and regulation‑driven demand such as labeling/serialization and pressures in food and pharmaceuticals; and operational priorities around automation, flexibility and sustainability, from robotics to recyclable materials. Charts highlight order backlog, import/export and customer-mix patterns, and emerging patterns show where investment priorities tend to fall. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen resilience.

Quarterly Business Indicator — August 2018, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industry investment sentiment and near‑term equipment activity across packaging and processing sectors using Q2 2018 survey responses from OEMs and end users alongside macroeconomic indicators and economic forecasts. Key focus areas include alignment of OEM and end‑user expectations and project execution, industry-specific outlooks and planned 2019 equipment investments, and macroeconomic signals with recommended management objectives by growth phase. The analysis indicates emerging gaps in expectations across certain industries and that sectors such as foods, personal care and pharmaceuticals tend to show stronger planning; charts highlight these comparative trends. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen resilience.

Quarterly Economic Outlook: Planning for 3rd Quarter 2018, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines industrial production trends and business-cycle timing across sectors and regions. Drawing on national and international indicators through early 2018—including Federal Reserve revisions, purchasing-manager series, and capacity-utilization data—the analysis provides comparative benchmarks and short-term forecasts. Focus areas include sectoral production outlooks and supply-chain readiness such as pharmaceuticals and food, leading indicators and phase-based management objectives, and operational priorities like workforce retention, knowledge capture, and digital-tool adoption. Emerging patterns indicate moderating growth and regional divergence; charts highlight risks from trade and consumer demand. The report reveals where executives are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

April 2018 Quarterly Business Indicator, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines market signals and investment intentions across CPG and packaging machinery sectors using OEM and end‑user survey responses, macroeconomic indicators and leading economic indexes through Q1 2018. Focus areas include capital investment planning and pacing, capacity utilization and production constraints, and digital resilience—grouping workforce development and retention, knowledge capture, and technology adoption. The analysis indicates industries tend to prioritize flexibility while benchmarking investments against diffusion indexes; charts highlight alignment and divergence between OEM orders and end‑user expectations, including durable goods orders and PMI trends. Download the full report to see where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Quarterly Economic Outlook: Planning for 2nd Quarter 2018, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines macro and industry production trends using leading indicators and sector data through late 2017 into early 2018. The analysis indicates business-cycle timing and capital-planning implications across three focus areas: management objectives and capex guidance; sector production and supply-chain readiness such as food and chemicals; and workforce and operational preparedness including hiring and training. Charts highlight regional benchmarks from the US to Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia, and emerging patterns show growth peaking mid‑2018 before slowing, suggesting prudent budgeting and selective investment. The report reveals where operations and supply‑chain leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Q1 2018 PMMI Quarterly Business Indicator, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines market trends and investment expectations across packaging and processing sectors using OEM and end‑user surveys combined with macroeconomic and industry data. The analysis indicates three focus areas: investment outlook and cross‑industry performance, project execution and alignment between OEMs and end users, and macroeconomic benchmarking and capacity planning; examples include forward-looking expectations for 2019, Q4 2017 order sentiment, and management objectives by growth phase. Charts highlight quarter-to-quarter shifts and comparative benchmarks, and emerging patterns generally show where risks and opportunities cluster. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Quarterly Economic Outlook: Planning for 1st Quarter 2018, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines macroeconomic and industry trends using ITR Economics leading indicators and production indexes to benchmark activity across the US and key regions. Focus areas include macro and sector outlook, covering industrial production and regional comparisons such as Canada and Southeast Asia; operational resilience, including supply‑chain readiness, vendor evaluation and capacity and inventory planning; workforce and talent, such as training, retention and competitive compensation; and strategic positioning, from new‑product timing to pricing. Analysis indicates emerging patterns in cyclical phases and supply pressures, and charts highlight trajectories. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

How's Business: 4th Quarter 2017, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines manufacturing and macroeconomic indicators across Q3-Q4 2017 using PMMI surveys alongside ISM/PMI, BLS and federal data to benchmark activity. Focus areas include business conditions and order flows, workforce dynamics and recruiting challenges, pricing and inflation signals, and investment/productivity trends tied to capital goods and shipments. The analysis indicates modest softening in new orders and shipments while employment and capacity measures generally show resilience; charts highlight regional and sectoral contrasts as well as trade and sentiment context. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

U.S. Packaging Machinery Purchasing Index, 4th Quarter 2017, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines near-term spending intentions and project schedules across U.S. packaging machinery end users based on a July–August 2017 survey of industry decision-makers. The analysis indicates a generally positive but moderating investment outlook, with segment contrasts—food, beverage and pharmaceutical versus chemicals and durables—to inform benchmarks. Focus areas include investment outlook and segment benchmarking; project scheduling and capital-allocation trends; and operational priorities such as maintenance and technology adoption like automation and digital tools. Charts highlight that respondents tend to maintain scheduled projects while business conditions influence 2018 purchasing decisions. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

Quarterly Economic Outlook: Planning for 4th Quarter 2017, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines near-term macro and industry dynamics using leading indicators, production indexes, and regional benchmarks across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Focus areas include macroeconomic and business-cycle phase analysis; sector production and capacity trends such as food, chemicals, and durables; and operational priorities spanning workforce availability and retention, capital-equipment timing, and supply-chain responsiveness. The analysis indicates activity generally rises into early 2018 while some sectors tend to slow thereafter; charts highlight comparative trajectories and benchmark context. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

2017 State of the Industry: US Packaging Machinery Report, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines market dynamics and technology adoption across the US packaging machinery sector using 2016 baseline data, supplier questionnaires and public trade statistics to benchmark performance through a 2016–2022 forecast. Focus areas include market segmentation and demand drivers such as machinery groups, customer mix and import/export/backlog trends; operational resilience and workforce imperatives including aging talent, knowledge capture and hygienic cleaning (CIP) practices; and technology and compliance, from serialization and traceability to smart‑manufacturing and interoperability standards. The analysis indicates trade‑offs between CapEx and OpEx and emerging patterns in investment priorities. The report reveals where engineering teams are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.

U.S. Packaging Machinery Purchasing Index — 3rd Quarter 2017, published by PMMI – The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, examines end-user investment intentions and project scheduling across major U.S. market segments. Based on an online July–August 2017 survey of end users, the analysis indicates a generally positive but moderating spending outlook, with segment benchmarks showing varied momentum. Focus areas include spending outlook and project timing (maintained versus delayed), segment comparisons from pharmaceuticals to beverages and chemicals, and the influence of current business conditions on 2018 purchasing priorities, while charts highlight where scheduled projects tend to be preserved or shifted. The report reveals where packaging and processing leaders are prioritizing investments to strengthen operational resilience.