John Wolz

Fastener Prices – A 74.3% majority plan to raise prices 6.7% in the next six months.
Raw Material Prices More than 75% of manufacturers expect raw material costs to increase during 2008.
Sales Nearly 60% forecast 2008 sales will be higher than 2007, down from the 69% prediction a year ago for 2007. Only 11.5% anticipate sales will drop.
Profits A 57.5% majority predict higher profits for 2008, while 23.9% expect profits to remain “about the same” and 10.6% are bracing for a drop in profits.
Costs A majority of survey participants are bracing for rising costs, with more than 56% anticipating at least a “moderate” cost increase. Only 26% think costs will remain stable.
Employment – The number of companies planning to add more workers in the coming year rose to 31%, while 53.1% intend to operate with their current number of employees.
Capital Investment A 39.8% majority plans to maintain their current rate of capital spending in 2008, while 30.1% anticipate increases.
Pay Raises – Just over 60% of respondents plan to boost pay an average rate of 3.2%.
Operating Capacity Manufacturers anticipate increasing operating capacity to a level not seen since the 1990s. \ �2008 FastenerNews.com