Manufacturers Down in End of 2008 FIN Company Performance Index; Distributors Level With 2007

John Wolz

The FIN Company Performance Index slipped to 6.5 for 2008. It had been 6.8 for 2007 and 2006. It was 7.5 at the end of the 2005 and 2004.

Manufacturers dropped to a 6.2 average from 6.8 a year ago, compared with distributors holding steady at 6.7.

In the 15 years of the FIN Index it has ranged from a low of 5.6 at the end of 2001 to a high of 7.9 for 1994.

Despite the decline 11.1% rated their companies at the perfect 10 of record growth and profits up from 8.8% a year ago. One company checked the 1 or “in bankruptcy” rating.

The Index asks FIN Survey participants to rate their company’s current performance from 10 as record growth and profits and 0 as bankruptcy.

A 51.5% majority rated their companies from 5 to 7; 30.5% reported the high end of 8 to 10; and 18.1% the low end of 1 to 4.

More than a third (35.5%) rated their companies below 6, compared with under a quarter (23.9%) a year ago. �2009 FastenerNews.com