Orders of manufacturing technology in August reached the third-highest monthly total ever recorded, the Association for Manufacturing Technology reported this week.
New orders of metalworking machinery came to $732.9 million in August, while total manufacturing technology orders were 21% above July and up 36.3% year over year, AMT said. Manufacturing technology orders have totaled $4.76 billion so far this year, a 36.9% increase in orders over the first eight months of 2025.
The industry has now seen six consecutive months of manufacturing technology orders exceeding $500 million, marking the industry’s longest streak tracked by AMT. The aerospace sector has accounted for a growing share of total orders since before the current expansion began in September 2024 because of its need for expensive machinery, AMT said.
During that period, order values have grown nearly three times faster than the number of units ordered. Part of this trend is due to manufacturers purchasing new equipment with more automation technology.
Original equipment manufacturers have been largely responsible for the current expansion in manufacturing technology orders because they “generally have a greater appetite for automated machinery than job shops,” according to AMT.
The group noted that the August peak in orders came one month before the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago.
“If IMTS 2024 is remembered as the beginning of the current expansion, IMTS 2026 may be remembered as the point where contract machine shop orders began to lead the market,” AMT said, noting that growth in orders from contract machine shops exceed overall market growth in August.
“If the resurgent demand for manufacturing technology from job shops marks the beginning of a sustained trend, order activity for the remainder of the year could exceed expectations.”
Facility announcements
Several manufacturers announced workforce and facility investments this week including Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Avid Organics, M.C. Dean and Cube Packaging.
Caterpillar
Caterpillar will spend up to $10 million on workforce development in North Carolina as part of its five-year, $100 million Building the Future Workforce Initiative, the company announced Oct. 15. The funding aims to prepare current and future workers for jobs in modern manufacturing and industry technician roles, according to the company.
“Investing in people is essential to building the workforce advanced manufacturing will need for the future," Christy Pambianchi, Caterpillar's chief human resources officer, said in a statement. "North Carolina's growth creates an opportunity to help more people build the skills they need for careers in manufacturing and strengthen the workforce that will support the industry for years to come.”
The company called North Carolina a “critical manufacturing hub” where it employs more than 3,600 people and has a large dealer network and 325 suppliers.
“North Carolina is home to the largest manufacturing workforce in the Southeast, and Caterpillar recognizes what our state brings to the table,” Gov. Josh Stein said in a statement.
The company recently announced plans to invest about $1 billion to build a manufacturing facility in Sanford, North Carolina, allowing it to expand production of compact construction equipment for small contractors and growing businesses.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hewlett Packard Enterprise plans to invest $75 million over the next five years to expand its operations in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, Gov. Tony Evers announced Oct. 15. The expansion will include additional testing, warehousing and manufacturing capabilities.
The investment will create 75 high-skill jobs in the area and support growing demand for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing solutions, Evers said. The company currently employs nearly 500 people.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation authorized up to $5.1 million in tax credits to support the project. It also authorized a separate $8 million tax incentive agreement in 2021.
Other investments
Additional investments announced this week include:
- Avid Organics Private Ltd. announced plans to establish its first manufacturing facility outside India in the United States through its wholly owned subsidiary, Avid Organics America, which distributes the company's products in the U.S. market. Avid Organics America plans to invest up to $50 million across its U.S. operations through 2035 to support manufacturing infrastructure, process technology and the development of local operating capabilities, according to a news release Oct. 13.
- M.C. Dean, a power and technology engineering firm, will invest $412.5 million to expand production capabilities at its Modular Mission Critical manufacturing campus in Caroline County, Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Oct. 13. M.C. Dean will build two manufacturing facilities, which will increase the company’s total campus capacity to more than 3.6 million square feet by 2030 and create the largest modular manufacturing campus in the U.S., Spanberger said. The project is expected to create 1,950 jobs.
- Cube Packaging, which makes reusable food containers, will spend more than $30 million to expand its U.S. manufacturing facility in St. Charles, Illinois, the company announced Oct. 13. The investment will involve renovating the facility and installing high-speed injection molding machines and integrated end-of-line automation.
