What Fed Chair Powell’s address means for manufacturing
by Kristin Bartschi
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave the most concrete signal yet that interest rate cuts are on the horizon at his Jackson Hole press conference August 23. For manufacturers and those in the industry closely watching the developments and anticipating IMTS 2024 – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, the outlook is promising.
“The increased likelihood of a September rate cut after Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Jackson Hole address will likely boost manufacturing technology orders through the remainder of 2024, further amplifying the residual effects of an IMTS show year,” said Christopher Chidzik, principal economist at AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. “With capacity utilization rates remaining at historically elevated levels in industrial sectors, additional investment in capital equipment will be necessary for manufacturers to address any sudden spikes in demand without a return of supply-side inflationary pressures.”
IMTS, the largest manufacturing technology trade show in the Western Hemisphere, will be held Sept. 9-14 at McCormick Place in Chicago. For more information and to register, visit IMTS.com.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The November/December issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about Kimball Midwest. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dirk Beveridge, Frank Hurtte, and Mike Marks, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
