Manufacturing in Quebec has done an about face. In the depths of the recent recession, pundits were claiming that recovery would be a long and slow road for the manufacturing sector in Quebec. But on the heels of one blockbuster announcement after another in the aerospace market, the momentum has shifted, just in time for the Montreal Manufacturing Technology Show (MMTS), May 17-19, 2010 at Place Bonaventure, Montreal, Quebec.
“We’ve been hearing a lot of optimism from both our attendees and exhibitors. In fact, we’ve been adding new exhibits and increasing booth sizes for others in these last weeks before the show,” said Nick Samain, MMTS event manager, Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the event organizer. “The recent news from market leaders such as Bombardier, GE, CAE, Lockheed Martin, CAE and Bell Helicopter is spurring the need for capital equipment such as what will be demonstrated and shown at MMTS.”
This renewed interest is confirmed by SME’s economic outlook survey of manufacturers in Quebec on their spending plans for the future and their views on the recovery of the industry. The top survey respondents represented aerospace, transportation, medical manufacturing, wind energy, mining, electronics/high tech, and energy and consumer products industries.
The study revealed that, while the recent economic downturn had a significant negative impact on their operations, almost two thirds of respondents anticipate business activity to increase in the next 12 months.
Additional highlights of the survey were encouraging:
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Significant Equipment Budgets― 37.4% have an excess of $100,000 to
spend on manufacturing equipment over the next 12 months. 22% are
over $250,000. 7.5% over $1 million.
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Expenditures Increasing― 48.9% see their
manufacturing equipment expenditures increasing in the near future.
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Stable Spending ― 39.2% see their expenditures
remaining
the same.
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Top Technologies in Demand― Automation,
assembly, cleaning, coolants, cutting tools, lasers, machining
centers, material handling, measurement, metal forming, milling,
robotics, turning and welding top the list of equipment in demand.
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Respondents will be Evaluating Equipment for
Purchase ―More than three quarters of respondents plan to review
technologies for purchase at MMTS.
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MMTS is Important in their Buying Decision― 91%
say reviewing these technologies at MMTS plays an important role in
their decision-making process.
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Business Improving― Almost two-thirds of
respondents see their business activity increasing over the next 12
months.
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Exclusive Audience― 69% plan to attend MMTS
this year, and more than two-thirds of respondents will not attend
another tradeshow this year.
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A New Audience ―19.4% of those surveyed have
never attended MMTS.
MMTS is the major forum for manufacturing professionals from Quebec and the surrounding area to source machinery, equipment, supplies and services for all aspects of their operations. The event showcases products ranging from machine tools, fabricating equipment, automation, tooling, design engineering and plant maintenance, and is dedicated to helping industry professionals address production challenges and learn best practices to help their businesses thrive. The event is produced by SME in partnership with the Canadian Machine Tool Distributors Association (CMTDA), Canadian Tooling and Machining Association (CTMA), Canadian Wind Energy Association (CANWEA), and Canadian Manufacturers
and Exporters (CME).
To learn more about MMTS,
www.mmts.ca.