Editor's Note A Strong Industry

by Bob Neubauer

As an industry, in-plants are strong and getting stronger.

I find myself making this statement, on average, once every few months. It usually happens at a trade show after a manufacturer or analyst learns my magazine's name and blurts out, "Aren't in-plants a shrinking market?"

Despite the raised eyebrows and veiled surprise that often greets my proclamation, I support it 100 percent—and so does the data. According to our 2000 Market Data Report (published in our May issue), nearly 70 percent of in-plants predict their workloads will increase this year. An impressive 47.5 percent say they plan to spend more on equipment and software this year than they did two years ago. And nearly 60 percent say they will add additional equipment this year. Many have already started: