Summer of 2014 could show growth of between 5% and 15% for the automation and controls industries, according to a study released earlier this month by JP Morgan and the Control System Integrators Association.
The study, which was based on a survey of automation industry professionals, showed a “steady lift” in second quarter with food and beverage, chemical, and oil and gas components showing a marked increase in activity.
Bob Lowe, the CSIA’s executive director, says this is good news for a industry that has been among the hardest hit by the Great Recession.
“This suggests that more plant managers, directors of quality and other industry clients are turning to control system integrtors to drive automation and more efficient operations,” Lowe told Modern Materials Handling.
That optimism was echoed by economist Alan Beaulieu when he spoke as the keynote speaker at the 2014 Executive Conference in San Diego.
“Right now, inflation and interest rates are low, so Beaulieu is encouraging control system integrators to invest in improving productivity and building company strategies,” Lowe said. “The same message applies to industry clients, who are upgrading plants while costs are low in order to get a better return on investment.”
According to Lowe, Beaulieu also told CSIA members that US and Mexico are much more effective at automation, process improvement and skill than they have been in the past.