The Marketing Minute: Marketing With Layers
The Right Approach: Electro-Tek—A Williams Family Legacy, Part 1
It’s Only Common Sense: If You’re Not Differentiated, You’re Dead
Economic Growth to Continue Through 2021
May 19, 2021 | PRNewswireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The economic recovery in the U.S. will continue for the rest of 2021, say the nation's purchasing and supply executives in the Spring 2021 Semiannual Economic Forecast. Expectations for the remainder for 2021 have strengthened somewhat, compared to December 2020, as there is hope that the corner has been turned on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; both manufacturing and services sectors are signaling expansion.
Manufacturing Summary
Revenue for 2021 is expected to increase, on average, by 7.2 percent. This is 0.3 percentage point higher than the December 2020 forecast of 6.9 percent, and 8.5 percentage points higher than the 1.3-percent decrease reported for 2020 over 2019. Fifty-nine percent of respondents say that revenues for 2021 will increase, on average, 13.8 percent over 2020. Only eight percent say revenues will decrease, on average, 13 percent, and 33 percent indicate no change. With operating rate at 88.3 percent, an expected capital-expenditures increase of 8.7 percent, an expected increase of 8.1 percent in prices paid for raw materials, and an expected employment increase by 2.8 percent by the end of 2021, manufacturing continues its comeback from the turmoil of 2020. "With all 18 manufacturing-sector industries predicting revenue growth in 2021, panelists forecast that recovery will continue the rest of the year. The sectors' responses were consistent with the industry-performance reports in the April 2021 Report On Business®," says Fiore.
All 18 manufacturing industries are expecting increases in revenue in 2021 — listed in order — are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Machinery; Wood Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Chemical Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; Furniture & Related Products; Paper Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Textile Mills; and Petroleum & Coal Products.
Services Summary
Respondents currently expect a 5.4-percent net increase in overall revenues, which is 3.8 percentage points higher than the 1.6-percent increase forecast in December 2020. Forty-eight percent of respondents say that revenues for 2021 will increase, on average, 15 percent over 2020. Meanwhile, 11 percent say their revenues will decrease, on average, 16.6 percent, and 41 percent indicate no change. "Services will continue to recover over the rest of 2021. Services companies are currently operating at 89.4 percent of normal capacity. Supply managers have indicated that prices are projected to increase 4.9 percent over the year, reflecting increasing inflation. Employment is projected to increase 2.4 percent. Sixteen of 18 industries are forecasting increased revenues, compared to the 12 industries that predicted increases in December 2020," says Nieves.
The 16 services industries that expect revenue increases in 2021, listed in order, are: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Mining; Wholesale Trade; Professional, Scientific & Technical Services; Management of Companies & Support Services; Information; Transportation & Warehousing; Educational Services; Health Care & Social Assistance; Retail Trade; Other Services; Accommodation & Food Services; Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting; Finance & Insurance; Construction; and Public Administration.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
NEDME Returns October 22 — The Northwest’s Premier Design & Manufacturing Expo
10/13/2025 | NEDMEThe Northwest Electronics Design & Manufacturing Expo (NEDME) returns on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Wingspan Event & Conference Center, Hillsboro. The event brings together engineers, product designers, manufacturers, educators, and community partners for a full day of industry connection, learning, and networking.
Critical Minerals: The New Power Play in Global Trade
10/13/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Access to critical minerals essential for electronics manufacturing, and China’s monopoly of them, is increasingly under scrutiny, with gallium (Ga) and germanium (Ge)at the forefront of this discourse. However, all critical minerals imported from China share a similar narrative, and understanding the implications of this dependency and the risks to both U.S. commercial and defense sectors has created an urgent need for a comprehensive electronics strategy to secure and diversify access to these vital minerals. In this candid interview, USPAE Executive Director Jim Will discusses the issues and the mitigation steps that must be taken to adequately address them.
Interposers, Substrates, and Advanced Manufacturing
10/13/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007I attend a lot of industry trade shows and conferences. Lately, during conversations with technologists, I’ve noticed that there is some confusion about what exactly constitutes an interposer. One question I hear every so often is, “Are all interposers substrates?” The short answer to that question is no. But some interposers are, in fact, full substrates.
The Right Approach: Electro-Tek—A Williams Family Legacy, Part 1
10/15/2025 | Steve Williams -- Column: The Right ApproachThere is no bronze bust in the lobby or portrait in the conference room of Electro-Tek's founder—my Dad, Charles “Chuck” Williams—so with the facility closing last year after 56 years, I feel it is time to tell the story. Chuck Williams founded Electro-Tek in 1968 in our basement, eventually moving into the second floor of an old 1913 building in downtown Milwaukee that is still standing (the first of three eventual facilities).
New Course Presents a Comprehensive Guide to IPC Standards
10/10/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Francisco Fourcade, electronics technology standards manager for the Global Electronics Association, has spent years helping companies understand and implement the standards that keep the electronics manufacturing industry moving forward. In this interview, he shares updates on ongoing standards development efforts and previews a new course, "IPC Standards: A Guide for the Electronics Industry,” which starts Oct. 14.