Improved margins for supplies

Margins improved for nine industries that make factory operating materials and supplies and held steady for seven others. But plant engineers still face a challenging environment for buying supplies.

Sporting a margin grade of F (see table, opposite), the surface active agents (SIC 2843) industry spends $57.42 on direct manufacturing for $100 worth of product, which is $2.37 above average. Producers will close half the profitability gap by the end of the 2003. The supplier's best argument may be that a chemicals-driven cost increase of 8.3% between February '02 and May '03 was not redressed and led to a near-record low level of manufacturing-related margins.

The fabricated plate work industry also has an F grade. An analysis of margins suggests that suppliers have the cost justification for increasing prices by 1.4%. U.S. demand for metal plate work will see a dramatic improvement in 2004 as end-markets growth hits a year-over-year rate of 6.1% in 2004:Q3. Stronger end-markets won't translate into stronger price hikes. Over the last few years, we've seen a disconnect between demand and prices thanks to competition from foreign suppliers. Tags for fabricated plate work will edge ahead 0.8% in 2004.

Ball and roller bearings manufacturers have done a better job stemming margin losses, as evidenced by their average C margin grade. In July 2003, the cost of making a unit of output in SIC 3562 fell 0.6% with the bulk of the decline due to a 1.5% drop in wage rates paid to factory workers. Producers generated additional savings from U.S.-made steel inputs. Cost savings did not translate into lower output prices in July. Indeed, buyers won't see any price relief ahead. A battle between prices and costs will rage in the U.S. bearings industry. From 2003:Q4 to 2004:Q4 industry tags will rise 1.7% while costs will grow 1.3%.