Price hikes expected for some industries, but not all

Twelve out of 19 industries that supply factory equipment and tools are under extreme pressure to raise prices. Plant engineers won't have to worry too much about higher prices ahead.

Consider the situation in the motors and generators industry. In 2003, average prices for motors edged up 0.5%. Unfortunately for producers, this increase failed to offset the impact of a 2% hike in the cost of making a unit of industry output. As costs outran prices, margins in SIC 3621 fell for three straight months at the end of the past year, and margins finished the year at a 10-year low.

With recent margin losses taken into account, the typical motors manufacturer spends an estimated $66.35 on manufacturing-related activities for each $100 of product sold. That's somewhat high from historical perspective. Target analysis indicates that in order to lift current margins to normal levels, the motors industry needs a 2.9% price hike. Although demand trends favor suppliers and labor costs provide a good argument, manufacturers will push through meager 0.2% and 0.4% price hikes in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

This doesn't mean you can rest. Price hikes will be more aggressive for some others. The pumping equipment industry is forecast to increase tags by 2.2% in 2004. That price jump likely will stick despite the fact that margins in SIC 3561 are doing just fine.

In four other industries, prices will increase between 1.9% and 1.7% this year. The culprits: mechanics' hand tools, hand saws, other power transmission equipment, and welding apparatus. The first three of the four will be most motivated by the fact they are seeing below-average returns for every dollar they spend on manufacturing.