McCLEAN, VA--U.S. machine tool sales in September totaled $581 million. That's an increase of 19 percent compared with August sales and an increase of 9 percent compared with September 1999 sales.

According to the Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA), machine tool sales for the first 9 months of 2000 totaled $4.5 billion--3 percent more than sales during the first 9 months of 1999.

"September activity reinforces a solid third quarter of machine tool consumption," says Ralph J. Nappi, president of the AMTDA. "Orders placed during the biennial International Manufacturing Technology Show contributed greatly to the increase. The quality of leads generated during that show will sustain orders through December and preface further demand for productivity-enhancing equipment in 2001."