NEW YORKU.S. manufacturers remain upbeat about the economy, with 84 percent saying they believe it is growing. However, according to a recent survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers, foreign competition, energy prices, exchange rates and decreasing profitability are still significant concerns, causing manufacturers to scale back revenue targets, new investments and hiring projections.
"Large U.S. industrial manufacturers are optimistic about the opportunities they see in our growing economy," says Jorge Milo, director of PricewaterhouseCoopers' U.S. industrial manufacturing practice. "However, they have also become more sensitive to a number of factors that individually, or in combination could shunt their company's performance."