MCLEAN, VA-Machine tool sales to U.S. manufacturers totaled $407.21 million in September, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This figure is up 43.1 percent from the same time period last year. Thus far, sales of machine tools in 2006 stand at $2.8 billion, up 26.2 percent compared with 2005.

"It now looks likely that 2006 will post the best results for U.S. investment in advanced manufacturing equipment since 2000," says AMTDA President, John J. Healy.

Regionally, the Northeast is especially strong, with $57.7 million in sales in September, up nearly 50 percent from 2006. Year-to-date consumption in the Northeast stands at $412.5 million, up 35.9 percent from 2005.

Down south, consumption is slightly off last year's mark, with sales down about 2.7 percent for the year. However, this softening comes in the week of extremely strong recent growth in the region, so that overall, the picture is still a good one.

Elsewhere, the Midwest logged sales of $126.1 million in September, up 15.4 percent from last year. Overall, despite the bad news coming out of Detroit, machine tool sales for 2006 now stand at a very healthy $859.6, running 6.8 percent ahead of 2005.

In the Central Region, which includes a wide swath of the country running from Texas to the Dakotas, September sales totaled $119.82 million, up a whopping 118.8 from the previous year. Out West, the September sales total stood at $62.10 million, up nearly 65 percent from the same month in 2005.

The AMT and AMTDA United States Manufacturing Technology Consumption report is based on data reported by member companies from across the country. According to the two trade associations, analysis of manufacturing technology consumption provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity. For more information, visit click here.