By Nick Zieminski
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Their products range in size from a tiny bearing in a dentist's drill to earth-moving machines the size of buildings.
U.S. manufacturers are all over the map in terms of product lines, business strategies and size -- and they are all over the map geographically, too.
But they have one thing in common: the past few years have been boom times, as demand for those machines has soared in markets as diverse as oil drilling, aerospace and mining, and companies have extended their geographic reach to profit from fast-growing markets in India, China and Eastern Europe.
Yet recent signs point to a slowdown, at least in North America, as a string of interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve takes its toll.
A weak housing market, meanwhile, has cut demand for equipment like diggers, air conditioners and tools, while a troubled U.S. auto industry has hurt companies with exposure to that sector.
"The first quarter or first half of the year is dicey for the economy," said analyst Eli Lustgarten, who follows large U.S. industrials for Longbow Research. "The industrial economy has slowed down. It is going through its mid-cycle, just as expected."
The extent of the current U.S. slowdown will be topic No. 1 at the Reuters Manufacturing Summit, starting Monday at Reuters' U.S. headquarters in New York.
Among chief executives attending the summit are some of the biggest names in U.S. industry. Continued...
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| Paper | Aug 20 - 21, 2008 | Manufacturing |
| Japan Investment | Jul 01 - 2, 2008 | Country Summits |
| Global Real Estate | Jun 23 - 25, 2008 | Real Estate |
| Consumer and Retail | Jun 16 - 18, 2008 | Consumer Retail |
| Investment Outlook | Jun 09 - 12, 2008 | Financial Services / Exchanges |
