Office trends improve in latest survey
Gross shipments and order backlog
increased for the office furniture
industry, according to the most recent
MADA/OFI Trends Survey. Mike Dunlap of Michael A. Dunlap & Associates LLC also believes that the office
furniture industry will come out of the
recession with solid growth by the first
quarter of 2011.
“I’m very pleased in the results this
quarter,” Dunlap says. “The improve-
ments are almost across the board for
office furniture manufacturers and sup-
pliers. I am not surprised at the signifi-
cant increases in gross shipments and
order backlog, but I am very surprised
to see the decrease in the personal
outlook. It appears that the supplier
community is a bit pessimistic compared
to the office furniture manufacturers.”
On a scale of 1 to 100, with 1 being
the worst and 100 being the best, the
overall survey index increased to 54.93,
the highest since October 2007. The low-
est overall index was 41. 45 in April 2009.
Gross shipments increased to 64. 44,
order backlog to 61.73 and employment
index to 52.96. Capital expenditures
and tooling expenditures improved
significantly, while new the index for new
product development declined slightly.
Meanwhile, raw material costs and
employee costs increased.
Dunlap says the majority of respondents continue to cite the economy,
increased health care costs, and competition from low cost coutnries as
the largest threats to the industry. The
July survey was sent to more than 600
individuals in the office furniture manufacturer and supplier industries around
the world.
“This is the 25th MADA/OFI Trends
Survey,” he says. “I think that there are
enough strong indicators from both July
and August surveys that demonstrate
that the worst is behind us and that we
are finally seeing some solid signs of
For more information, contact Mike
Dunlap at 616-786-3524, www.mdunlap-
associates.com.
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