AMT

U.S. industrial production increased in April 2026 to the highest level since 2019, according to the latest report from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Capacity utilization increased by 0.4 percentage points from March 2026. Read more here: bit.ly/4uKTJdb

New orders of metalworking machinery totaled $681.3 million in March 2026, increasing 40.3% from February 2026 and 31.5% from March 2025. Manufacturing technology orders totaled $1.61 billion for the first quarter of 2026, up 27.8% year over year. Read the latest USMTO: bit.ly/4uB62Zx

In a manufacturing landscape shifting toward high-mix, low-volume production, traditional rigid automation often falls short. Join AMT, @intrinsicai, Trinity Robotics Automation, and Radian Thermal Products for this session, which details how these three organizations have converged to bridge the gap between advanced AI and shop-floor reality, creating a new standard for flexible manufacturing. Register for the webinar: bit.ly/4tZRiU7

After a significant pullback in economic output at the end of 2025, gross domestic product (GDP) rebounded nearly back to trend growth in the first quarter of 2026, according to the first estimate published today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Read more: bit.ly/4tG6JRn

AMT Meetups are BACK for 2026! We are kicking off in just over a week, and you can mingle and mix with experts from AMT and members of the manufacturing technology community in Chicago. We are excited to be partnering with @NTMATalk and @WomeninMFG to raise a glass with people across the industry and celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us at Church Street Brewing Company. Register here to have a drink on us and make manufacturing connections: bit.ly/48oWecy

AMT is very excited to announce The Additive Manufacturing Report. This report is the first in AMT's State of Manufacturing Pillar Report Series. This report gives insights into where additive manufacturing is, where it is going, and how it can influence your business. Inside, you will find tools such as a practical framework and a scorecard to determine where AM can deliver real value. Additive manufacturing has grown steadily over the last couple of decades, and as its influence has increased, it is more important than ever to understand the state of the industry. You can download the report for free and take advantage of the invaluable information and insights: bit.ly/4u2MCwD

Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report, totaled $225.1 million in February 2026, increasing 2% from January 2026 and 12.8% from February 2025. Year-to-date shipments are up 11.3% from the same period in 2025. Read the latest from USCTI: bit.ly/48Tyo8V

New orders of metalworking machinery totaled $488.9 million in February 2026, increasing 10.7% over January 2026 and 27.4% over February 2025. The total order value through February 2026 has reached $930.5 million, 26% above the first two months of 2025. Read the latest USMTO report: bit.ly/4mxDqxI

The most consistent thing about today's trade landscape is that it is constantly changing. Join Kevin Bowers, AMT's VP of Research, as well as experts David Skillman and Nathaniel B. Bolin of K&L Gates, in just over two weeks for a focused briefing and discussion on the latest trade policy developments impacting manufacturing. We’ll examine the growing impact of export barriers and retaliatory tariffs. Attendees will gain timely insights into how these shifts affect manufacturers and manufacturing technology providers, with practical guidance to stay informed and prepared. Register for the upcoming webinar: bit.ly/4sYem5o

With new pressures arising across supply chains, finance, and energy markets, it is more important than ever to stay informed on how these changes will impact the manufacturing technology industry. Join us on 4/14 for the Spring Economic Update Webinar with Mark Killion from @OxfordEconomics to find out how to prepare your business for the changes in the coming months. Register for the webinar: bit.ly/4v1udRX

At the 2026 MFG Meeting earlier this month, AMT announced the 2026-27 Board of Directors during the annual business session. Mike Cicco, President and CEO of @FANUCAmerica, will continue as Chairman. In addition, Steve Calrson of Mayfran International, Milton Guerry of @SCHUNKInc, and Jim King of @OkumaAmerica were elected as the newest members of the board. Read more about the new Board of Directors here: bit.ly/3Q9BL52

Shipments of cutting tools totaled $220.7 million in January 2026, increasing 2.7% from December 2025 and 9.9% from January 2025. While the dollar value of shipments increased in January, the number of units shipped decreased slightly from December. Read the latest from CTMR: bit.ly/4rXqS3H

New orders of metalworking machinery totaled $441.4 million in January 2026, a decline of 45.8% from December 2025’s record high and an increase of 24.4% over January 2025. The number of units ordered fell to the lowest level since July 2024. Read the latest USMTO report: bit.ly/4lR8VCE

The Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady today at a target range of 3.5%-3.75% in a move that was widely anticipated by financial markets. The quarterly summary of economic projections showed that both growth and inflation were higher than expected. Read the latest on the Fed meeting: bit.ly/4uDZSsq

Our lookback on MFG 2026 would be incomplete without highlighting the Chairman's Dinner on the final night of the meeting. The night kicked off with a surprise performance from singing waiters, who serenaded the crowd. After the meal, AMT President Doug Woods got up to start the AL Moore Award presentation to Harry Moser of The Reshoring Initiative. Doug spoke about Harry's achievements before passing the mic to Harry's friend and former Al Moore Award winner himself, Lee Morris. The ceremony concluded with the award presentation to Harry for his work bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US and for his career in manufacturing, which led to his founding of the Reshoring Initiative. Congrats, Harry! We will see you all again in Maui for MFG 2027!

Join AMT and @FANUCAmerica next week for an exclusive webinar with Geoffrey Dawson, Executive Director of Machine Trending Market Vertical and Director of EST Sales. Get insights on how to utilize automation to strengthen your sales approach and deliver even greater value for your customers. Register for the webinar and find more information here: bit.ly/3PhyyQE

We are still reeling from all of the amazing content from MFG 2026 last week. The final day opened with remarks from AMT Chief Revenue Officer, Travis Egan. We then went right into the first presentation of the day from Dr. Sam Potolicchio, President of the Global Leaders Forum and Professor at Georgetown University. He discussed the importance of geopolitical and cultural factors in helping leaders navigate an increasingly complex world. Next, Julie Lezner, Chief Innovation Officer of the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, gave insight into how we are breaking so many boundaries in medicine and being a part of bio-manufacturing is how we make it accessible to the world. After a short break, Simon Lapeyry, Head of Revenue at Intrinsic took the stage to outline core capabilities for implementing and utilizing AI-enabled robots in your factory and how that change can benefit your business. Lastly, we closed the day with Actor, Speaker, and Dancing with the Stars Champion, JR Martinez. He gave a moving and powerful talk on how the greatest of gifts can be found in the darkest of moments. We were so happy to see all of you who made it to the MFG meeting last week! Keep an eye out for pictures from the Chairman's Dinner as well.

The first day of MFG 2026 was filled with valuable insights from across the industry and ended with a gorgeous reception, courtesy of @Kennametal. After lunch, Veronica Daigle, the National Security President at Red Cell Partners, was joined by Brennan Grignon, CEO and Founder of Vantive AI to discuss how products like AI are affecting manufacturers across the industrial base. Next, Jannik Wiedenhaupt, Chief Product Officer of Supplyco AI, addressed common misconceptions about AI and how leading manufacturers are utilizing it to the fullest. The afternoon's program concluded with a panel discussion from Dan Bagley, Principal of Strategic Ink, Jon Glass, Executive Director of Defense Industrial Base Institute at Northeastern University, and Vince Stammetti , EVP and COO of @BlueforgeUS. The three discussed the state of maritime defense and how manufacturers can be of further service. The day ended with an ocean view for the "Havana Nights" themed Kennemetal reception; where attendees enjoyed good food, good music and great company. We'll be back with updates from day 2!

The 2026 MFG Meeting is in full swing as we complete the first half of day one of the meeting! We opened this morning with Doug Woods giving some opening remarks on how tools like MTConnect and industrial AI are bridging the physical and digital worlds of manufacturing. Next, we had Kaihan Krippendorf of Outthinker provide insights on how AI, digital twins, and additive manufacturing are changing the game, and how you can use tools like these to evolve into a seller of integrated, outcome-driven solutions. After a short break, Connor Lokar from @ITROutlook gave a look into the strength of 2026 and early 2027 and what that means for the economy and manufacturers. These insights also addressed the potential recession in the 2030s and what it would mean for companies. Check back for updates on the second half of day one!

The 2026 MFG Meeting in Fort Lauderdale officially kicked off last night at our welcome reception! Old and new friends gathered to start a program packed with updates on the manufacturing industry and invaluable networking opportunities. We got to take in a perfect beach sunset and the sea breeze, and there couldn't be a better way to start the MFG Meeting. Stay tuned for updates from sessions throughout the program!