KALAMAZOO, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – It could be false dawn in the midst of the COVID 19 economic gloom, but the numbers do show some promise.
In the monthly survey among purchasing managers of manufacturing entities in the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo vicinity that comprise his Current Business Trends statement, Dr. Brian Long, Director of Supply Management Research at Grand Valley State University, said that, “After four months of gut-wrenching decline, the West Michigan industrial economy has returned to positive territory, at least for now.”
He based his conclusions on improvements in new orders, production, purchases and lead times. However, “I am most worried about the office furniture industry. The industry is still shipping orders that were placed before the (COVID 19) crisis, so we don’t know what the October order books will look like.
“The apparent new frontier for the office furniture industry is the ‘socially distanced’ work environment,” Long continued. “Some firms are starting to work on this concept, but I don’t know how long it will take to turn the corner.”
Long concluded, “We can expect a few more good reports before absorbing the negative impact of market shifts. In addition, the trillion-dollar (government) incentives will eventually run out, and we will then need to reassess where we stand in the West Michigan industrial market.”
