Jan Schafer Director of Market Research

Jan is a market research professional who loves learning and adding value to the businesses of Gardner’s advertisers, audience, and the company itself. Her curiosity, business knowledge, client service and shameless resourcefulness combine to enable Jan to lead research in manufacturing from objective-setting (do not even try to bypass it…) to delivering data-based recommendations (can’t dodge those either…) Jan attributes her capabilities to education in psychology and business administration followed by a healthy dose of ‘mixing it up.’ Her experience includes tending bar (more useful than you might expect,) early years (okay, 15!) at Procter & Gamble, developing her own consulting business, and leading supply-side research before landing the perfect gig at Gardner.

Economics

Metalworking Activity Stabilizes in July

July closed at 44.2, which interrupts what had been three months straight of accelerating contraction.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Trends Down Again in June

The Metalworking Index closed at 44.3 in June, down 1.2 points relative to May, marking a 2024 low.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Trends Downward in May

Accelerated contraction and declines in business optimism span manufacturing segments. Odds are that broad-reaching economic factors are at play.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Trends Slightly Downward in April

The interruption after what had been three straight months of slowing contraction may indicate growing conservatism as interest rates and inflation fail to come down.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Holds Steady in March

Overall metalworking activity leveled off in March, but not to a point of concern.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity is on a Roll, Relatively Speaking

February closed at 47.7, up 1.4 points relative to January, marking the third straight month of slowed contraction.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Starts Year With Slowing Contraction

The GBI: Metalworking welcomed the new year with slowed contraction of components for the second month in a row.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Shows Signs of Stabilizing Contraction

Metalworking activity continued to contract in what has become a rather characteristic GBI ‘dance.’

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Large Plants Plan High Rates of Capital Spending in 2024

Gardner Business Media’s Capital Spending survey projects a modest decline of 7.4% in machine tool spending next year. While job shops are taking a wait-and-see posture, large plants plan robust spending with machining centers leading the way.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Remained on a Path of Contraction

Steady contraction of production, new orders and backlog drove accelerated contraction in November.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity Continues its Roller Coaster Year of Contraction

October marks a full year of metalworking activity contracting, barring just one isolated month of reprieve in February.

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Economics

Metalworking Activity is Nearing a Full Year of Contraction

Metalworking activity has contracted since October of 2022.

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