View original at www.mhedaconnection.org

For material handling in general, the B-to-B space is expected to continue to do very well. Whether that’s material handling through distribution or DC, or material handling through a production facility, both sides of that equation look to be very positive in 2018. ITR Economics CEO Brian Beaulieu will be presenting at the MHEDA Convention on Monday, May 7, 2018, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. His presentation, “The Winds of Change” will discuss the current business cycle status of the U.S. and North American economy and where the economy is heading. Brian was gracious enough to discuss his presentation and the state of the economy with The MHEDA Journal for this issue of the magazine. The MHEDA Journal: What would you say is the general economic outlook for 2018? Brian Beaulieu: The general outlook is positive. The leading indicators are telling us to expect a good year. Stronger in the first half than in the second half, is what the leading indicators are currently saying. Consumer is in great shape. Labor is tight, so businesses are turning to capital equipment to help them through the labor crunch. All systems are go. TMJ: For people in the material handling industry, you mentioned capital equipment; are there any other key business indicators that people in our industry should be monitoring? BB: We look at some small business capital expenditure indicators. They are currently positive. We’re looking at machinery utilization levels, and they’re running above a year ago levels, that’s another positive indicator for folks in our space. For material handling in general, the B-to-B space is expected to continue to do very well. Whether that’s material handling through distribution or DC, or material handling through a production facility, both sides of that equation look to be […]