McLean, VA-At $50.0 million for first quarter 2010, shipments of workholding equipment were up 10.7% from first quarter 2009 according to the Advanced Workholding Technologies (AWT) Group of AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. Workholding equipment shipments within the United States by the 38 companies participating in the AWT statistical report totaled $42.6 million while exports amounted to $7.4 million.

The report from the AWT shows that domestic workholding equipment shipments increased 13.6% and U.S. exports decreased 15.5% from fourth quarter 2009. The Midwest increased 7.5% from fourth quarter 2009 and remained the largest domestic destination with 39.5% of total domestic shipments. Growth in the Central region was 24.7%, moving it above the Northeast for the second largest share of domestic shipments, with 18.8% domestic share. Shipments to the Northeast fell 6.1%, moving down to the third largest domestic market with 17.1% of domestic shipments in the first quarter. The South had 13.6% of first quarter 2010 domestic shipments, with an increase of 14.4% from the previous quarter. The West remained the smallest domestic market again despite a remarkable 34.2% increase from fourth quarter leaving it with 11% share and the largest market growth for first quarter 2010. Additionally, first quarter 2010 employment levels were up 2.7% from fourth quarter 2009 but down 9.8% when compared to the first quarter of 2009.

The Advanced Workholding Technology Group is comprised of AMT members who produce chucks, jaws, collets, vises, fixtures and other workholding equipment. The AWT operates as a forum to serve the interests of U.S. manufacturers of workholding equipment. The overriding goal of the AWT is to develop ways to better serve the workholding customer, and to implement programs to help the workholding community in this endeavor. While AWT members must be members of AMT, any OEM workholding manufacturer or U.S.-based company that is a sole distributor of a foreign-built workholding product line may participate in the AWT statistical program.