MCLEAN, VA- United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) totaled $401.69 million, according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 26.5% from December but up 8.4% when compared with the total of $370.46 million reported for January 2011.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“January’s increase in manufacturing technology orders over 2011 is great in light of lower forecasts by experts,” says AMT President Douglas K. Woods. “I think the continued growth highlights manufacturers’ increasing confidence in future growth and that their bottom lines are being channeled into investments in advanced manufacturing technologies.”

The USMTO report, compiled by the trade association representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

U.S. manufacturing technology orders are also reported on a regional basis for five geographic breakdowns of the United States:

Northeast. Northeast Region manufacturing technology orders totaled $56.01 million in January, 43.2% less than the $98.67 million total for December but 12.5% more than the total for January 2011.

Southern. At $35.57 million, January manufacturing technology orders in the Southern region were down 62.1% when compared with the $93.93 million total for December and down 33.6% when compared with January a year ago.

Midwest. January manufacturing technology orders in the Midwest Region totaled $141.71 million, 23.8% less than December’s $186.07 million but up 24.9% when compared with the January 2011 figure.

Central. Central Region manufacturing technology orders in January stood at $128.30 million, 11.6% more than the December total of $115.01 million and 16.1% higher than last January’s total.

Western. Manufacturing technology orders in the Western Region in January totaled $40.10 million, down 24.1% from December’s $52.80 million and off 7.0% when compared with the January 2011 figure.