Integrators See Signs of Promise in Industrial Automation Segment
Buoyed by more business opportunities, including significant production improvements by their clients and expansion in numerous industries, members of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) remain confident that strong economic conditions will continue in the U.S. and most areas around the world.
Control system integrators design and implement automation and control systems for manufacturing and industrial facilities.
“CSIA members are telling us that more plant managers, operations directors, and other industry leaders are investing in automation to ensure their manufacturing systems run at peak capacity,” Robert Lowe, CSIA executive director, said in a prepared statement. “Many clients of CSIA members are turning to them for project assessment and implementation. They are looking to CSIA members for technology solutions that can drive a more efficient operation.”
According to a CSIA member survey, more than half expect their business to grow by 20 percent or more this year. Industries served by CSIA members, such as food & beverage, metals, oil & gas, and paper, were among those reporting growth at the end of the first quarter of 2012.
In his keynote speech at the recent CSIA Executive Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., Alan Beaulieu, economist and president of the Institute for Trend Research, supported CSIA’s positive outlook, noting that the U.S. is in a solid economic recovery.
“All leading indicators are up, a clear indication of economic health,” Beaulieu said. “Manufacturing is picking up speed, and interest rates are going to stay low.”
To learn more about control system integrators or the CSIA, visit www.controlsys.org.