Week 10 in Manufacturing News

US companies tell Fed coronavirus has hit manufacturing; UK manufacturing expands at the fastest pace since April 2019; Advanced Manufacturing Expo’s Top 100 Manufacturers in Australia; The State of Cloud-Based ERP/MRP in Smaller Food Firms.

US companies tell Fed coronavirus has hit manufacturing

US companies say the spread of the coronavirus in China has already affected manufacturing around the country, according to a report from the Federal Reserve.

Some supply chain delays were reported as a result of the coronavirus, and several districts said that producers feared further disruptions in the coming weeks.

Source: Financial Times.

UK manufacturing expands at fastest pace since April 2019, but supply chain disruption grows

Growth of manufacturing output accelerated to a ten-month high in February, as domestic demand continued to recover on the back of reduced political uncertainty.

However, supply-chain disruptions were rapidly emerging as the coronavirus outbreak led to sizeable raw material delays, rising input costs, and increased pressure on stocks of purchases.

Source: British Plastics and Rubber Magazine.

Advanced Manufacturing Expo’s Top 100 Manufacturers in Australia

The annual list compiled by IBISWorld of Australia’s top 100 manufacturers has been released, revealing the revenue leaders in a sector sized at $413.9 billion, nearly 104,000 businesses, and a workforce of over 964,000 people.

By sector, food products contributed the most companies at 18 of the 100, followed by pharmaceutical (6) and beverage and tobacco (5).

Full story: AuManufacturing.

The State of Cloud-Based ERP/MRP in Smaller Food Firms

These shining lights of innovation primarily pertain to the industry’s largest organizations, which have been building their technology capabilities for years, but that’s not the case for a significant portion of companies within the industry.

Full story: Food Logistics.