Industry Trends

The manufacturing industry has been hit hard with labor shortages, making it imperative that companies find innovative ways to increase productivity with fewer people.

Client experience, skill development, leadership and networking were top activities during the 2019 Operations and Technology Conference of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.

Investment in equipment and software is projected to expand 1.1% in 2020 while U.S. economic growth slows to 1.7% according to the recently released 2020 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.

Although a recession in the next six months appears unlikely, business conditions for the equipment finance industry are also unlikely to improve materially over the rest of the year, particularly for equipment verticals that serve the manufacturing sector, according to the Q4 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook recently published by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.

Equipment and software investment growth is likely to slow in 2019 to 3.9%, according to the 2019 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook released earlier this month from the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation. The forecast is down from a 4.5% expansion predicted in the Q2 update.

In response to changing technology that enables employees to work from anywhere—home, on the road or in their offices—government IT leaders are seeking ways to improve digital workspaces so workers can experience greater flexibility and efficiency.

KeyCorp, parent company of Key Equipment Finance, was recently named one of the world’s most sustainable companies by Corporate Knights, a research firm that produces rankings and financial product ratings based on corporate sustainability performance.

Technology is advancing rapidly, and as new machinery begins to benefit businesses it’s important to consider how upcoming lease accounting changes will influence equipment acquisition strategies, according to a recent Industrial Machinery Digest article by Toni Larson, senior vice president of industrial equipment.

U.S. businesses, nonprofits and government agencies will spend more than $1.8 trillion in capital goods or fixed business investment (including software) this year. They also will finance a majority of those assets, with these Top 10 trends impacting a significant portion of the U.S. economy, according to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.

Disruption in the energy sector presents significant opportunities for investors, financiers, equipment vendors and solution providers, according to a new study released by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.