U.S. Manufacturing Investment and Productivity Momentum Set Stage for IMTS 2026
The United States continues to see renewed manufacturing investment and output growth, but sustaining reindustrialization depends on accelerating productivity. At IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, the manufacturers and job shops that build America will find the technologies, ideas, and connections that translate capital investment into greater efficiency, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.
U.S. manufacturing generates trillions of dollars in economic output, and IMTS serves as a marketplace connecting manufacturers with technology providers. According to the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report, in the first half of 2026, new orders of metalworking machinery reached a record total of $3.44 billion, up 36% year over year and the strongest half since USMTO began tracking orders in 1998. New orders for manufactured durable goods increased $3.6 billion, or 1.1%, to $339.3 billion in July, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, marking the fourth increase in five months. The ISM Manufacturing PMI registered 54.6 in August, the eighth straight month of manufacturing sector expansion, while ISM’s broader economic indicator has now shown growth for 22 consecutive months.
“Economic momentum, demand for a stronger U.S. industrial base, continued reshoring and foreign direct investment, new incentives for capital investment, and the launch of cutting-edge technologies are creating one of the most exciting moments manufacturing has seen in years – and one of the most important reasons to attend IMTS,” says Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, which owns and produces IMTS. “Across aerospace, defense, medical, AI infrastructure, and other high-demand sectors, manufacturers are looking for the technologies, partners, and productivity gains that will help them compete and grow.”
Manufacturing sector labor productivity increased 2.4% in the second quarter of 2026, as output increased 5.4% and hours worked increased 2.9%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Durable-goods manufacturers performed even better, increasing productivity 3.6% as output grew 7.3%. Manufacturing unit labor costs decreased 0.3%, with productivity gains offset by higher hourly compensation.
U.S. and foreign companies have announced $11 trillion in U.S. investment commitments, according to investments tracked by the White House, underscoring the scale of opportunity for manufacturers and technology providers gathering at IMTS.
The investment momentum aligns with reshoring trends that continue to reshape U.S. manufacturing.
“Manufacturing is surging,” confirms Harry Moser, founder of the Reshoring Initiative. “Much of that strength is due to reshoring and foreign direct investment staying strong and being projected to reach a near-record 338,000 jobs announced in 2026 alone.”
Moser says balancing the country’s $1.3 trillion goods trade deficit will require a 40% increase in manufacturing and a surge in investment and productivity. The award-winning shops demonstrate how manufacturers can help close that gap.
“As a country, we need to make more things here. Reindustrializing America depends on increasing our total productivity factor by adopting new technologies and business approaches,” says John “Jay” Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Haddy.
For machine shops, equipment represents their largest capital investment, making IMTS an important venue for evaluating technologies that can improve productivity, expand capacity, and support more confident purchasing decisions.
“By investing in the best-of-the-best CNC and fabrication equipment, we’re able to produce better parts faster, with fewer defects and less postprocessing, which ultimately lowers costs and improves reliability for our customers,” says Jim Belosic, founder and CEO of SendCutSend, an on-demand manufacturing company specializing in custom sheet metal and CNC machining.
“Walking the IMTS floor shows you the technology. Presentations on the IMTS+ Main Stage, conferences, and networking events provide insight on how to make investment decisions with greater confidence and deliver lasting value,” says Payne.
Van Metre adds, “IMTS brings together the people that have solved these challenges before. We’ll interview these experts so visitors can learn from their experience instead of starting from scratch.”
For more information, visit IMTS.com.
