The Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA) has released the results of its 2020 WWEMA Member Market Indicators Survey. The survey tracks the business activity or anticipated activity of manufacturers and their representatives within the water and wastewater market for two annual periods in the following eight business areas:
- Design Work
- Quotations
- Bookings/Orders
- Domestic Sales
- International Sales
- Company Employment
- Materials Costs
- Industry Market Growth
The results of the survey showed the outlook for the water and wastewater industry remains strong with generally positive across-the-board expectations. Despite the challenging economic conditions posed by the Coronavirus pandemic, the survey confirmed widespread positive domestic sales growth with approximately 84 percent of respondents indicating positive growth for the period of September 2019 – August 2020. More specifically, the data also showed many firms attaining growth in the five percent or greater ranges for the same period. The survey also evaluated expected outcomes for the same eight business areas or indicators for the September 2020 – August 2021 timeframe. Similarly, the results showed companies generally anticipate strong domestic sales with some reduction in the robustness of sales and variation among specific growth ranges when compared to the prior year. Overall, companies reported less robust international sales when compared with data from the prior year’s survey, but are somewhat optimistic about their prospects for improving, particularly in certain growth ranges. The report also analyzed material costs—an issue particularly relevant in light of the pandemic’s impact on supply chains.
