Some Glimmers of Optimism For COVID-Hit Machine Market

摘要

An anticipated gradual easing of the decade-long surge in heavy equipment sales in 2020 turned into a nosedive as the pandemic's clampdown on construction activity fueled across-the-board drops in U.S. demand. While manufacturers appear to have weathered the worst of the COVID-19 crisis, with sales largely stabilized, opinions differ on the scale and speed of the market's recovery. Following two years of better-than-expected sales performance coupled with the unpredictability that typically accompanies a pending national election, "we knew 2020 wasn't going to be a great year," says Association of Equipment Manufacturers President Dennis Slater. He adds that as many contractors closed out 2019 with healthy project backlogs, "we figured the market would plateau."