Keeping up with the trends and changes that are shaping the supply chain is critical when it comes to marketing to — and connecting with — industrial and B2B buyers.
To help manufacturing companies and industrial marketers do just that, we regularly analyze the petabytes of buyer behavior data generated every day on the Thomas Network at Thomasnet.com. Let's look back at the biggest changes in supply chain sourcing and buyer behavior over the past month.
Companies within the U.S. and across the world are looking for every edge they can, and that means looking for ways to streamline processes and stay agile. This could be why we saw sourcing activity for Turnkey Manufacturing services rise 47% over its historical average.
Tight regulatory standards and an increasing focus on quality control is driving demand for Cleanrooms across many industries, particularly pharmaceuticals, biotech research, and aerospace & Defense. Our data shows sourcing activity for this category is up 69% over its historical average.
Back in February, as talk of tariffs first began picking up steam, we reported on an initial surge in sourcing activity for aluminum. This month, tariffs again made headlines — and made supply chain professionals take notice — as the White House considered reissuing sanctions against RUSAL, the world's second-largest aluminum supplier. As a result, sourcing activity within the Aluminum category remained 32% higher than its historical average.
A few weeks ago, Congress earmarked more than $10 billion for military construction projects in its spending bill for 2019. This comes on the heels of an August announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which indicated that the Federal Aviation Administration will award more than $600 million in airport infrastructure grants. With more funding available for these types of projects, buyers are taking notice; Our data shows that sourcing activity for Heavy Civil Construction is up 8% over its historical average.
Our data shows that sourcing activity for Valves is up 23% over its historical average, driven mainly by buyers in the oil & gas, industrial equipment, and aerospace & defense industries. The great news for suppliers in this space is that the increased buying activity shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the industrial valve market is expected to grow by $15 billion by 2023.
What About Your Products & Services?
Following the Thomas Index is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the latest supply chain trends — as well as your competition.
However, in addition to helping you keep up with overall changes in the supply chain, we can also help you zero in on buying activity related to the products and services you offer. Get your personalized In-Market Buyer Report to find out which companies are looking for you on the Thomas Network right now.