In This Section:
Public E&S Companies Rack Up Strong Numbers
NRA’s Performance Index Bounces Back
Jobs Growth Stalls In March
This issue's Regulatory Report Sponsor: APW Wyott Innovations | Industry ReportSponsor: Customer Choice Dealer Awards
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Public E&S Companies Rack Up Strong Numbers
Eleven public equipment and supplies manufacturers posted strong gains for the fourth quarter and all of 2004, according to an exclusive analysis by John Muldowney, principal of Clarity Marketing, Tipp City, Ohio. The tracked companies saw fourth quarter sales rise 10% and yearly sales gain 9.4%
For six equipment companies, the fourth quarter gain was 7.8%; yearly sales growth hit 10.3%. (The seventh equipment company, Aga, only reports half-year and full-year figures.)
Four supplies and tabletop companies had a roaring fourth quarter, with sales rising 14.9%. The yearly gain for the four was 5.4%, though the number includes structural sales declines as Oneida sold off and closed factories as part of its turnaround process. Setting aside the Oneida data, the other three supplies companies in the grid posted annual sales gains of 5% to 9%.
This performance is very much in line with recently released sales numbers from the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers’ NAFEM Industry Index. For the year, the NAFEM Index had North American sales rising 7% but export sales up nearly 20%.
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NRA’s Performance Index Bounces Back
Led by gains in same-store sales and customer traffic, the Restaurant Performance Index fielded by the National Restaurant Association staged a comeback in the February survey. The RPI, calibrated to a neutral or level point of 100, rose 0.3 points to 102.1, up from 101.7 in January. The Index had dropped 1.4 points in January.
Both the Current Situation and Expectations Indexes showed gains. The Current Situation Index was up 0.5 points as same-store sales posted a 1.4 point gain and customer traffic rose 1.3 points. The Expectations Index rose 0.2 points as those surveyed foresee stronger business conditions and an improved labor situation.
The capital expenditures component of the Current Situation Index, charted off operators purchasing of equipment and supplies during the past three months, declined 0.9 points. The capital expenditures component of the Expectations Index, a read of E&S spending plans during the coming six months, was flat.
Section sponsored by Hatco Corp.
Jobs Growth Stalls In March
Only 110,000 new jobs were created by the U.S. economy in March, according the monthly report issued by the U.S. Department of Labor last Friday. The paltry growth was the smallest since last July and surprised most economists, who had expected growth of about 225,000 jobs. The unemployment rates declined to 5.2%.
The Labor Department also revised January and February job growth down by 27,000.
Job growth is usually a key indicator of restaurant industry performance.
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