Manufacturing sales healthy

Press, 18 March 1982, Page 6

Manufacturing sales healthy

A national survey by the Manufacturers’ Federation has shown that Canterbury manufacturers' sales at the end of last year were about 11 per cent above budget, compared with a national average of 5 per cent.

Those manufacturers surveyed sold almost 17 per cent of the national industrial output.

The director of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association. Mr I. D. Howell, said that forward orders were heavy, Canterbury's orders being 7 per cent above budget compared with the national average of 4 per cent.

While export sales at the end of last year were as budgeted in Canterbury, they were 7.5 per cent below budget nationally.'

Mr Howell said that export forward orders were also keeping up in Canterbury. They were 10 per cent above budget while nationally there had been a decline of 6 per cent.

“This relatively buoyant situation in Canterbury is also reflected in the demand for skilled labour and shows that Canterbury industry is producing goods which have demand on both the domestic and international markets,” he said.

“We are confident that if some of our problems in the field of transport and energy could be eased, Canterbury industry would be able to play an important role in reducing the level of unemployment in this area,” Mr Howell said.