The ISA Manufacturers Index decreased from 63.5% in July to 61.6%, while the Distributor Index decreased from 62.0% to 58.6%. For each index, a reading above 50% indicates expansion, while a reading below 50% indicates contraction.

“This month’s results shows that ISA members are continuing to see business expansion, but at a slightly slower rate than the previous month,” said John Buckley, ISA executive vice president. “This is true for members as a whole and for those members that focus on cutting tools. The ISA Cutting Tools Manufacturer Index for August was at 61.12%, compared to 67.5% the previous month.”

The Industrial Supply Association is the leading association for members of the maintenance, repair, operations and production (MROP) supply chain, representing nearly 1,000 companies worldwide.