Q.E.P. - Competitors

Q.E.P. Competition

Now Viewing Q.E.P.'s competition in: Handtool and Cutlery Manufacture (primary)

Recent Developments

Construction Market Woes Continue - The value of construction put in place, a demand indicator for handtools and cutlery products, continued to decline in May 2008 as total construction fell 6 percent compared to the same period the previous year. Although residential construction, which is suffering from the ongoing mortgage crisis, fell nearly 30 percent, commercial construction increased 11.6 percent. Particularly strong sectors within the commercial construction market include lodging, 35.7 percent growth; manufacturing, 34.2 percent; power, 27.1 percent; and public safety, 23.9 percent.

Handtool, Cutlery Production Falls - Industrial production of handtools and cutlery products decreased 10.5 percent in May 2008 compared to May 2007. Two industries the handtool sector depends on, construction and manufactured durable goods, both declined in May. Construction spending fell 6 percent, while shipments of durable goods declined just over 1.1 percent. Consumers may also be postponing handtool and cutlery purchases as they cope with higher food and fuel prices.

Exports Buoy Demand - Exports of handtools and cutlery increased 16.8 percent in the first five months of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago. A weak dollar, which makes US-made goods more attractive to foreign markets, is contributing to the general growth of exports. The strongest growth in cutlery and handtool exports was in China where US exports grew nearly 60 percent. Other developing countries also posted large gains: Venezuela, 55 percent and Brazil, 42 percent.

Competitive Landscape

Demand depends heavily on the construction and building repair industries. The profitability of individual companies depends on marketing and efficient production. Large companies have economies of scale in purchasing and production. Small firms can compete by making specialty products. Production is highly automated: annual revenue per worker is about $250,000.

Full Industry Overview For Handtool and Cutlery Manufacture

Handtool and Cutlery Manufacture Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The output of US handtool and cutlery manufacturing is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 5.5 percent between 2007 and 2012.

Handtool and Cutlery Production Growth Steadies

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.