The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) has added a forecasting tool to the list of benefits it provides to greatly enhance the competitive advantage of its members. In response to member demand for market trend information, PTDA is working with Alan Beaulieu (pictured right), president of the Institute for Trend Research, to provide 400 distributors and manufacturers of power transmission/motion control products with the new PTDA Market Forecast at no additional cost. To be issued quarterly, the PTDA Market Forecast combines three targeted economic forecasts into one comprehensive report including macroeconomic analysis for the United States and Canada, forecasts for 10 of the most important North American customer markets served by PTDA members and a webinar facilitated by Beaulieu to help members use the market trend data in their business planning.

"This new member benefit is putting relevant and timely data in our members' hands, so they can anticipate the performance of their most critical customer markets," said David Mayer, PTDA's president in 2011 and vice president of marketing for Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation. "Access to this information is generally out of reach for the average PTDA member. By leveraging its resources, PTDA is able to provide all members, regardless of their budgets, with tools they can apply to make a tangible difference in their operations."

Offered exclusively to PTDA members at no charge, the report provides charts and commentary for the United States and Canada Industrial Production as well as the following 10 customer markets: food production, mining production (excluding oil and gas), North America light vehicle production, industrial machinery production, farm machinery shipments, electric power generation production, material handling equipment new orders, pulp, paper and board mills production, oil and gas extraction production and iron and steel products production.