News
A Century-Old Manufacturer and the Town It Supports
Draper, Inc. is an unusual manufacturer: a company with 700 employees located in a town—Spiceland, Indiana—with only 900 residents. Draper President Chris Broome said the town would “look a lot different” without Draper, and the company has “grown with the community”—hiring many residents of Spiceland, working closely with the school system, supporting the town library …
ENERGY STAR Program Gets EPA Funding for FY2026
The Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program is one step closer to continuation, thanks to NAM advocacy to secure funding in a bicameral appropriations measure released this week (
Single-Family Home Sales Rise, Condos and Co-Ops Remain the Same
Existing home sales increased 1.5% in September and 4.1% over the year. Housing inventory stepped up to 1.55 million units, reflecting a 1.3% rise from August and 14.0% jump from last year. The median existing home price was $415,200, up 2.1% from last year. The Northeast, South and West posted monthly increases in existing home …
Manufacturing Activity Advances to a Two-Month High
The S&P Global Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI rose from 52.0 to 52.2 in October, a two-month high. This continues the trend in business conditions with nine of the past 10 months signaling growth. Factory production grew for the fifth consecutive month, while new orders increased at the steepest pace in one-and-a-half years, driven by the …
Production Index Increased, New Order and Employment Indexes Decreased
Manufacturing activity increased in the Tenth District in October, with the month-over-month composite index rising 2 points to 6 from September. Meanwhile, expectations for future activity jumped 7 points to 14. The Tenth Federal Reserve District encompasses the western third of Missouri; all of Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wyoming; and the northern half of …
Energy Costs Accelerate in September
In September, consumer prices increased 0.3% over the month and 3.0% over the year, up from the 2.9% annual rise in August but lower than the 3.1% advance anticipated. Core CPI, which excludes more volatile energy and food prices, rose 0.2% over the month and 3.0% over the year, slightly lower than the 3.1% 12-month …
Labor Quality and Taxes Tie as Top Concerns for Small Business Owners
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index dropped 2 points to 98.8 in September, remaining slightly above the 52-year average of 98. September’s decrease was due primarily to a decline in the share of small business owners expecting better business conditions and an increase in reports of excess inventory. Of the 10 components included in the …
