The Spring meeting for the Hand Tool Institute was held at the Loews Ventana Hotel in Tucson, Arizona, March 21-24. Members spent four days conducting business impacting the hand tool business in the aftermarket and retail channels.
Reports were presented for sales in consumer spending, automotive, industrial, international, e-Channel, government, aerospace and other markets. The view is optimistic that the current economic conditions will remain favorable through 2019 wherein 2020 has signs of the economy possibly slowing.
Joel Naroff was this year’s presenting economist.
The Hand Tools Institute, founded in 1935, is the trade association of North American manufacturers of non-powered hand tools and toolboxes.
The objectives of the Institute are to promote and further the interests of its members relative to manufacturing, safety standardization, international trade and government relations.
The Institute prepares and disseminates educational materials, conducts market surveys, identifies legal, legislative, regulatory and economic trends affecting the industry.
HTI actively seeks to promote good relations and cooperation with other associations, the American National Standards Institute, the National Safety Council and government agencies and legislatures.
