“The forecast for the packaging machinery market is strong. We continue to anticipate growth in major market segments such as pharmaceutical as well as beverage. Factors such as changing consumer habits, new regulations as well as general economic development are fueling this development,” says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, Market Development, PMMI.

The labeling, decorating and coding and case handling machinery groups are projected to have the fastest growth, with projected CAGRs of 3.9 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. The pharmaceutical sector is projected to have a CAGR of 2.8 percent through 2020, while the beverage sector is forecast to grow at 2.4 percent.

The value of domestic shipments of U.S.-produced machinery increased by 0.3 percent in 2015 to end the year at $7.51 billion. Exports went up 3.2 percent compared to 2014, and are at $1.1 billion. Backlog orders of packaging machinery grew by 14 percent compared to the end of 2014.

The State of the Industry study is based on U.S. Census Bureau reports and data provided by packaging machinery manufacturers who are PMMI members. The report analyzed 28 packaging machinery categories to identify trends in the industry and produce an outlook for shipments through 2020.