WESTPORT, Conn. — Optimism among HVACR manufacturers worldwide about economic conditions and the outlook for their own businesses has soared to record highs, according to the latest AHR Expo and ASHRAE Journal Annual Economic Outlook Survey, with 89 percent of responders forecasting excellent or good growth, up 15 percent from the already positive outlook in 2017.
That optimism also translated into higher 2018 sales forecasts for the industry, with 74 percent of respondents forecasting growth rates of greater than 5 percent, jumping 14 percent when compared to the 65 percent of responders who predicted high growth in 2017.