Laundry industry sales grew about 2 percent per year from 1990 to 1997. Unit volume grew annually at a steady 2 to 3 percent. Increased sales were largely the result of an increase in housing starts and escalating consumer expenditures
Total retail sales in 1997 reached $24 billion
Economic conditions in Asia in 1997-1998 caused sales of diamonds to decline, which resulted in an oversupply.
O'Neal Steel Inc. of Birmingham, Alabama led the industry with almost $1.8 billion in sales for its fiscal year ended June 30, 1997.
In the entire industry (including advertising specialties), the average sales per employee totaled $95,526. This represented a 6 percent upswing in profitability compared to 1995, when average sales per employee totaled $90,046.
The overall paper and forest products industry was on the upswing between spring 1997 and fall 1998.
Showing only modest gains in the early 1990s, industry sales hit $1.73 billion in 1994 but then drew back to $1.67 billion in 1995, when manufacturers reported sluggish retail sales. By 1997, sales were back up to $1.8 billion
The industry relies heavily on consumer advertising for retail sales, spending $517 million on such advertising in 1998, up 8 percent from 1997.
Its 1997 sales were estimated at $430 million
After declining from $11.93 billion in 1997 to $11.52 billion in 1999, metal can industry shipments rebounded slightly to $11.58 in 2000.
United Technologies Automotive Inc. Engineered Systems Div. led the industry with $975 million in 1997 sales, Cerro Metal Products Co and the Kurt Manufacturing Co.
In 1990 this industry had 237 companies. This number rose to 573 in 1997, but fell back to 216 in 2001.
Alarm industry revenues were $13.9 billion in 1997