The March 2020 reading of 41.0 was the lowest reading in the GBI’s history which dates back to late-2011. The promising figures recorded in January and February hinted that a manufacturing rebound was at hand after a soft second-half of 2019. February’s data in particular seemed to suggest a nascent recovery was beginning to take root. This sanguine outlook was before COVID-19 forced much of the economy to close. The effects have been acute, supply chain deliveries have slowed due to large-scale disruption and new orders and production activity have sharply contracted.

One thing the data is not reporting is the sheer volume of manufacturers offering to help in the fight against COVID-19. While the world cannot immediately increase the numbers of doctors, nurses and first-responders to fight this virus, manufacturers are well aware that they have the talent and ability to arm each healthcare provider with the equipment they need to protect themselves and quite literally save lives. Godspeed to all of you.

**CORRECTION:  In our video we cited Custom Processors and their business index results for March.  The data actually represented plastics and rubber processors, our apologies **