American manufacturing is in the middle of a genuine investment boom — but turning that capital into lasting competitiveness will hinge on one thing: productivity. That’s the central message heading into IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, where thousands of manufacturers and job shops will look for the tools, partnerships, and ideas needed to convert spending into real efficiency gains.
A Marketplace Backed by Record Numbers
IMTS functions as the meeting point between manufacturers and the technology companies serving them, and the data behind this year’s event tells a striking story. Metalworking machinery orders hit an all-time high of $3.44 billion in the first half of 2026 — a 36% jump from the previous year and the best six-month stretch since order tracking began in 1998. Durable goods orders also climbed, adding $3.6 billion in July alone to reach $339.3 billion, the fourth monthly gain in five months per Census Bureau figures. Meanwhile, the ISM Manufacturing PMI has now shown expansion for eight consecutive months, part of a broader 22-month growth streak across the economy.
Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT (the association that runs IMTS), frames the moment as a rare convergence of forces: renewed demand for domestic industrial capacity, reshoring, fresh foreign investment, new capital incentives, and a wave of emerging technology all landing at once. He points to aerospace, defense, medical device manufacturing, and AI infrastructure as sectors actively hunting for productivity breakthroughs.
The Productivity Numbers Behind the Headlines
Government data backs up the optimism. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show manufacturing labor productivity rose 2.4% in Q2 2026, driven by a 5.4% jump in output against a smaller 2.9% rise in hours worked. Durable-goods producers did even better — 3.6% productivity growth on 7.3% output gains — while unit labor costs actually dipped slightly, even as hourly pay increased.
Layer on top of that roughly $11 trillion in announced US investment commitments tracked by the White House, and it’s clear why IMTS matters as a venue this year.
Reshoring Momentum Continues
Harry Moser, founder of the Reshoring Initiative, describes the current wave of reshoring and foreign direct investment as holding strong, with projections nearing 338,000 newly announced US jobs in 2026. Moser will personally present the 2026 National Metalworking Reshoring Award to AccuRounds and to Three M Tool & Machine & Ultra-Grip, both cited as models for narrowing the country’s $1.3 trillion goods trade deficit — something Moser estimates will require roughly a 40% increase in domestic manufacturing output.
Education and Big-Name Speakers on the IMTS+ Main Stage
Beyond the show floor, IMTS runs more than 50 education sessions covering everything from defense manufacturing and AI to automation, additive technology, and workforce development. Notable speakers include Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher (Director, Submarine Programs, US Department of War) discussing data-driven submarine production, plus representatives from the WIRE directorate addressing workforce strategy. A separate session pairs Captain Jason Deichler with Barnes Global Advisors’ John Barnes to explore the Navy’s expanding use of 3D printing.
National labs Oak Ridge and Sandia will showcase additive-manufacturing-built drones and test vehicles demonstrating rapid surge production. Corporate voices span Autodesk, AWS, Boom Supersonic, Caterpillar, Google Cloud, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Mazak, Microsoft, and Siemens, alongside investment perspectives from Bain & Co., Cantor Fitzgerald, and others. A session featuring retired astronaut Wendy Lawrence and NASA’s Dr. Sharon Cobb will cover the manufacturing behind space exploration.
Haddy co-founder and CEO Jay Rogers will speak on AI-powered robotic 3D printing — a technology his company applies to drone boats, aircraft components, furniture, and even Disney World show sets — framing it as central to boosting the country’s overall productivity.
New Equipment Aimed at Doing More With Less
For machine shops, equipment purchases represent the single largest capital decision they’ll make, which is why the new CNC platforms debuting at IMTS matter. Jim Belosic, founder and CEO of SendCutSend, notes that investing in top-tier CNC and fabrication technology translates directly into fewer defects, less rework, and lower costs for customers.
New releases on display emphasize doing more with fewer setups — 5-axis and multitasking capability, hybrid manufacturing, process consolidation, and unattended operation. Highlights include:
- DN Solutions’ AM2CNC 5-axis platform with automatic workpiece changing
- Hurco’s BM500U, supporting 5-axis or 3+2 machining plus an eight-station pallet changer
- Makino’s a630iT horizontal machining center running Pro7 Control
- Okuma’s MULTUS U1000 compact multitasking lathe with a 13-pallet tower
- Trevisan Machine Tool’s GT350 combining milling and U-axis turning
- United Machining Solutions’ Mikron Mill E 700 U Prime and AgieCharmilles wire EDM
MakingChips podcast hosts Mike Payne (Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication) and Paul Van Metre (ProShop ERP) will break down this year’s technology across Main Stage sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Payne emphasizes that the show floor reveals what’s possible, while the conference programming helps shops figure out how to invest with confidence. Van Metre adds that IMTS lets attendees learn from people who’ve already solved these operational challenges, rather than starting from zero.
Bottom Line
With capital flowing in and productivity metrics trending upward, IMTS 2026 positions itself as the place where that momentum turns into concrete shop-floor decisions. The show runs September 14–19, 2026 at McCormick Place in Chicago.