Motor shipments post solid gains

NEMA reported an increase of 6.1 percent in motor shipments during the fourth quarter of 2009 according to its latest Motors Shipments Index (MSI), released today. The increase marks the second consecutive gain for the index. Nonetheless, demand for motors remains weak compared to its performance of recent years, as the MSI is still 5.7 percent below the level posted in the fourth quarter of 2008, NEMA said. Inflation- and seasonally-adjusted shipments of fractional horsepower motors rose for the third consecutive quarter, while integral horsepower motors saw only their second increase in the past seven quarters.