Shipments of U.S. packaging machinery grew 19% in 2011, reaching $7.7 billion, according to PMMI’s 2012 Shipments Study released on October 3, 2012. PMMI’s annual research also shows total consumption in the United States climbing by 23% to $8.8 billion.

“Positive growth is always good news,” says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMI. “And within that 19% jump in U.S. packaging machinery shipments, we saw 20% growth domestically and 16 percent in exports.”

Imported packaging machinery sales also increased, by about $500 million, Izquierdo points out: “U.S. companies spent 35% more on imported packaging machinery in 2011.”

The distribution of sales among market segments did not shift much, if at all however. Food (36%) and beverage (24%) accounted for the vast majority of sales, as they have since PMMI began conducting this study in the mid-1990s. In 2011, the two categories combined to account for 60% of shipments.

The only machine category that didn’t see its greatest sales in food or beverage was Blister, Skin/Vacuum Packaging Machines, in which 59% of its sales were to the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device market.

“But even then, foods accounted for 41% of category sales,” Izquierdo notes. “The foods market led 16 of the 25 total categories, and beverages led in eight.”

Converting machines — container/material manufacturing had the greatest dollar sales in 2011, the Shipments Study finds, with $760 million, about 10% of the total market. “Coding, Printing, Marking Stamping and Imprinting (Not on a Label)” followed, with $520 million (7%) of the market.

As of December 31, 2011, the backlog on orders was $2.3 billion, PMMI reports. While the dollar figure for backlogs increased by 28 percent from 2010 ($1.8 billion), it was actually a smaller share of the total shipments figure — 30% in 2011 vs. 33% in 2010.