Flender/Flender Gear Units/Helical gear reducer H3
declined from $2.1 billion to $7 million during 1-8 largely because domestic oil drilling decreased dramatically as result of uncertainty

over prices and supply. Fluctuating prices led to conservative investment policies by the oil companies in the United States. Many

operators have moved their oil-drilling operations abroad, believing that foreign sites hold greater promise than .. locations since some foreign

countries are offering improved drilling incentives. The general material handling market segment covers many diverse applications, from conveyors used on

farms and in mining to those used in processing plants and factories, as well as all types of elevators and cranes. Much of this market is for replacement units or upgrades of existing material handling lines, as establishments rearrange their flow of materials in the plant to gain efficiencies. The products used in material handling are relatively standard, but custom-designed units are required for unusual applications or for extreme operating environments. Demand for mining machinery rose toward the end of the 1-8 period Higher prices for most mine products, combined with reduced consumer stocks, led to greater mining activity. Asa result, many .. mines made investments in machinery and equipment, such as in-pit crushing equipment and high capacity conveyor systems. The metals processing machinery industries in the United States, which include the metal processing machinery and machine tool industries, were weak markets for .. gear producers during 1-8. .. consumption of metal cutting and forming machine tools grew by nearly 2 percent but shipments showed only 7-percent increase during the period. .. imports supplied an increasing share of consumption, rising from 3 percent in 1 to 4 rcent in 1. Another machinery market with reduced demand for domestic industrial gearing was primary metals processing, including steel. Since 1, .. steel producers have investe