Spring and Wire Product Manufacturers NAICS 3326

Jan 18, 2026 - Supply Chain Consolidation

• Consolidation among steel mills and service centers, combined with 50% Section 232 tariffs, is reshaping the steel supply chain, The Fabricator reports. Steel products manufacturers, including primary springs and wire producers, are expected to feel supply chain changes acutely. Mergers such as Ryerson–Olympic Steel and Russel Metals’ acquisition of Kloeckner facilities concentrate distribution power, reducing options for smaller buyers and increasing dependence on fewer service centers for specialty grades, custom cuts, and just‑in‑time inventory. Moreover, tariffs have sharply reduced imports, tightening domestic supply and driving up prices for steel products used in blades and tools. With service centers no longer pressured to move inventory quickly, prices rise faster, fall slower, and become harder to negotiate. Manufacturers face longer lead times, fewer financing options, and diminished leverage in sourcing high‑quality steels. The result is a more volatile, less competitive supply environment that raises production costs and complicates planning.
• US factory activity shrank in October for an eighth straight month, driven by a pullback in production and tepid demand, The Wall Street Journal reported in November citing the latest data from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). In October, ISM’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 48.7 from 49.1 in September (a reading under 50 indicated contraction), with production, new orders, and employment all contracting, reversing short-lived gains seen in previous months. Six manufacturing industries reported growth in October with Primary Metals, Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products, and Transportation Equipment topping the list. A dozen industries reported contraction for the month including Textile Mills, Apparel, Leather & Allied Products, Furniture & Related Products, and Machinery. WSJ noted that tariffs and their impact on prices and demand featured highly in respondents’ answers to ISM’s survey.

• The US Small Business Administration has launched what it calls its first-ever loan program dedicated to supporting America’s small manufacturers by providing additional credit for working capital needs. Effective Oct. 1, 2025 the Manufacturer’s Access to Revolving Credit (MARC) Loan Program provides a maximum of $5 million to borrowers engaged in manufacturing (NAICS 31-33), according to the agency. The money must be used for working capital needs, such as inventory purchases or new projects. MARC capital can be structured as a term loan for up to 10 years or a revolving line of credit for up to 20 years and the loan can be used in combination with other SBA and conventional commercial loans. The MARC loan program is part of the Trump administration’s larger effort to strengthen US manufacturing.
• Producer prices for spring and wire product manufacturers rose 4.3% in September compared to a year ago after rising 4.5% in the previous September-versus-September annual comparison, according to the latest US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The industry producer price is at a record high amid increases in input costs, including metals and labor. Employment by hardware, spring, and wire product manufacturers shrank 3.1% year over year in August, while wages at fabricated metal product manufacturers rose 4.1% YoY in September to a record high of $27.59 per hour, BLS data show.