According to a recent AHR Expo survey sent to more than 1,000 HVACR manufacturers worldwide, 70% of the respondents expect the economy to be better in 2013 than in 2012. In fact, 15% of these manufacturers expect a “much better year” while 28% percent of respondents expect the economy to remain the same. Just 3% expect it to be worse than 2012.

Most respondents (41%) said the residential sector would account for the strongest demand for new products, followed by Institutional (30%), Industrial (19%), light commercial (7%) and heavy commercial (3%). The industry categories expected to show the strongest growth were renovation/upgrade (42%), new construction (34%) and replacement (24%).

More than two thirds of the respondents (67%) predicted that the greatest demand for new products would come from domestic markets and 33% from international markets. Of these respondents, 52% said the greatest demand for new products would come from the healthcare segment, 45% from industrial plants, 43% educational marketplace and 42% government/civil.

To meet this demand, 75% of AHR Expo exhibitors said they will be introducing new products or services at the 2013 Show in Dallas, Jan. 28-30.

Click here for more survey results.