(NAFB) – Equipment Manufacturers report a positive outlook for 2021, according to a new survey by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.

The survey found 88 percent of manufacturers report a positive outlook for 2021, while more than half expect sales to increase or remain stable despite the ongoing impact of the global pandemic. The online survey was targeted to employees of AEM member companies and includes results from more than 130 respondents, including CEOs, vice presidents, and sales and operations leaders, among others.

AEM President Dennis Slater says, “Equipment manufacturers have begun to turn the corner.”

Looking at the biggest challenges facing company executives and the equipment manufacturing industry as a whole in 2021, respondents indicated that the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and keeping employees safe and on the job remain the top concerns, followed by finding skilled workers for new jobs being created.

One in eight respondents said that COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on how they work.