Wonder

Research Outline

Prepared for Alyson K. | Delivered February 4, 2020

Product Manufacturing Industry

Goals

For the Product Manufacturing Industry, identify market size, projected growth, opportunities, threats, and challenges.  For the key players Apogee Enterprises, Armstrong Flooring, Firestone Building Products Company, Armstrong Ceilings, Carlisle Construction Materials, Mohawk Industries, and Kawneer, provide their financials, organizational charts, SWOT analyses, and case studies in operational improvements.  The geographic scope should be the US. 

Early Findings

Product Manufacturing IndustryMarket Size
According to IBIS World, the total revenue for the US manufacturing industry in 2019 was $6.15 trillion and the industry is expected to decline at an annual rate of 0.9% between 2019 and 2024.
 Glass Product Manufacturing has an anticipated market size of $30.1 billion in 2020 with an annual growth of 1.8%. 
Key Players
The companies with the largest market share according to IBIS World are Exxon Mobil Corporation, The Boeing Company, and Ford Motor Company. 
Threats and Opportunities
 IBIS World suggests that a major threat to the industry is the declining price of steel, which restricts low value-added manufacturers. A major opportunity is the growing US GDP, which expands demand in all sectors of the economy. 
US manufacturing is the largest in the world, producing 18.2% of the world's goods, although high operating costs are threatening America's leadership position. 
A major reason for the decline of the US manufacturing industry is the US' shift to a service-based economy, a trend that does not show signs of reversing. 
Apogee EnterprisesFinancial Information
Apogee Enterprises' revenues grew by 19% to $1.3 billion in 2018. 
It generated $127 million in operating cash flow and had a gross profit of $333.52 million in 2018. 
Apogee's Architectural framing systems segment is its largest and most profitable segment. 
 Organizational Chart
 The Official Board has an organizational chart of Apogee that includes its board and upper leadership that was updated last in December 2019. 
Apogee's Governance web page has profiles for its board members and c-suite. 
Case Studies in Operational Improvements
In an April 2019 press release from Apogee, CEO Joseph Puishys predicted "continued operational improvements" in the Architectural Glass segment.
 In an Earnings Call in December 2019, Puishys cited operational difficulties in several of the Framing segments as one of the reasons that the quarter's results were low. 