Industrial Heating's monthly economic indicators, developed specifically for the thermal processing industry, continue to show strong gains. Both orders and RFQs continue to grow at very strong rates. Backlogs have also continued to grow, showing strong bookings for many thermal process equipment, component and supplies manufacturers. The forward-looking "Health of the Thermal Processing Industry" indicator also reported strong, positive figures in March. March 2005 index numbers reflect the changes experienced by responding companies as they compare their March 2005 business levels to February 2005 levels. March 2005 Index Numbers: Change in number of Request for Proposals from February to March: 63.2 Change in the Number of Orders from February to March: 57.9 Change in Backlog from February to March: 55.6 Expected change in the Health of Thermal Processing Industry through April: 61.2 A number above 50.0 indicates increased activity or growth. A number below 50.0 indicates decreased activity or a decline in growth. Look for these numbers, along with historical values, on the editorial page of the May 2005 issue of Industrial Heating. Roughly 1,200 industry suppliers are contacted via e-mail to participate in a web-based survey the first full week of each month. If you are an industry supplier and would like to participate in this monthly survey, please contact Industrial Heating publisher Doug Glenn by phone: 412-306-4351 or e-mail: doug@industrialheating.com.