SUGAR LAND--July 12, 2010- Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--It has been no secret that the sectors that make up the Industrial Manufacturing Industry have been suffering throughout the recession in the United States. Spending has been trending downward as companies have focused on consolidation rather than expansion during the past 18 months. However, as the national economy has begun recovering, companies are once again beginning to invest money in expansion rather than consolidation. During the first half of 2010, 249 capital and maintenance projects worth an estimated $9.7 billion began construction within the Industrial Manufacturing Industry in the U.S., a significant reduction from a year ago, when $17 billion worth of projects began construction between January and June 2009.