POTOMAC FALLS, VI -- Based on the Architectural Woodwork Institute's (AWI) 2015 Cost of Doing Business Survey and Compensation Study (CODBS), the business environment has improved significantly for its members.

The study found that overall sentiment about the next six months reached an overall high of 82%. Respondents also reported positive sentiments about their sales pipeline and general business condition, with high-profit firms responding more positively than other firms. According to the CODBS, high-profit manufacturing firms (of all amounts of square footage) have operating margins of 17% compared with the average operating margin of 5.1%.

AWI members in the study also reported an increase in capital investments over the last 12 months with 30% of high-profit firms investing $100,000 or more in the last 12 months. Approximately 21% of those firms expect to invest $100,000 or more in the next year, which is down 10% from 2014. Additionally, 28% of all respondents plan on increasing personnel by 10% or more over the next year.