Friday, November 6, 2026 from Stone World

Fabricators are going into 2027 planning to invest. Stone World’s 2026 Fabricator Equipment Trends Study, conducted with myCLEARopinion Insights Hub, found that half of fabricators surveyed (50%) plan to invest in equipment next year. That makes equipment the top area for planned investment, ahead of personnel (46%) and marketing (40%). The budgets are large, too: 42% expect capital outlays above $1 million in 2027, and roughly two-thirds expect to spend at least $500,000.

Artificial intelligence is one of the biggest stories in the data. Already, 44% of respondents use AI software or services, and 38% plan to invest in AI over the next two to three years. Only hand tools (40%) ranked higher, and AI came in ahead of digital templating, CNC stoneworking centers and robotic equipment.

The study also looks at how shops make big purchases. Most buy new: 76% consider new equipment primarily or exclusively. Nearly two-thirds (65%) pay with cash or company funds, and 34% make a major equipment investment every two to three years. When choosing a machine, fabricators rank quality and reliability first (65%), followed by capabilities and features (56%). Manufacturer service and support tied purchase price at 52%. Price matters, but it isn’t what wins the sale.

Even with all that care, 60% of respondents said a major equipment purchase didn’t live up to expectations. Among those shops, the top problems were unexpected downtime and reliability issues (42% each). Next came weak ROI, smaller productivity gains than expected, and poor manufacturer service and support (35% each). In other words, the qualities fabricators say matter most when buying are the same ones that let them down once the machine is running.

To dig into these findings, join Stone World for “What to Consider Before Upgrading your Shop,” live on Nov. 17, 2026, at 2 p.m. EST and sponsored by WIE and TISE. In this webinar, industry experts will walk through what fabricators should evaluate before investing in new machinery. Register at stoneworld.com.