The shut-down of industrial manufacturing plants this summer indicates the first signs of economic recovery for the automotive industry, which has been especially weakened by the global recession, according to Industrial Info Resources. Industrial factories typically close in the summer for high-value maintenance projects.

In the Great Lakes area and Southeast, the automotive industry is planning for the summer shut-down. Thirty-seven maintenance projects of a total $64 million are scheduled for the Great Lakes, the majority of which are automotive-related. The Southeast will see 22 automotive maintenance projects worth $34 million.

Compared to industries such as petroleum refining or chemical processing, the numbers are small. But Industrial Info Resources reports that the automotive maintenance work totaling $191 million represents a positive sign of recovery.