AEM Elects Walker to Board of Directors

James E. Walker, VP, Case IH NAFTA for CNH in Racine, Wis., has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the North American-based international trade group for companies that manufacture equipment, products and services used worldwide in the agricultural, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors.

AEM directors help set the guidelines and operating policies of the association on behalf of its members in areas including public policy, equipment statistics and market information, trade shows, technical and product safety support, global business development, education/training, workforce development and worksite safety/educational materials.

AEM Pillar of the Industry Award Winners

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the I Make America campaign announce the 2012 recipients of the annual Pillar of the Industry awards, given to companies achieving or maintaining Gold status in the campaign.
The awards recognize the companies’ tremendous dedication and outstanding contributions to the people and communities of the equipment manufacturing industry through extensive I Make America campaign activities in support of pro-manufacturing policies to improve the economy. AEM and I Make America initiated the awards in 2011 to honor the work of these true industry champions.
For 2012 a total 19 companies received Pillar of the Industry Awards – 16 for achieving Gold Status this year, and 3 honored as Gold Year 2 winners, for maintaining their Gold-level status earned last year. Winners were announced at AEM’s recent annual conference.

I Make America is a grassroots campaign launched in September 2010 to dramatically improve American manufacturing policies to create more jobs in the U.S. and keep the nation’s economy competitive with other countries. The campaign has enlisted the support of more than 22,000 people to date nationwide, AEM’s 850+ member companies, and industry organizations.

“I Make America has been a great success thanks to the outstanding support of our AEM member companies. We are pleased to honor these companies who have raised the bar of public affairs advocacy and we commend their efforts through these Pillar of the Industry awards,” said Dennis Slater, AEM president. “As members of AEM, they exemplify the commitment we need from all manufacturers around the country to send the message to Congress and the White House that our economy is in urgent need of manufacturing policies that will help create jobs.”

I Make America Gold-Level supporters have achieved participation benchmarks marking them as industry leaders. Activities can include significant employee involvement; outreach to their state, local and federal legislators; promoting campaign sign-ups at trade shows and with allied trade associations; and production of A Day in American Life video telling the story of how their companies, employees and communities “make America.”

2012 Pillar of the Industry Award Winners
 
Three companies earned Year 2 Gold status:

• Angus-Palm
• Caterpillar
• International Construction Equipment (ICE)

And 16 companies earned Gold Status:

• Calder Brothers Corporation
• CLAAS of America
• CNH
• General Kinematics
• Kondex Corporation
• Krone NA
• Miller Electric Manufacturing
• Paladin Attachments
• Screen Machine Industries
• Steel of West Virginia
• Stellar Industries
• Sullivan-Palatek
• Telsmith
• Volvo Construction Equipment
• Wolf Robotics
• Woods Equipment Company

AEM Urges Obama to Approve Keystone Pipeline

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is speaking out with other national organizations calling on the Obama administration to approve the Keystone XL project without further delay.

AEM President Dennis Slater urged President Obama in a letter to take immediate action; AEM also joined with other construction and business groups in an industry call-to-action letter. AEM will continue to work with allied organizations to push for support of the pipeline. Slater noted that the project will create 20,000 high-wage jobs in construction and manufacturing.

Slater said the project will "help provide a stable supply of North American energy to America consumers …. (as) recent tensions in the Middle East and concern over the safety of the Straits of Hormuz necessitate that the United States enact sound energy policies that focus on expanding North American energy supplies and maintaining stable prices for American consumers."

The Keystone XL could provide 4 million barrels a day by 2020, twice what the U.S. currently imports from the Persian Gulf, Slater noted. "Enhancing our energy partnership with Canada will strengthen America’s energy and economic future."

The Keystone XL pipeline has been vetted for environmental concerns for more than three years by the U.S. Department of State. The final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued August 26, 2011 found that the proposed pipeline will have "limited adverse environmental impacts" during construction and operation, Slater stated in his letter. "Additionally, the (EIS) document concluded that the pipeline 'would have a degree of safety greater than any typically constructed domestic oil pipeline system under current regulations.' "

Slater concluded, "Mr. President, AEM strongly urges you to act swiftly to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. This pipeline will initiate immediate and long term economic benefits and is in the best interests of all Americans."

AEM Releases Outlook

Construction equipment manufacturers anticipate overall business to close out 2011 with double-digit increases over last year in the United States, Canada and worldwide. Growth is expected to continue but at a slower pace for 2012 through 2014, according to the annual business "outlook" survey of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

AEM is the North American-based international trade group representing the off-road equipment manufacturing industry. Each year the association polls its construction equipment manufacturer members about anticipated sales of the machines and equipment that build and repair roads, bridges, houses, offices, schools and other infrastructure worldwide.

Respondents were asked to rank several factors affecting future business. The state of the general economy, including consumer confidence and credit availability, plus steel prices and the protracted slump in single-family housing starts, are significant negative factors influencing future sales, according to AEM "outlook" survey respondents. A key positive factor cited was the continued strength in export demand. The lack of substantial action on highway funding was cited as a negative factor, with respondents more hopeful for positive results in 2012.

Survey Summary

In the just-released summary of the AEM construction equipment "outlook" survey:

• For 2011, overall business in the U.S. is expected to grow 18.6 percent compared to last year; Canadian business is forecast to increase 14.7 percent; and industry business to the rest of the world is anticipated to gain 14.7 percent.
• U.S. construction machinery business is then predicted to grow 10.8 percent in 2012, 9.9 percent in 2013, and 8.1 percent in 2014.
• Canadian business overall is expected to be 9.0 percent higher in 2012, then increase 9.8 percent in 2013 and 7.3 percent in 2014.
• Industry business to the rest of the world is anticipated to gain 10.5 percent in 2012, 9.5 percent in 2013, and 8.2 percent in 2014.

"In 2011, construction equipment manufacturing kept improving from the depths of the recession as the economy stabilized. Earlier this year it looked like the economy was truly turning around, but we still have some uncertainty, in both U.S. and international markets, and this is hampering stronger, more sustainable growth," stated AEM President Dennis Slater. "2012 is an election year, which does not bode well for meaningful action in Washington; both sides are already in full ‘campaign mode,’ it seems, and this presents a real danger of a stalling economy.

"Congress needs to focus on manufacturing policies that create and maintain jobs, not unnecessary and excessive regulatory and tax policy burdens," he added. "That is why we are continuing and expanding our ‘I Make America’ grassroots effort; it promotes a better understanding and appreciation of the vital role of manufacturing to a thriving American economy – providing good jobs, tax revenues and investment in local communities, for example.

"Action on federal highway funding will bring some stability to an important industry segment," Slater said. "A well-maintained and adequate transportation system is critical not just for our sector but for business and our nation overall; it is essential for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods and to keep the U.S. competitive in the global marketplace.

"Export sales have been crucial to help many manufacturers get through the recession, and they still contribute greatly to a positive balance sheets for many companies. That’s why export-friendly policies such as free trade agreements are important to keep American companies in business."

Scope of Survey

This year’s AEM "outlook" survey summary results cover approximately 40 different types of whole machines, attachments and components. Survey responses predicted industry-wide expectations rather than individual company performance, and unit sales rather than company profitability. The final survey results will be posted online when available at www.aem.org.