Last week, I Make America teamed up with Bobcat and traveled to Versalift Midwest to give away a Bobcat UV-34 utility task vehicle to the winner of the 2021 Utility Expo giveaway. The UTV was sponsored by Bobcat and awarded to Catherine Vogler for her support of I Make America and the pro-manufacturing policies for which the campaign fights.
Vogler, described by her peers as “an integral part of our program,” had attended the 2021 Utility Expo and signed up to engage with the grassroots advocacy campaign and committed to sending a letter to her elected officials calling for pro-manufacturing policies like a transformative investment in our nation's infrastructure, a pipeline of skilled labor, the need to keep rural America resilient and more. Her participation qualified her for a chance to win the Bobcat UTV.
Bobcat, a global leader in the compact equipment industry, was proud to partner with AEM to help promote awareness about I Make America and its critical manufacturing industry initiatives.
"We believe it's important manufacturers have a strong voice in public policy discussions," said Laura Ness Owens, vice president, Bobcat vice president, brand & marketing. "We take great pride in our continued partnership with AEM and I Make America. When we work together, we raise the awareness level on issues that directly impact our industry."
The presentation of the Bobcat UTV was held at Versalift Midwest’s facility in Shelby Carter Township, Michigan, just outside of Detroit.
AEM’s Grassroots Advocacy Director Wade Balkonis, who was on site for the giveaway, spoke about the importance of I Make America supporters,. “The success of I Make America would not be possible without the engagement from our member companies and their employees who don’t shy away from showing state, local, and federal lawmakers the impact of America's equipment manufacturing industry and the economic contributions our industry provides for communities across America,” said Balkonis.
Bruce Hardt, Vice President of HR for Time Manufacturing Company, parent company to Versalift Midwest, also shared his excitement for Vogler.
"U.S. equipment manufacturing is the backbone of American Sustainability," said Hardt. "Versalift has proudly designed, manufactured, and distributed world-class aerial lifts since 1965. As we have executed upon our global growth plan, we have seen manufacturing jobs grow from 600 to over 2100 associates in the last five years. We are happy to see Catherine at Versalift Midwest, a longstanding and hardworking team member awarded this great prize in support of the 'I Make America' campaign.”
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