It’s been a summer AEM, its staff, and the member companies who have participated in the AEM Manufacturing Express won’t soon forget.
Since the first week of July, the AEM’s interactive mobile tour has traveled thousands of miles and made dozens of stops across 11 states to highlight all the ways in which equipment manufacturing contributes to society today.
The numbers help paint a picture of the industry’s impact -- 11% of manufacturing jobs are supported by equipment manufacturing, which represents 2.3 million men and women and contributes $316 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product annually. From creating family-sustaining jobs and driving innovation, to supporting the movement of people and goods and helping to power vital public services and utilities, there is so much to celebrate, recognize, and admire about the industry. So, even as August comes to a close and summer turns to fall, the goal of AEM’s largest-ever public engagement initiative remains the same: tell the story of the people, organizations, and programs driving equipment manufacturing forward.
This past week, the AEM Manufacturing Express made its first of two trips to Tennessee to visit ASTEC, before making four stops in Georgia and turning north and into South Carolina. Along the route, AEM continued to tell the story of equipment manufacturing through events, activities, and content, as well as speak with one collective voice about the bipartisan pro-manufacturing policies the industry needs.
At ASTEC last week Wednesday, company employees and AEM staff were afforded the opportunity to meet with U.S. Sen. Marcia Blackburn (R-TN), who conveyed her support for a company that builds the asphalt plants that provide 40% of the world’s asphalt market. “An event like this is important to our workers because it shows that someone is paying attention to the work they do and the equipment they build,” responded ASTEC Director of Marketing Brandon Meredith. “It’s good to know they have representation in the industry.”
After one day spent in the Volunteer State, the AEM Manufacturing Express worked its way southeast into Georgia for a Thursday “doubleheader” of visits at AGCO Corporation and Kubota Manufacturing of America. At AGCO in Duluth, Georgia, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp detailed all the ways in which AGCO and other equipment manufacturers are providing employment opportunities for citizens in the Peach State. And, as detailed in a feature article that led off the Aug. 19 edition of AEM’s Industry Advisor member newsletter, a new workforce development initiative is helping AGCO further develop and equip its employees with the skills needed for the roles they occupy today and tomorrow. AGCO’s CATALYST Rotational Program provides full-time employment to post-graduate students around the globe. Those embarking on their new careers receive more than just a full-time job, though. CATALYST employees know they will also be embarking on an extended journey of professional development at the company. “Talent management can’t just be about what an employee can give to your company,” said Lori Goldberg, the company’s vice president of global talent solutions. “It also has to be about what you can give back to the employee. Our CATALYST employees have the education and core skills our company needs on day one. Once they’re here, we want to keep filling up their personal toolkits with other essential skills they need to become seasoned professionals.”
Following a successful visit at AGCO, the AEM Manufacturing made a short 32-mile trip north to Gainesville and Kubota. According to a newly published story on manufacturingexpress.org., the official tour website, the company’s top priority is to put its people first. “Our purpose is to build a better future for our employees, and create generational impact through families, communities, and our customers,” said Kubota Vice President of Human Resources and Facilities Ryan Owen.
The AEM Manufacturing Express then closed out its eighth week on the road with a visit to SANY America’s Peachtree, Georgia facility, a building used as the set for the Avengers’ headquarters in blockbuster Marvel films such as Avengers: Endgame. Even though SANY is proud of its distinction as the world’s No. 1 hydraulic excavator manufacturer and a major global player in the construction manufacturing industry, its logo alludes to the three core tenants that drive the company’s priorities: First-class enterprise, first-class talent, and first-class contribution to the community. According to Peachtree City Council Member Clint Holland, SANY America’s presence and impact are both felt at the community level. “Peachtree City is a business city. We want to see you guys grow, and we appreciate you bringing people to work in our city,” he said.
Check out some photos from the event at SANY America below, or visit the AEM Manufacturing Express Flickr gallery.
To kick of its ninth week on the road, the AEM Manufacturing Express made its way to Pooler, Georgia, this past Monday, to spend a day with JCB. According to a recently published story on manufacturingexpress.org, the company is proud of recently breaking ground on a new factory in San Antonio, Texas, the company’s second facility in North America. Expected to cover more than 400 acres and create more than 1,500 construction jobs, the effort represents a renewal of JCB’s commitment to growing its brand and businesses in the United States. “We see such an opportunity to grow our product and brand in the United States, and what better place to grow our family than in Texas—a place that embodies the American spirit,” said JCB VP of Commercial Operations Ken Bianco.
Check out some photos from the event at JCB below, or visit the AEM Manufacturing Express Flickr gallery.
On Tuesday, the AEM Manufacturing Express made its way north into South Carolina for a pair of visits with Takeuchi North America and Calder Brothers Corporation. Wednesday saw another “doubleheader,” as the tour traveled to Timken Tyger River in Union, South Carolina, and Timken Shiloh in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. The AEM Manufacturing Express will then close out Week 9 at LeeBoy in Lincolnton, North Carolina, and BOMAG in Ridgeway, South Carolina.
About the AEM Manufacturing Express
The most ambitious and impactful public engagement initiative in AEM’s 130-year history, the AEM Manufacturing Express is an interactive mobile tour that will cover 20 states and make stops at more than 80 equipment manufacturers’ facilities in the Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, and states around the Great Lakes this summer and into the fall. Stay in the know on all things AEM Manufacturing Express by visiting www.manufacturingexpress.org.
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