This week, the AEM Manufacturing Express rolled into its eighth week on the road, engaging even more member companies and continuing to tell the story of the equipment manufacturing industry, and the 2.3 million men and women it employs.
During the eighth week of the association’s largest-ever public engagement initiative, AEM stopped to pay a visit to Ditch Witch in Perry, Oklahoma, Vacuworx Global in Tulsa, Oklahoma, McElroy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, TWG-Dover in Jenks, Oklahoma, and PACCAR Winch in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
The AEM Manufacturing Express will cover 20 states and make stops at more than 80 equipment manufacturing communities in the Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, and states around the Great Lakes during the next few months. Along the way, AEM will tell the story of equipment manufacturing and the people behind it, as well as convey the short-term and long-term challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, the bus tour made its way to Ditch Witch, in Perry, Oklahoma, to meet employees at the facility’s million-square-foot facility dedicated to the manufacture of top-of-the-line trenchers, skid steers, augurs, and other utility equipment. The company, which got its start in 1944, now produces 75% of the world’s trenchers. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt made an appearance at the event, breaking ground on a brand-new 160,000-square-foot addition to Ditch Witch’s Perry facility.
The Manufacturing Express continued on to Vacuworx Thursday morning, Aug. 8, to celebrate the men and women of the Tulsa equipment manufacturing community—as well as Vacuworx’s 25th anniversary. Ther vacuum and hydraulic lift manufacturer celebrated its history in Tulsa, now sitting at 60 employees and sending equipment to customers all over the world. “We’ve grown big enough to be available to the little guys, as well as the big guys. But we’re still small enough to maximize our speed-to-market. That’s what sets Vacuworx apart,” said company President and CEO Bill Solomon.
That same day, the Manufacturing Express continued on to McElroy in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and AEM was greeted by the facility’s 400-plus employees. “We’re showing what USA-based manufacturing means to us, and to the world,” McElroy President and CEO Chip McElroy said. Seventy years since its founding in a Tulsa garage, McElroy has grown into a manufacturing powerhouse, with hundreds of employees and offices across six continents.
A cool Oklahoma breeze welcomed the AEM Manufacturing Express to TWG-Dover on Friday, Aug. 9; met by a team of 200 employees and nearly perfect weather, the event was a massive success. Jason VanderMeer, VP of sales and marketing at TWG-Dover, said the company owes its success to their community of employees, dealers, and customers. “If there’s one thing to know about TWG-Dover, it’s that we care about our people and our country.”
The Manufacturing Express rolled on to the PACCAR Winch facility on Aug. 9 at the company's Broken Arrow, Oklahoma facility, and the occasion marked a notable milestone: the 100th anniversary of the company’s Braden brand. PACCAR acquired Braden in 1977, and this facility has been home to industry-leading winch, hoist, and drive manufacturing for generations. PACCAR Winch isn’t just a local business, it’s a key component of the city’s economy as well. The company is a significant employer in northeastern Oklahoma, and it has been for nearly a century.
In the next portion of the tour, the AEM Manufacturing Express will make visits to Krone North America in Olive Branch, Mississippi, ACE Pumps in Memphis, Tennessee, Caterpillar in Corinth, Mississippi, Schwarze industries in Huntsville, Alabama, ASTEC in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kubota Manufacturing of America in Gainesville, Tennessee, AGCO Corporation in Duluth, Georgia, and Sany America, in Peachtree City, Georgia. For more information and to follow along with the AEM Manufacturing Express, visit www.manufacturingexpress.org.
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