Excitement and enthusiasm continue to build as the AEM Manufacturing Express tour makes its way back to Wisconsin for its final week on the road.
The biggest public engagement initiative in AEM’s long and storied history will conclude Friday, Oct. 18 at Komatsu Mining Corporation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home of AEM’s headquarters. In the meantime, however, the AEM Manufacturing Express has spent the majority of October in and around Illinois, engaging with AEM member companies and their employees, as well as continuing to highlight the immense impact of the equipment manufacturing industry on society today.
After making its sixth and last stop in Iowa last week Wednesday, the AEM Manufacturing Express made a pair of visits to Illinois to visit HCC, Inc. and celebrate Manufacturing Day with The Morey Corporation. The tour opened this week in St. Louis with a stop at Terramac, before the AEM Manufacturing Express returned to Illinois for stops at Woods Equipment, Etnyre International, and General Kinematics.
Last Thursday, the tour dropped by HCC, Inc. With a team of nearly 200 people, HCC, Inc. acts as a tier-one supplier to major OEMs like John Deere and AGCO, as well as a provider of steel components and assemblies to supplement harvesting equipment.
A day later, it was off to The Morey Corporation for a day spent commemorating the industry in observance of Manufacturing Day. In a recent Q&A article featured in the AEM Industry Advisor member newsletter, Morey CEO Ryan DeBoer explained why it’s so important to recognize the contributions of manufacturing and promote the skilled trades as a viable career path for young people:
“The manufacturing business is so complex, so it opens the door for so many different areas to work in throughout a career. You can start your career at the lowest level of the organization and work your way up to be an executive. The business acumen you can acquire from being a part of a manufacturing business is a lot higher than what’s found in other industries. And it opens you up to incredible opportunities to find a fulfilling and long-lasting career.
When you look at the data that surrounds manufacturing, it has a tremendously positive impact on local communities. It creates jobs and boosts local economies, but also allows people to create and manufacture things that make the world a better place. So, you are contributing to society in a unique, major way.”
The day at Morey also marked another special occasion: this year the company celebrates 90 years in business – from humble beginnings as a basement start-up to a full-fledged manufacturer of innovative and cutting-edge IoT productions and solutions that boasts a 200,000-square-foot facility based in the Chicagoland area.
Week 14 of the AEM Manufacturing Express kicked off on Monday at Terramac in St. Louis, Missouri. A global leader in crawler carrier technology, Terramac is a member of the CK Power Family of Companies, and a leading global manufacturer of crawler carriers. Roughly 100 employees joined AEM staff and Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe for the event, which also included a facility tour for Missouri Manufacturing Association (MMA) representatives in attendance.
Then it was off to Oregon, Illinois, and Woods Equipment, a brand of Blount International (now Oregon Tool), a leader in professional grade cutting tools. Woods specializes in designing and manufacturing tractor-mounted and pull-behind implements for the agricultural sector. At the event, about 50 employees joined Oregon Mayor Ken Williams for a day spent celebrating the company’s storied history that spans nearly 80 years.
Later that day, the AEM Manufacturing Express stopped by at Etnyre International in Oregon, Illinois, where 500 company employees celebrated manufacturing with State Sen. Andrew Chesney and State Rep. Tony McCombie. The parent company to E.D. Etnyre & Co., BearCat Manufacturing, SMF, and Hendrick, the company leads with a legendary commitment to the markets it serves, while prioritizing investments in members, suppliers, customers, and communities. It prides itself in engineering and manufacturing road maintenance equipment and fabricated metal products and solutions that serve the infrastructure needs of the world. The companies that comprise Etnyre International have a combined 300-plus years of experience bringing technological advancements, quality, and reliability to its customers.
On Wednesday, it was off to Crystal Lake, Illinois, and General Kinematics. Thursday then saw a trip that served as a homecoming of sorts for the AEM Manufacturing Express, as the bus tour came back to Wisconsin for the first time in three-and-a-half months for a trip to Kuhn North America, in Brodhead, Wisconsin. On Friday, the AEM Manufacturing Express will close out its second-to-last week on the road at AEM member company Kondex Corporation, in Lomira, Wisconsin. According to a newly published feature piece in the AEM Industry Advisor, Kondex is a small-town manufacturer whose products are found on some big equipment in some really big industries. In addition, Kondex has always seen the value in supporting those who support them. That is why association sponsorships have been a cornerstone of the company’s community outreach efforts for more than two decades.
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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