The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has announced it will hit the road this summer for a new initiative to tell the story of the U.S. equipment manufacturing industry and celebrate the 2.3 million men and women who help build, power and feed the world.
The AEM Manufacturing Express will launch July 1, 2024, at Weiler, Inc. in Knoxville, Iowa, and travel across the country through October when it will wrap up with a finale event at Komatsu in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tour will visit more than 20 states, with stops planned at more than 80 equipment manufacturers in communities across the Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic. Participating manufacturers include companies such as AGCO Corporation, CNH Industrial, Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Inc., Deere & Company, Komatsu, Kubota, The Toro Company, Vermeer Corporation, and Volvo Group.
The full route is available at manufacturingexpress.org.
The centerpiece of the AEM Manufacturing Express tour is an interactive game designed to showcase the cutting-edge technology and innovations that power modern equipment and test players’ knowledge about the innovative technologies, processes, people and products revolutionizing equipment manufacturing across America.
Elected officials will join manufacturing workers and their friends and families along the route as the AEM Manufacturing Express celebrates the industry’s many contributions to small towns and big cities across the country. Each stop will feature the interactive game, thought leadership, giveaways, food, and entertainment to tell the story of equipment manufacturing in America, while also highlighting the policies that will strengthen the industry.
“Hitting the road during a critical election year, the AEM Manufacturing Express provides us with the opportunity to engage manufacturing workers in the political process, connect with elected officials and candidates, and keep our industry front and center,” said Kip Eideberg, AEM’s senior vice president of government and industry relations. “Harnessing the voices and stories of our member companies, we will leverage our fiercely bipartisan approach to advocacy to advance policies that will strengthen the economy and move our industry forward.”