The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is now accepting nominations for its 2024 Hall of Fame, which honors the trailblazers, inventors, and leaders whose work has left a legacy on the off-road equipment industry. Nominations are open until June 14, 2024, and can be submitted here. 

“Let’s face it, the world we know today would not be possible without the pioneers, inventors and innovators who created the equipment that builds, powers, and feeds us all across the globe,” said AEM President Megan Tanel. “Through the AEM Hall of Fame, we recognize the important contributions of individuals who continue to make a difference and improve our quality of life.”   

Nominees for the AEM Hall of Fame are judged on four key guiding principles:

1. Innovation 
2. Industry Contributions
3. Leadership
4. Corporate Citizenship/Social Responsibility

Last year’s inductees were Akio Takeuchi, founder of Takeuchi Manufacturing, and Susanne Cobey, CEO of Eagle Crusher.  

Founder of Takeuchi Manufacturing, Takeuchi’s career in the construction industry spans six decades. The Takeuchi Way embraces the spirit of creation, challenge and cooperation. When a local business partner asked Takeuchi to create a new machine that would help his employees do their jobs faster, easier and with less manual labor, he listened. The result was the world’s first compact excavator. Since then, Takeuchi Manufacturing has presented more innovations, including the first offset boom excavator and the first compact track loader.  

Susanne Cobey joined Eagle Crush Company, Inc. in 1974, advancing through the ranks to eventually become President & CEO in 1990. Under Cobey’s bold vision, the plant took crushing to a new level with its abilities to process high volumes of aggregate, concrete and RAP. These improvements saved innumerable tons of concrete and asphalt from landfills. A whole line of portable horizontal impactor plants soon followed, creating a boon for the aggregate crushing, the recycled concrete and the RAP markets.  

The AEM Hall of Fame has been recognizing luminaries in the agriculture and construction equipment manufacturing industry since 1993, and includes such names as Benjamin Holt (Caterpillar), Joseph Cyril Bamford (JCB), Jerome Increase Case (CNH Industrial), John Deere (Deere & Co.), Gus Ramirez (HUSCO International) and Mary Andringa (Vermeer). The induction of Takeuchi and Cobey brings the total number of inductees to 69. 

The AEM Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for 2024 until June 14. To submit a nomination for consideration, click here to fill out the form.