Lexington, Ky. – Link-Belt Excavator Company (LBX) and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) hosted United States Representative Andy Barr (KY-06) for an I Make America event at LBX’s facility in Lexington, Kentucky. I Make America, AEM’s national grassroots campaign, is the voice of the 2.8 million men and women of the equipment manufacturing industry who make the equipment that build, power, and feed the world. Each year AEM and its member companies hosts dozens of lawmakers at equipment manufacturing facilities to highlight the policies needed to strengthen U.S. manufacturing and move the industry forward.

“For over four decades, LBX has manufactured some of the best excavators in the world right here in the Sixth District. The nearly 100 Kentuckians who work at LBX are doing an incredible job for their customers and community. I am grateful to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and LBX leadership for inviting me to visit with LBX staff and tour the company’s headquarters and customer service facility in Lexington,” said Congressman Barr.

Representative Barr toured LBX's Lexington headquarters as well as LBX's Customer Experience Center where he participated in a hands-on product demonstration and saw LBX's manufacturing operations firsthand. During the visit, Representative Barr met with employees and touched on the importance of American manufacturing and discussed the policies he has championed in Congress, including the Tax Cuts and Jos Act, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“This event was in line with our Core Purpose Statement: “LBX Exists to Build Stronger Communities.” Everything we do is oriented around this. It was a great opportunity to host Congressman Andy Barr as part of the AEM I Make America Campaign so that he could get a firsthand look at the impact LBX and our industry make in our community and our nation," said Eric Sauvage, President and CEO of LBX.

"AEM is grateful to Congressman Barr for his leadership and strong support for the equipment manufacturing industry and the policies that safeguard the 41,900 family-sustaining jobs our industry supports in Kentucky," said Kip Eideberg, AEM’s senior vice president of government and industry relations. "Now more than ever we need our elected officials to work in a bipartisan fashion to tackle our nation’s biggest challenges and advance pro-manufacturing policies that will strengthen domestic manufacturing, bolster supply chains, invest in the American worker, and ensure our continued global competitiveness." 

At a time when America is facing one of the greatest economic challenges in its history, AEM and I Make America have brought a record number of state and federal lawmakers to shopfloors across the country to send a clear message: The equipment manufacturing industry is counting on elected officials to put policy ahead of politics and advance an agenda that will address the highest rate of inflation in decades, persistent supply chain challenges, the need for more workers, and the opportunity to create more family-sustaining jobs and make the United States more resilient. AEM has more I Make America events planned for Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Ohio before the end of the year. 

Pictures should be attributed to LBX Company.