The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame recognizes the pioneers whose inventions, ideas, leadership and courage have contributed to the industry and our community’s quality of life. Since 1993, the AEM Hall of Fame (formerly CIMA Hall of Fame) has honored pioneering individuals who invented, managed, built and led the off-road equipment industry that builds and feeds our world. Last year, the AEM Hall of Fame inducted Trimble, Inc.’s Bryn Fosburgh, co-developer of the real-time kinematic technology that allows the GPS receiver in your phone, excavator, or tractor to know where it is within inches and seconds.

“The world of equipment manufacturing is a diverse, interesting world. One need only look at the members of the AEM Hall of Fame, and their accomplishments, to see what I mean,” said AEM President Megan Tanel. “The 66 members of the AEM Hall of Fame are some of the finest representatives of the equipment manufacturing industry, and its contributions to our modern way of life. And there are hundreds more individuals who have contributed to our sector, and our world, awaiting their recognition.”

The AEM Hall of Fame inducted its first woman (Mary Andringa of Vermeer) in 2019, and its first Hispanic member (Gus Ramirez of HUSCO International) in 2014. Mary led Vermeer down the path of lean manufacturing success, using these practices to take the production time of one of their major products from 52 days down to just two. Gus’s dedication to hydraulic and other fluid power technologies at HUSCO has led the company to earning more than 100 patents since he took the helm, and the establishment of the HUSCO Chair of Fluid Power at Georgia Tech. Both have since gone on to show an uncommon dedication to education that continues to impact their communities.

Mary and Gus aren’t the only representatives with diverse backgrounds that have contributed to the equipment manufacturing industry.  There are hundreds more stories yet to be told of women and men of every background, including African, Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern and others, that the AEM Hall of Fame is looking to lift up. The AEM Hall of Fame needs experts in the construction and agriculture equipment manufacturing industries to tell us those stories so we can.

In short, AEM recognizes representation matters, especially when talking about the most notable representatives of an entire sector of our economy. As an industry, equipment manufacturers have spent years working to build their talent roster and sought (and continue to seek) individuals from every walk of life. And equipment manufacturers, as an industry, understand that one of the best ways to connect with individuals from every walk of life is to lift our worthiest representatives as a beacon to groups who may not have considered our industry in the past. There are notable candidates throughout every nuanced segment of the equipment manufacturing world, and it behooves our industry to celebrate them all.

That’s why AEM asks everyone who can to submit a nomination to the AEM Hall of Fame of an individual who has enhanced the equipment manufacturing industry via innovation, contributions, leadership and corporate citizenship/social responsibility, and made our modern way of life possible.

Look at the current members of the AEM Hall of Fame, and submit your nomination, at AEM.org/hall-of-fame.

Nominations are open until June 17, 2022, and can be submitted online at this link. Tips for how to submit a nomination with a better chance of success are available here.