AEM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- CEO
- CEO of Husco
- Director of the National Association of Manufacturers
Austin Ramirez is CEO of Husco, a privately held engineering and manufacturing company. During his ten-year tenure as CEO, the company has tripled in size to more than $500M in global sales, received designation as Global Growth Company by the World Economic Forum and been recognized as Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year. Austin began his career as consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he specialized in corporate finance and industrial operations.
An active industry leader, Austin serves as a Director of the National Association of Manufacturers, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and Old National Bancorp (NASDAQ: ONB). Austin has served on several education-focused nonprofit boards and is a co-founder of St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a K-12 faith-based school serving 1,500 low-income students on Milwaukee's south side. He is a founder and co-chair of Democracy Found (a non-partisan political reform organization focused on implementing open primaries and ranked-choice voting) and has been recognized as one of Wisconsin's most powerful Latinos.
Austin holds a Bachelor of Science in systems engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Stanford University, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar (top 10% of his graduating class) and Goldman Sachs Fellow. Austin is a former USA Swimming National Champion and FINA World Championships gold medalist.
Austin was a 2016 White House Fellow, serving on the National Economic Council for both the Trump and Obama administrations. He is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a minority owner of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Job Titles:
- Ag Chair
- Vice President, Distribution, Americas at AGCO
- VP, Distribution, Americas / AGCO
Bill T. Hurley serves as Vice President, Distribution, Americas at AGCO, a leading global manufacturer of agricultural equipment. Born and raised in central Texas, Bill earned a B.S. in mechanized agriculture from Texas A&M University and holds a Master's of Business Administration from Emory University.
Mr. Hurley has extensive experience in the farm equipment industry having spent over 20 years in various, sales, marketing and customer support positions with the John Deere Company prior to accepting a position with AGCO in 2009 as Director of Marketing. He most recently held the position of Vice President, Aftersales, Customer Support and Distribution Development, North America at AGCO.
Throughout his career he has been active in various local, regional and national agricultural-related organizations. Bill currently serves on the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Ag Sector Board, along with the Boards of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Georgia FFA Association, and AGCO Finance Corporation's U.S. and Canadian Boards of Directors.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer of Kinze Manufacturing
- Executive VP & COO / Kinze Manufacturing, Inc
Brian McKown has served as Chief Operating Officer of Kinze Manufacturing since 2003. He is responsible for all global operations of the company, which includes North America and Europe. In April 2016 he was named Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer.
Brian works closely with Kinze ownership on the long-term strategic vision of the company and has direct oversight of the manufacturing, engineering, information technology, human resources, supply chain, legal, global manufacturing, and finance functions.
Prior to joining Kinze, Brian worked closely with Kinze ownership and company leadership as a consultant for Grant Thornton LLC, advising on key projects related to strategy development and deployment. He also held positions with Emerson Electric and Dazey Corporation.
In his role with Kinze, Brian is committed to ensuring the company operates with its core values of integrity, customer focus, excellence, innovation and mutual respect.
A Missouri native, Brian earned his bachelor's degree in industrial management from Missouri State University.
Job Titles:
- President & Chairman / HCC, Inc.
- President & Chairman / HCC, Inc. Mendota, IL
Brian Nelson is the President and Chairman of the Board for HCC, Inc., where he has served as a member of the HCC Board of Directors for the past nine years. Brian was elected to the Ag Sector Board for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers effective November 2, 2017. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for Hydraforce in Lincolnshire, Illinois.
Nelson holds a BSBA in Marketing and Economics from the University of Nebraska and an MBA in Finance from Western Illinois, and has had a vast career in senior leadership. Prior to joining HCC, he served as senior vice president and in other various managerial roles at Haldex Hydraulics in Rockford, Illinois, for 21 years. Previous to Haldex, Brian lent his managerial expertise to Vickers, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska (now Eaton) and J.I. Case in Burlington, Iowa (CNH).
For over a century, HCC, Inc. has led the way with high-value products designed to optimize harvest efficiency and effectiveness and has been a major innovator in agricultural harvesting equipment and farm equipment products, specializing in the design and manufacture of pickup reels, sieves and other components for harvesting equipment. In September 2017, Nelson announced the 100% purchase of their successful South American joint venture operations in Curitiba, Brazil, formerly known as HCC Methal Company. With this newest acquisition, HCC, Inc. is now the industry leader in the design and manufacture of reels and sieves for the North American and South American combine markets. In 2019 HCC acquired an electronic contract assembly company, GIC, located in Kirkland, Illinois. HCC has manufacturing operations in Mendota, Illinois; Curitiba, Brazil; Sabetha, Kansas; and Graettinger Iowa, and is headquartered in Mendota, Illinois.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Brian began his career in the equipment industry while in high school, working at A-Action Rental & Sales, an independent dealer/rental company. Having worked in every aspect of the business while completing an accounting degree from St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA, Brian joined the sales team directly after graduation. Following the successful sale of A-Action Rentals & Sales to NationsRent (later Sunbelt Rentals Inc.), Brian began his career in manufacturing with Dynapac Compaction & Paving. His rise to senior leadership started in 1999 as a District Manager, later moving up to Regional Sales Manager, and in 2004, Brian became the Vice President Sales & Marketing, Compaction Products.
Following the acquisition of Dynapac by Atlas Copco in 2007, Brian served in various leadership positions in sales, business development and operations management within the Atlas Copco Specialty Rental, Construction Equipment and Power Technique divisions. In 2016, Brian retuned to the Road Construction Equipment division as Vice President and Business Line Manager. The sale of the Road Construction Equipment division to The FAYAT Group was final by year-end 2017. After the sale, Brian became President of Dynapac North America and was responsible for successfully carving out the division and re-establishing the Dynapac brand and operating entities in North America. In 2021, Brian accepted the position as President & Chief Executive Officer of ST Engineering LeeBoy, Inc. In 2023 Brian rejoined The FAYAT Group as President, BOMAG Americas, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Chairman & CEO / SmartEquip Inc.
- Executive Chairman of SmartEquip Inc
Bryan Rich is the current Executive Chairman of SmartEquip Inc., a software company located in Norwalk, Connecticut and a division of Ritchie Bros.
Mr. Rich is a General Partner in Legacy Capital Ventures, a boutique family office investment firm, located in Boston, Massachusetts.
Mr. Rich was the former Executive Vice Chairman of Sunbelt Rentals Inc., after Sunbelt's September 2006 acquisition of NationsRent Companies Inc. He served as Co-Chairman and Executive Director of NationsRent, leading the rebirth of the company's operations from June 2003 until the September 2006 sale, and previously co-led the buyout of the bankrupt company in 2003, which was funded by a Boston-based investment group.
Mr. Rich was the majority stockholder and CEO of Logan Equipment Corp., a full-service construction and industrial equipment rental dealership with 12 locations concentrated in the New England area from 1980 to 1998, prior to selling the company to NationsRent in December 1998.
In 2001 Mr. Rich co-founded Commonwealth National Bank, a commercial bank, located in Worcester, Massachusetts, until it merged with United Bank of Springfield, Massachusetts, in December 2009. He was a member of the board of directors and served on their executive committee for approximately 10 years and co-led the merger negotiations.
Mr. Rich develops and owns commercial real estate primarily in the Northeast and is a managing partner in SSG Development, building urban, multi-story, climate-controlled Class A self-storage facilities throughout the eastern United States. Over the last 30 years he has owned and operated numerous commercial businesses, in a variety of industries, including the medical and electronic security sectors.
Mr. Rich has served on various industry boards and is a 1978 graduate of Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in operations management.
Job Titles:
- President
- President of Farm Journal
- President of the Farm Journal Foundation
Accomplished agricultural leader Charlene Finck is the President of Farm Journal. In that role, she has overarching responsibility for all franchises including magazines, websites, mobile messaging and other digital offerings, events, nationally broadcast television and radio programs as well as data and human resources functions of the company. Finck, who is a member of the executive leadership team at Farm Journal, has extensive experience in product development, innovation and team management.
As a part of her award-winning career as a business-to-business journalist, Finck served a decade as the 9th Editor of Farm Journal magazine before moving into the company's executive team. She founded the Farm Journal Test Plots program, which independently tests production practices, equipment and technology on U.S. farms. Under her leadership, the company launched the Farm Journal Legacy Project, an advocacy effort helping farm families transfer wealth and leadership to the next generation. Today, she devotes her stewardship knowledge and advocacy experience to Farm Journal's Trust In Food™ platform.
Finck joined Farm Journal in 1989 as Machinery Editor after serving on the staff of Successful Farming magazine. An agricultural journalism graduate of the University of Missouri, Finck grew up on a Missouri crop and livestock farm, which is still active as a family operation today.
Her contributions to agriculture and media have been recognized as the American Agricultural Editors' Association "Writer of the Year", Farm Journal winning two Grand Neal Awards under her leadership, the prestigious Citation of Merit from the University of Missouri Alumni Association and being honored as a corporate visionary by the FOLIO Top Women in Media.
Finck serves as President of the Farm Journal Foundation, is a member of the AEM Sustainability Council, Farm Foundation Board of Directors and the National FFA Foundation Board of Trustees.
Job Titles:
- Founder / Electric Steel Foundry / Inducted 1996
Job Titles:
- Corporate Director
- Vice President, Engineering
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of Agriculture Services & Forestry
- VP, Agriculture Services & Forestry
- VP, Agriculture Services & Forestry / Association of Equipment Manufacturers / Milwaukee, WI
Senior Vice President of Agriculture Services & Forestry Curt Blades joined the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) in 2017, having worked in agriculture industry in marketing, business development, and leadership roles for the previous twenty years.
As Senior Vice President of Agriculture Services & Forestry, Blades is responsible for the strategic direction of agriculture programs and services for AEM members. In addition, he oversees the organization's Safety & Product Leadership group-including leading AEM's sustainability efforts. In these roles, he serves as primary liaison with ag-specific industry organizations, customer groups, and government agencies worldwide.
Blades actively serves on boards of directors for the National FFA Organization, National Agri-Marketing Association Foundation, and Agriculture Council of America.
Blades grew up on his family's multi-generational farm in Shelbina, Missouri where he developed a passion for serving the agriculture industry. He brings both high-level and on-the-ground perspective to agricultural issues and is a proud alumnus of the University of Missouri.
AGRIBUSINESS REPORT PODCAST - Guest: Curt Blades is with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
Job Titles:
- Developer, Skid Steer Loader / N / a / Inducted 1999
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President and Sector Head
- VP Natural Resources / Trimble Inc.
- VP Natural Resources / Trimble Inc. Westminster, CO
Darryl Matthews currently serves as senior vice president and sector head responsible for Trimble's Agriculture, Forestry, Positioning Services and HarvestMark Divisions.
From 2010 to 2015, Mr. Matthews served as president and general manager of the NAFTA Region for Nufarm Americas, Inc., a subsidiary of Nufarm Limited, a publicly-traded multinational agricultural chemical company. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Matthews served as general manager of Nufarm Agriculture Inc., the Canadian subsidiary of Nufarm Limited.
Mr. Matthews began his career at Dow AgroSciences in Canada where he held management roles in sales and marketing. From 2010 to 2015, he served on the Board of Directors for CropLife America.
He received an Honors B.Sc. in Agriculture majoring in Horticultural Science and Business from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada in 1994.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Global Sales / McElroy Manufacturing, Inc.
- Vice President of Global Sales / McElroy Manufacturing, Inc. Tulsa, OK
- Vice President of Global Sales for McElroy Manufacturing, Inc
Dave Hughes is the Vice President of Global Sales for McElroy Manufacturing, Inc. (McElroy). Dave has served in many capacities at McElroy since joining in 2001. McElroy is a 60-year-old family-owned company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. McElroy makes specialty equipment for the construction industry that is sold throughout the world, and has offices in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Chile, India and Australia. Dave is also the President and COO of Southern Specialties (SSC), based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. SSC is a contract manufacturer that sells a wide range of fabricated metal enclosures. SSC and McElroy share a similar ownership structure.
Dave lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is married to Michele; they have three children together. His passions outside of work and family are playing tennis, golfing and traveling with the family. He attended the University of Oklahoma, where he received his degree in accounting, and he earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. He started his career with Ernst & Young.
Dave and Michele are very active in the community, including serving on the executive board of Make-A-Wish Oklahoma. Dave's community involvement includes being Vice Chair and Treasurer for the Alliance for PE Pipe (a grassroots national effort to grow the use of fused plastic pipe) and Chairman for AEM's 2021 Utility Expo (formerly known as ICUEE). Dave is also very active in the Young Presidents' Association and has served in all of its major offices, including Chairman. Dave founded a scholarship program at McElroy for the children of McElroy employees and their customers, which has raised over $1.8 million since its founding in 2008.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Regions 3 & 4, Agriculture & Turf Division / Deere & Company
- Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Regions 3 & 4, Agriculture & Turf Division / Deere & Company / Moline, IL
David C. Gilmore is Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Regions 3 & 4, for the Agriculture & Turf Division, a position he has held since October 2020. Gilmore is responsible for Ag & Turf sales and marketing functions in the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand and for global shared services supporting order fulfillment, pricing, training, and market research/analytics.
Prior to this Dave served as Senior Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing where he was responsible for the Ag & Turf global marketing functions including: customer and product support, order fulfillment, market research, pricing, training, as well as regional and platform marketing functions. He played a key leadership role in advancing the division's customer-facing processes and leading the transition to the company's Smart Industrial Operating model.
Gilmore joined Deere in 1990 as a marketing representative in the Kansas City branch. He built strong sales and marketing expertise while advancing through regional and product-line roles involving field sales and aftermarket support, channel development, and product marketing for row-crop tractors and Frontier products. In 2009, he was named Director of Marketing, Global Harvesting Platform, a role in which he led combine, cotton picker and sugar cane product marketing. Two years later, he transferred to John Deere Financial as Vice President, Marketing, U.S. and Canada, and later became Senior Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing, with direct business responsibility for JDF operations in Regions 3 and 4.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois and was awarded the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) Alumni Association Award of Merit in 2020. He is passionate about customer service and giving young people knowledge and skills necessary for long-term success. He serves on the Board of Directors and on the Ag Sector Board of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. He is a past director of the Equipment Lease and Finance Association and the National FFA Foundation Sponsors board.
Job Titles:
- Named Honorary Lifetime Director at AEM Annual Conference
Job Titles:
- President and CEO / Krone NA Inc.
- President and CEO / Krone NA Inc. Olive Branch
- President and CEO of Krone North America
Dietz Lankhorst currently serves as President and CEO of Krone North America (Krone NA), headquartered in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Krone NA has been providing customers with premium-quality hay and forage equipment since 1973. The parent company, Maschinenfabrik Bernard Krone GmbH & Co. KG (MBK), is a century-old, family-owned and operated business located in Spelle, Germany.
Lankhorst has over 15 years of experience in the outdoor power equipment industry, both in the United States and Europe, and has worked in engineering, product management, and operations overseeing central purchasing and the relocation and start-up of manufacturing facilities. He began his business career as a Financial Analyst with Ford AG in Cologne, Germany in 2002.
Lankhorst earned Master's degrees in both Mechanical Engineering from Cologne University of Applied Science and Finance from Niederrhein University of Applied Science, Mönchengladbach Campus. He was the 5th generation of a family-owned agricultural equipment dealership in Germany. Lankhorst is at home in the world of agriculture, where, even as a young mechanic in the family business, he enjoyed working on the agriculture equipment.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at the Context Network
Doug has been a partner at The Context Network since 2016 and has over 35 years of experience in the ag and industrial equipment industry. His executive and senior-level roles provide him with many skills to solve the most challenging and complex issues facing businesses today. His background includes COO, Vice President, General Management, and Director positions at two leading global equipment companies.
At Context, Doug leads the Machinery and Equipment sector, emphasizing technology. He assists companies from small start-ups to large global OEMs focusing on strategic and management consulting initiatives. He is experienced with driving culture change and the execution of strategic plans. In addition, he is a Malcolm Baldrige Fellow and has regularly used the Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria for business performance improvement.
Doug has previously served on the University of Georgia College of Agriculture Advisory Board, the National FFA Sponsors Board, and chaired the Alpha Gamma Rho National Board as Grand President. Doug currently serves on the AEM Ag Sector Board. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Purdue University, an executive management certification from Bradley University, and a certificate in the Emory University Executive Business and Administration program. He resides with his wife, Renee, in Ball Ground, GA.
Job Titles:
- Founder / Liebherr Company / Inducted 2010
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- President & CEO / Power Curbers Inc. Inducted 2017
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- Founder / E.D. Etnyre & Company / Inducted 1999
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- Vice President, Construction Equipment Engineering / Case Construction Equipment / Inducted 2011
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- Senior Vice President of the Americas Region for CLAAS
Raby is the Senior Vice President of the Americas Region for CLAAS based in Omaha, NE. In this role, he leads the operations for North and South America encompassing all commercial aspects of the business. Most recently, he was the President & GM for CLAAS of America while previous roles included executive leadership positions in the agricultural equipment industry for AGCO Corporation including VP of global seeding & tillage, VP, Corporate Marketing & Commercial Development, VP, Sales & Marketing in Eastern Europe & Asia based in Switzerland and a VP/ Managing Director for Europe, Africa & Middle East located in the United Kingdom. For the 17 years prior to that, he served in a variety of other positions with a major manufacturer in North America.
Raby started on the manufacturer side in 1990 when he joined the Hesston Corporation, serving as a field service representative.
He also worked for two dealerships in his home state; one as a service technician apprentice during high school and the other as a retail sales representative during college. In addition, he grew up on his family's beef cattle, hay and tobacco farm in western Kentucky.
Raby received an Associate in Science degree in Ag Equipment Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Mechanization from Western Kentucky University as well as attending professional development programs at Purdue University, University of Virginia and Universität St.Gallen in Switzerland.
He is a member of the National Agri Marketing Association, has served as judge for the Southeastern U.S. Farmer of the Year Program, and is a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho agricultural fraternity. Raby also served as a member of the U.S. Commerce Department's Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Automotive Equipment and Capital Goods (ITAC 2).
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- President & CEO / LBX Company LLC
- President & CEO / LBX Company LLC / Lexington, KY
Eric Sauvage has been President and CEO of LBX Company LLC since January 2014. He previously was Executive Vice President and CFO at LBX from 2008 to 2013.
Prior to joining LBX, Eric spent over 20 years with CNH Industrial in various management positions in finance, sales & marketing and product development in Europe, Africa Middle East and North America. Before that, he spent five years with GTE Directories headquartered in Dallas, TX, and held various financial operations and international business development roles.
Eric earned a BBA in financial management from Ecoles Des Cadres, Paris, France, and an MBA in international management from the University of Dallas, TX.
Eric has been a member of the AEM Membership Committee since 2017 and of a member of the AEM Finance Committee since 2018. In November 2018, he was elected to AEM's CE Sector Board.
Eric was chair of the World Trade Center of Kentucky from Jan 2020 to Dec 2021; he has been a board member and chair of the finance committee and an executive committee member since 2011. He has been serving on the BEN (Business Education Network, an affiliate of Commerce Lexington) board since 2012, and served as chair in 2017 and in 2018. Eric has served as a board member of Commerce Lexington from January 2015 to December 2018. Additionally he has served as a board member of the American Heart Association since 2012, and has been the Heart Walk chair in 2018 and 2019. In December 2014, he became a corporate council founding member of The Shriners Hospital for Children.
Eric has been married to his wife Catherine for over 38 years. They have two sons: Quentin, who lives in Washington, D.C., and Nathan, who lives in Chicago. Eric has been training and competing in triathlons since 2007. He was born in Paris, France, and became a U.S. citizen in 2006; he carries dual citizenship.
Job Titles:
- President of the Industrial Segment for Cummins Sales & Service North America
- President, Industrial Segment N.a
Erica Baird is the President of the Industrial Segment for Cummins Sales & Service North America. In her role she provides leadership for the North American off-highway sales & service applications including the Oil & Gas, Marine, Mining, Rail, Rental, Construction and Agricultural markets.
Prior to joining Cummins, Erica had an extensive career at Caterpillar, where she was their Global Allied Products Manager. In this role, Erica was responsible for the negotiations, delivery and growth for all aspects of this segment including strategy, pricing, dealer relationship management, process development and quality in the allied products space.
Erica began her career in the mining business, working in all aspects of the mining space, and joined Caterpillar as a marketing machine sales rep, later became a certified 6 DMEDI and DMAIC Sigma Black Belt, leading several cross-functional teams to develop cost-savings efforts and business growth initiatives.
Erica also revamped the global process for Enterprise Business Risk Management and developed a world-class, industry award-winning (American Productivity & Quality Center), business risk mitigation process for the Caterpillar Inc.
Erica is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in mining engineering. She is also certified in Change Management and as a Diversity trainer. Erica is currently the corporate sponsor for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Leader of the CSSNA Cummins Advocates for Racial Equity (CARE) and is involved in the Women Empowerment Network and Co-Chaired the DBU United Way Campaign.
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- Exec VP, Cluster Americas / DeLaval Inc.
- Exec VP, Cluster Americas / DeLaval Inc. Bannockburn, IL
- Global Markets Senior Director for Four Years
Fernando Cuccioli manages the Americas business for DeLaval Inc., leading the company's operations in the farm and food-processing industries.
He also serves as President of DeLaval Inc. and West Agro Inc., in North America.
Before his current assignment, he was Vice President of the Milk Quality and Animal Health portfolio for North and Latin America.
Mr. Cuccioli joined DeLaval in February 2011 after working at Ingredion Incorporated as Global Markets Senior Director for four years. There, he was responsible for leading the company's food and beverage sector, which included sweeteners, texturants and health and wellness solutions.
Prior to working at Ingredion Incorporated, Mr. Cuccioli was Global Business Development Director at Dow Corning Corporation. He previously held various marketing and business management positions for 16 years, with several international assignments.
Originally from Argentina, Mr. Cuccioli is equally fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and English and he holds an industrial engineering degree and an MBA with specialization in industrial marketing.
He spends his free time enjoying family life with his wife and three daughters. He also enjoys soccer, cooking and motorcycles.
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- V.P. of Operations for Calder Brothers Corporation
- Vice President of Operations / Calder Brothers Corporation
- Vice President of Operations / Calder Brothers Corporation / Taylors, SC
Glen Calder is the V.P. of Operations for Calder Brothers Corporation, a family business in Taylors (Greenville), South Carolina. Glen and his three brothers joined forces in 1994 and bought the Mauldin line of commercial asphalt paving equipment and renamed the business Calder Brothers Corporation. In 2007 the company acquired PSI out of Madison South Dakota and added a grader line and spray tank products to complement their paving equipment.
Glen has an Economics undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. Prior to entering into the family business Glen had roles in operations and purchasing with Graebel Van Lines and R.M. Taylor Inc..
Glen and his brothers grew up in Ontario Canada and followed their father's career moves to Chicago, Paris France, and Doncaster, England. He now resides in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife Tammy and their two boys.
Glen has been an active member of AEM over the years serving on the CE Sector board as well as various committee assignments. Glen is an active member at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church currently sitting on the Endowment Board, the Bridge Committee (college age ministry) and is past two term chair of the Youth Board. Glen holds a board position with the South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and he and his company sponsor a cycling team that participates in the 255-mile three day "Ride to End ALZ" and the fundraising that goes along with that. True to his Canadian roots, Glen is still an active ice hockey player when not riding his bike training for the cross-state ride.
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- Chairman of the Board & Chief Operating Officer / Buhler Industries, Inc.
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- Vice President of Manufacturing for GOMACO Corporation
- Vice President, Manufacturing / GOMACO Corporation
- Vice President, Manufacturing / GOMACO Corporation / Ida Grove, IA
Grant Godbersen is Vice President of Manufacturing for GOMACO Corporation in Ida Grove, Iowa. His position includes oversight of all manufacturing operations, purchasing, and quality control.
Grant has worked in various departments within GOMACO, including manufacturing, field service, marketing, production control, and was named plant manager in 1994. He has been GOMACO's Vice President of Manufacturing since 1997. Grant serves as Manager of Gomaco Trolley Company, a company that specializes in the manufacturing and restoration of authentic vintage trolleys.
He is also a co-owner of Godbersen Equipment Company (GEC). GEC is the leading equipment broker to buy and sell used GOMACO concrete paving equipment, parts, components, and curb and gutter and curb profile insert molds.
He attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he received a degree in Marketing in 1986.
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- President / Kuhn North America, Inc. Brodhead, WI
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- Chairman of the Shareholder 's Committee
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- Founder / Iowa Manufacturing / Inducted 1993
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- President & Chairman / Astec Industries / Inducted 1999
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- Global Director, Production Systems, Technology & Marketing
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- President & CEO / Vermeer
- President & CEO at Vermeer Corporation
Jason Andringa is President & CEO at Vermeer Corporation, a global manufacturer that delivers a real impact on the way important work gets done through the manufacture of high-quality industrial and agricultural equipment backed by localized service and support.
Prior to this, Jason served in the following previous roles at Vermeer: President & COO, President - Forage and Environmental Solutions, Vice President - Dealer Distribution and Global Accounts, Managing Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (based in the Netherlands), and Segment Manager - New Products and Markets in the Environmental business segment.
Jason serves on the Vermeer Board of Directors and also on the Board of Advisors for Camcraft, Inc. Jason serves on the Boards of the following associations: National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), Iowa Business Council, The Nature Conservancy of Iowa and Central College.
Before joining Vermeer in 2005, Jason was an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Jason graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Calvin College and later completed advanced degrees including a Master of Science in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California (USC Marshall School of Business). Jason and his wife Carrie live in Pella, Iowa with their three children.
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- President & CEO / Allen Engineering Corporation / Paragould, AR
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- CEO
- President
- President of Basic Resources, Inc
Jeff Reed has been involved in the asphalt pavement and maintenance industry for more than 45 years.
He is currently Vice Chairman of the International Road Federation and a Board member of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. He is also the past Chairman of the California Asphalt Pavement Association and AEM.
Jeff is a graduate of Gonzaga University in Washington, with both a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and a Master's in business administration. He is currently a member of Gonzaga's Engineering Advisory Board and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Regents.
He has been president of Valley Slurry Seal Company since 1978. At that time VSS was strictly a Northern California slurry seal contracting company. Since then, the company has added commercial asphalt terminals and emulsion plants throughout California and became a major slurry microsurfacing machine and emulsion plant manufacturer, doing contracting and technology transfer in the 11 western states and 40 countries around the world.
Jeff Reed is president of Basic Resources, Inc., based in Modesto, CA, the holding company owner of VSS International, George Reed, Inc. and seven other contracting and manufacturing firms based in the western U.S., with 850 employees doing $350 million a year.
Jeff is a past president of the International Slurry Surfacing Association, Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association, the Rubber Pavements Association, and past chairman of the California Asphalt Pavement Association.
In his personal time, he is active in Boy Scouts and served as Chairman of the Golden Empire Council of Boy Scouts. He is also a trustee of the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto, CA.
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- President & CEO / Elliott Equipment Company / Omaha, NE
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- Chairman, CEO & President / the Manitowoc Company / Inducted 2014
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- Founder / Deere & Company / Inducted 2012
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- Founder / Heltzel Steel Form & Iron / Inducted 1999
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- Chairman of the Board, President & CEO / Terex Corporation / Westport, CT
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- Chief Operating Officer
- COO of Grote Industries
John Grote is the COO of Grote Industries. John joined the family-owned business in 1999 as brand manager and held positions as marketing manager, Director of Aftermarket Sales, and Global Vice President Sales and Marketing.
He has a BS from Clemson University and an MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. In 2005, Grote was tapped to lead the company's efforts in establishing a European office and became the first Managing Director, Grote Industries Europe.
Grote Industries is a leading worldwide manufacturer and supplier of lighting products and safety systems for a variety of heavy-duty trucks and trailers, vocational and passenger vehicles, plus lighting for a wide range used in activities such as farm, construction, firefighting, rescue, mining, and military uses. Grote engineers and manufactures LED, fluorescent, incandescent, and LED LightForm, interior lamps, plus exterior stop, marker, and turn signal lamps, as well as mirrors, power, and communication delivery systems, connections, and reflective accessories.
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- Vice President, Construction & Utility Sector / Association of Equipment Manufacturers / Milwaukee, WI
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- Co - Founder / Steiger Manufacturing Company / Inducted 2018
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- Founder / JCB Inc. Inducted 1993
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- Chairman & CEO / MacDon Industries / Inducted 2015
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- Manager of Public Relations
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- Chief Financial Officer & Vice President, Finance 414 - 298 - 4141
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- Director of Public Affairs
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- President / Kondex Corporation / Lomira, WI
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- Co - Founder / Woods Equipment Company / Inducted 2012
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- Vice President, Marketing / Titan International Inc. Quincy, IL
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- Vice President / CNH Industrial America LLC / Racine, WI
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- Vice President, Global Brand & North America Marketing
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- Head of North America Construction Segment / CNH Industrial America LLC / Burr Ridge, IL
Leif Magnusson is a Senior Advisor for CLAAS and the former President of CLAAS Global Sales Americas, Inc. where he oversaw the operations throughout the Americas.
In 2016, Leif was the Chair of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), where he worked on behalf of the organization's 1,000+ members to help educate and influence the leadership in Washington on policies that affect the manufacturing of agricultural and construction equipment. He has been involved with the organization since 2010 and served on multiple committees during his tenure, including as Ag Chair in 2014.
Before joining CLAAS in 2008, Leif spent 18 years in manufacturing and distribution of heavy equipment, including off-road products. Originally from Sweden, Leif's assignments in the U.S., Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia give him a unique global perspective on agricultural markets.
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- Co - Founder / Woods Equipment Company / Inducted 2012
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- Treasurer
- Executive Chair & CEO / Linamar Corporation
- Treasurer & Committee Chair
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- Chairman / JCB Inc. Inducted 2008
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- Developer, Skid Steer Loader / N / a / Inducted 1999
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- Vice President Heavy Construction
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- Chief Marketing Officer
- Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer / Vermeer
- Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer at Vermeer Corporation
- Vermeer in 1996 As a Manager of External Training
Mark Core is Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer at Vermeer Corporation, a global manufacturer that delivers a real impact on the way important work gets done through the manufacture of high-quality industrial and agricultural equipment backed by localized service and support. In his role, Mark oversees the company's forage solutions and lifecycle solutions business units, forage innovations as well as guides all marketing and brand activities.
As Chief Marketing Officer, Mark uses his creativity, hunger for new ideas and desire to play around in the marketing innovation sandbox to inspire a global brand, marketing and training team dedicated to deepening the company's connection to its customers and dealers through a variety of engaging and award-winning strategies that take advantage of both traditional and emerging channels.
Mark joined Vermeer in 1996 as a manager of external training and dealer development, after starting his career at Syntex Animal Health. Since joining Vermeer, he has held numerous market-facing leadership positions.
Mark grew up on a livestock and crop farm near Pleasantville, Iowa. He graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education. His family continues the legacy in Pleasantville with Boyert-Core, a nationally recognized purebred cattle operation. Beyond his own farming operations, Mark is passionate and actively involved in mentoring the next generation of marketing leaders in the agriculture and heavy equipment industries. He stays active in the agriculture industry through current or past council and board membership with the Agricultural Executive Council of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association and the Iowa Foundation of Agricultural Advancement. Mark also serves his local community as a member of the Pleasantville Community School District School Board.
Job Titles:
- President
- President / Association of Equipment Manufacturers / Milwaukee, WI
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- Executive Vice President - Industrial Equipment Division / Alamo Group
Mike is a 1980 graduate of St. Joseph's College in Rensellaer, Indiana with a B.S. in Accounting and Computer Science.
Mike has over 30 years of experience in the mining and construction equipment field. He began his career as a Marketing Engineer for Walking Draglines with Marion Dresser in 1980 and has held various positions in Sales, Marketing, and Distributor Development in the industry. In 2006, Mike was named President of Gradall Industries, Inc., a division of Alamo Group Inc. Since 2021, Mike has served as Executive Vice President, Industrial Equipment Division for Alamo, responsible for the Vacuum and Excavation, Sweeper, and Snow Groups.
Mike has been actively involved in CONEXPO-CON/AGG Management since 2002, first serving on the Rules & Space Committee and then moving to Chair of Rules & Space for the 2005 show. Additionally, he served as Vice Chair of the show for 2008 and Show Chair in 2011.
Mike has served on the AEM Board of Directors since November 2006. He was AEM Treasurer from 2013-2014. From 2015-2016 Mike was CE Chair, and in 2016 he additionally served as AEM Vice Chair. In November 2016, Mike was named AEM Chair for 2017.
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- VP Strategic Business Development - Agriculture / Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc / Livermore, CA
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- Senior Vice President, Building Construction Products / Caterpillar Inc. Cary, NC
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- President & CEO / Weiler
- President & CEO of Weiler
Pat Weiler is President & CEO of Weiler. He founded the company in 2000 and began producing equipment for major OEM manufacturers with the intent of developing new product. Over the last 22 years he has grown the company into a major manufacturer of multiple product lines for the paving industry. Weiler sells through 190 sales offices and service centers world-wide.
Pat purchased Caterpillar Forest Products in 2019. Weiler Forestry is located in LaGrange, Georgia.
Pat began his career as a Design Engineer in 1980 and became Director of Engineering in 1983. He held multiple roles in senior management until he started Weiler. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural engineering.
Pat has more than 42 years of experience leading the manufacturing efforts for diverse privately held agricultural and construction equipment companies. Pat leads Weiler in the development of new products while enhancing relationships with dealers and customers.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Membership & Sales 414 - 298 - 4150
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- Senior Vice President of Construction / Trimble, Inc. Westminster, CO
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- Group Vice President, Construction Businesses / the Toro Company / Bloomington, MN
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- Senior Vice President Americas Distribution, Service & Marketing / Caterpillar Inc. Deerfield, IL
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- Chairman & CEO / Poclain / Inducted 2012
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- Chairman / Power Curbers Inc. Inducted 1996
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- Founder / LeTourneau Company / Inducted 1994
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- Founder / Laserplane / Inducted 1999
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- Founder, President, Chairman & CEO / AGCO Corporation / Inducted 2014
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- Chairman
- Vice Chair
- Chairman & CEO, Komatsu North America / Komatsu
- Chairman and CEO of Komatsu North America
- Komatsu in 1987 As a Product Manager for Utility Equipment
Rod Schrader has been Chairman and CEO of Komatsu North America since 2013, where he oversees the company's large U.S. manufacturing footprint as well as product distribution for construction, forestry, mining and utility equipment, technology and services.
Rod joined Komatsu in 1987 as a Product Manager for utility equipment. He has held various roles within the company covering marketing, sales and management. In 2015, he was appointed Senior Executive Officer of Komatsu Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo.
Rod graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 1984 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He then obtained his M.B.A. from Keller Graduate School of Management in Chicago, Illinois.
In 1995, Rod was inducted in Rose-Hulman's Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was appointed Board Member for Junior Achievement of Central Illinois. In 2021, was appointed as a Board Member for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). In November 2022, Rod was appointed the 2023 AEM Chair.
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- Founder / Cleveland Tractor Company ( Cletrac ) Inducted 2014
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- Chairman & CEO / Terex Corporation / Inducted 2008
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- Director of Public Relations
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- Senior Vice President, Membership, Business Development & Data 414 - 298 - 4130
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- Global President, Case IH N.a
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- Vice President, Agriculture / JCB Inc. Pooler, GA
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- Contracts & Administrative Coordinator 414 - 298 - 4105
Job Titles:
- CE Chair
- President, Region North America / Volvo Construction Equipment / Shippensburg, PA
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- Senior Director, Marketing
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- President & CEO / Eagle Crusher Company, Inc. Galion, OH
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- Founder / Telsmith Company / Inducted 1996
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- Vice Chair
- VP, Kubota North America Sr. VP, Marketing, Kubota Tractor Corporation and Executive Officer, Kubota Corporation / Kubota Tractor Corporation
- VP, Kubota North America Sr. VP, Marketing, Kubota Tractor Corporation and Executive Officer, Kubota Corporation / Kubota Tractor Corporation / Grapevine, TX
Todd Stucke is an industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience in both equipment and agriculture. Stucke was recently promoted to Executive Officer of Kubota Corporation, Japan, in tandem with his roles as Senior Vice President of Kubota North America and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Kubota Tractor Corporation's U.S. operations. Stucke is responsible for providing customer solutions, amplifying the Kubota brand and achieving aggressive growth objectives in North America. As Executive Officer of Kubota Corporation, Stucke is involved in worldwide operations with a specific focus on building a robust business structure for the North American market as the company continues to invest in the U.S. and Canada. The North America market contributes a significant portion of Kubota Corporation business worldwide and remains an integral part of the company's long-term vision of providing solutions that address global issues related to food, water and the environment.
Stucke is currently serving as the Vice Chair of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and will be Chairman of the board in 2024. He has previously served two terms as treasurer of the AEM Board, as well as Ag Sector Board Chair in 2020.
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- President & CEO / Mahindra USA, Inc. Houston, TX
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- Founder / Link - Belt Machinery Company / Inducted 1996