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AEM announces winners of annual Pillar of the Industry awards

Words: Pat AbouThe Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the I Make America campaign announce the 2012 recipients of the annual Pillar of the Industry awards, given to companies achieving or maintaining Gold status in the campaign.

The awards recognize the companies’ tremendous dedication and outstanding contributions to the people and communities of the equipment manufacturing industry through extensive I Make America campaign activities in support of pro-manufacturing policies to improve the economy. AEM and I Make America initiated the awards in 2011 to honor the work of these true industry champions.

For 2012 a total 19 companies received Pillar of the Industry Awards — 16 for achieving Gold Status this year, and 3 honored as Gold Year 2 winners, for maintaining their Gold-level status earned last year. Winners were announced at AEM’s recent annual conference.

Grass Roots Initiative to Create Jobs, Improve U.S. Competitiveness Globally

I Make America is a grassroots campaign launched in September 2010 to dramatically improve American manufacturing policies to create more jobs in the U.S. and keep the nation’s economy competitive with other countries. The campaign has enlisted the support of more than 22,000 people to date nationwide, AEM’s 850+ member companies, and industry organizations.

“I Make America has been a great success thanks to the outstanding support of our AEM member companies. We are pleased to honor these companies who have raised the bar of public affairs advocacy and we commend their efforts through these Pillar of the Industry awards,” said Dennis Slater, AEM president. “As members of AEM, they exemplify the commitment we need from all manufacturers around the country to send the message to Congress and the White House that our economy is in urgent need of manufacturing policies that will help create jobs.”

I Make America Gold-Level supporters have achieved participation benchmarks marking them as industry leaders. Activities can include significant employee involvement; outreach to their state, local and federal legislators; promoting campaign sign-ups at trade shows and with allied trade associations; and production of A Day in American Life video telling the story of how their companies, employees and communities “make America.”

2012 Pillar of the Industry Award Winners

Three companies earned Year 2 Gold status:
  • Angus-Palm
  • Caterpillar
  • International Construction Equipment (ICE)
And 16 companies earned Gold Status:
  • Calder Brothers Corporation
  • CLAAS of America
  • CNH
  • General Kinematics
  • Kondex Corporation
  • Krone NA
  • Miller Electric Manufacturing
  • Paladin Attachments
  • Screen Machine Industries
  • Steel of West Virginia
  • Stellar Industries
  • Sullivan-Palatek
  • Telsmith
  • Volvo Construction Equipment
  • Wolf Robotics
  • Woods Equipment Company
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