Blast From the Past: The Journey to AED’s 100-Year Anniversary Celebration Established in 1919, Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) will dive into the past to relive and bring to light major milestones in the association's history, that will lead to AED's centennial celebration in January 2019. Visit www.aednet.org for more information!

1. CEDConstruction Equipment Distribution
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January2018
n Good Company
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AED Gears Up
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Blast
From
the Past

2. By Megan Mattingly-Arthur
Established in 1919, Associated
Equipment Distributors (AED)
will dive into the past to relive and
bring to light major milestones in the
Association’s history, that will lead to
AED’s centennial celebration in January
2019.
Both the world and the Association
have evolved in the past 100 years,
but, according to AED’s Executive
Vice President and COO Robert K.
Henderson, some things never change
– like the Association’s commitment to
its members.
“There have unquestionably been
technological advances since the
Association’s founding, when things
were horse-drawn or run with belts,”
Henderson said. “Now our industry has
the most modern and technologically
advanced equipment in the world.
There are certain factors that seem to
be present no matter what time period
you’re in, such as economic decline,
recessions or industry consolidation.
Since its founding, AED has always
worked hard to keep up with what’s
going on in the industry and to match
the Association’s programs and services
to the needs of its members. That’s never
changed, regardless of the time period.”
AED has had a significant impact
on the construction and mining
equipment industry through the years,
working closely with both equipment
manufacturers and distributors to
facilitate a distribution channel that
benefits members on both ends of the
spectrum.
“Manufacturers don’t distribute, and
distributors don’t manufacture, so this
100-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
Blast From the Past:
The Journey to AED’s
22 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | January 2018

3. distribution channel in North America is
a partnership that AED has locked in and
helped facilitate,” said Henderson. “AED
brings manufacturers and distributors
together to efficiently and productively
push products to market. We have a saying
around here: Successful distributors make
for more profitable manufacturers. We
definitely believe that. It’s a team effort and
always has been.”
Arguably, one of AED’s greatest
achievements is The AED Foundation,
which was established in 1991 to address
the professional education and workforce
development needs of the heavy equipment
industry. The Foundation divides its focus
between workforce development, technical
college accreditation and industry research,
with a goal of helping members overcome
challenges such as a $2.4 billion opportunity
due to the skilled technician shortage, and
an era of globalization in which rentals
and online sales are surpassing traditional
brick-and-mortar operations as the
preferred mode of doing business.
The AED Foundation is in its 26th
year, and Henderson, who serves as The
AED Foundation’s president, has been
there since the beginning.
“One of the main things that The
Foundation does is recruit young
professionals for careers in construction
equipment distribution,” he said. “We don’t
think everyone needs to go to a four-year
educational institution – nor is it usually
profitable for them to do so – so we
encourage young people to complete two-
year programs at technical colleges that
The Foundation has accredited. We set the
standard, so that when folks graduate from
one of our accredited programs, potential
employers know that these graduates have
what it takes to do the job.”
To that end, The AED Foundation
launched its Technician Certification
Program in late 2017. The first of its kind
for the construction equipment industry,
the program includes a comprehensive
160-question technical assessment that
covers core standards for diesel engines;
electric and electronics; hydraulics and
hydrostatics; power trains; air conditioning
and heating; and safety and administration.
Through its government affairs office,
AED is also encouraging its membership
to lobby their members of Congress on
important issues like tax reform and
infrastructure improvements.
“We’ve made a huge effort to increase our
presence on Capitol Hill,” Henderson said.
“If our members aren’t out there talking
to their representatives and getting their
agenda out there, then the members of
Congress do not know what they can do to
help our industry.”
With nearly 100 accomplishment-packed
years behind it, AED is gearing up for
another 100 years of success.
“Even though the basics never change,
there are always new ideas and new things
to bring forward,” said Henderson. “One
thing’s for certain: AED won’t be standing
still. There’s a new capital campaign on
the way, several new schools gaining
accreditation, and we’re updating and
renewing many of our offerings. There’s a
lot to look forward to and we’re very excited
about what the future holds.”
To learn more about AED’s
mission, programs and services, email
info@AEDnet.org or visit www.aednet.org.
January 2018 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 23

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