CED

October 2013

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From the Chairman President & CEO - TOBY MACK Associated Equipment Distributors Oak Brook, Ill. The End of a Great Era Executive Vice President & COO Robert Henderson Associated Equipment Distributors Oak Brook, Ill. Thanks to Toby Mack, AED is poised for long-term strength and public policy influence. Officers Chairman - mike quirk Wagner Equipment Co. Aurora, Colo. Vice Chairman - Tim Watters Hoffman Equipment Co., Piscataway, N.J. Sr. Vice President - Don Shilling General Equipment & Supplies, Inc. Fargo, N.D. Vice President - Rick van exan Toromont Industries Inc. Concord, Ontario Vice President - whit perryman Vermeer of Texas Inc. Irving, Texas Vice President of Finance Michael D. Brennan Brandeis Machinery & Supply Co., Louisville, Ky. Past Chairman - Larry Glynn CMW Equipment St. Louis, Mo. At-Large Directors ron barlet Bejac Corp. Placentia, Calif. Paula Benard C.N. Wood Co., Inc. Woburn, Mass. Gregg R. Erb Erb Equipment Company, Inc. Fenton, Mo. Dennis J. heller Stephenson Equipment Inc. Harrisburg, Pa. Mike Rooney Thompson Tractor Co., Inc. Tarrant, Ala. Michael J. Savastio Groff Tractor & Equipment, Inc. Mechanicsburg, Pa. Regional Directors Bruce A. Bowman Upper Midwest Reg. Star Equipment, Ltd Des Moines, Iowa gary frelick Western Canada Reg. Douglas Lake Equipment Langley, BC Patrick McConnell, West Reg. Clyde/West, Inc. Portland, Ore. christopher palmer Northeast Reg. Wood's CRW Corp. Williston, Vt. Mark Romer, Southeast Reg. James River Equipment, Inc. Ashland, Va. Jeffrey Scott Rocky Mountain Reg. Intermountain Bobcat Salt Lake City, Utah Rick Van Exan Eastern Canada Reg. Toromont Industries Ltd. Concord, ON gary D. Vaughn South Central Reg. OCT Equipment, Inc. Oklahoma City, Okla. 5_fromthechairman_KP.indd 5 By Mike Quirk On October 31, we will mark the end of an era at AED. Toby Mack, our president and CEO, will be stepping down from the position that he has held for nearly 24 years. He has served our association well through calm and turbulent times while keeping a "steady hand on the rudder," a fitting description in keeping with his unwavering Navy discipline. I remember Toby's early days with AED. He would visit our local Colorado Equipment Distributors group at least once a year to give an update on AED activities and priorities. Just as important, though, it gave him the opportunity to spend quality time with our members in the field and hear the important issues affecting the industry. These meetings were always likely to generate ideas that, over the years, have become the foundation for the rich tradition of service to the member companies that AED serves. A frequent byproduct of these exchanges was the development of fertile friendships between Toby and so many of the people in our membership. Toby has been a tireless champion of our industry. He has been equally committed to the success of the small, local businesses that were the bulk of our membership to the industry's major companies. Like many of us, he has had to endure the challenges of consolidation and severe economic cycles that require difficult decisions and decisive leadership. Unlike most of us, he has done this while working under the direction of an ever-changing, all-volunteer board of directors. (Albeit these boards have been exemplary in every regard!) In the face of it all, AED has continued to build strength and capacity with the help of his vision and guidance. A lot has happened in these last 24 years. One example is The AED Foundation, which, under Toby's direction, has emerged as an impressive force to address the industry's critical skills shortage. AED has had to remain nimble. We have seen market swings and trends evolve. Rental has become a core competency; energy and other natural resource development have provided new opportunity across North America; and technology continues to add productivity and complexity to the products and services that we provide our customers. With the help of AED, the equipment distribution model remains as strong as ever. The value added by the dealer remains the great differentiator Toby's foremost passion has been best demonstrated by the growth of our powerful advocacy presence in Washington. Through perseverance and successful coalition building AED has become a seasoned, respected and effective lobbying advocate for our industry. Our membership considers this one of the most important missions of AED, and we have seen the steady growth and development of these forces over the years to the impressive position we hold today. Additional efforts are underway in Ottawa and the provincial and state capitals to leverage our resources and local influence to a greater degree at these increasingly important levels. Under Toby's direction, AED has grown into one of the leading trade associations in stature, credibility and integrity. These are all hallmarks of our industry and represent the individual and collective characteristics of our membership. It has been my pleasure to know him, work beside him, and be represented by him for so many years. I wish him continued good fortune, health, and success in all future endeavors. He is leaving AED in great shape and well positioned for the future. We are a better association because of his long and capable stewardship. Mike Quirk (mquirk@wagnerequipment.com) is vice president of Operations at Wagner Equipment Co., Aurora, Colo. October 2013 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 5 9/26/13 11:14 AM

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