Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/221076
Groundwork OFFICERS Chairman CHRIS PERA Eastern HighReach Company, Inc. Horsham, Pa. Vice Chairman A. ROY KERN Equipment Corporation of America Coraopolis, Pa. President BOB HENDERSON The AED Foundation Oak Brook, Ill. JOHN CRUM Treasurer Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Inc. Pittsburgh, Pa. Immediate Past Chairman WALTER BERRY Berry Companies, Inc. Wichita, Kan. AED Board Representative WHIT PERRYMAN Vermeer Equipment of Texas Irving, Texas Executive Director STEVE JOHNSON The AED Foundation Oak Brook Ill. DIRECTORS GARY BRIDWELL Ditch Witch of Oklahoma Edmond, Okla. MIKE FESTING-SMITH NORTRAX, Inc. Tampa, Fla. MIKE HAYES Komatsu America Corporation Rolling Meadows, Ill. TIMOTHY KRAMER Kramer Ltd. Regina, SK DR. WAYNE LONGBRAKE Former Dean, Penn. College of Technology Williamsport, Pa. SONJA METZLER Ohio CAT Broadview Heights, Ohio KENNETH SILVERMAN Volvo Construction Equipment Shippensburg, PA MARK TEEL Caterpillar, Inc. Peoria, Ill. KEITH TIPPETT Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. Oklahoma City, Okla. Cat Dealer Academy Joins Ranks of AED-Accredited Schools Florence-Darlington Technical College is the 39th program to earn AED accreditation The AED Foundation congratulates the Caterpillar Dealer Academy – CAT ThinkBIG program at Florence-Darlington Technical College in Florence, S.C., for their recent AED accreditation. In 1999, three Caterpillar dealers, including Blanchard Machinery, Gregory Poole Equipment Company and Carolina Tractor, saw the need for highly trained service technicians and so they forged a partnership with Florence Darlington Technical College. In 2000, the first class was formed, and in 2002 the program graduated 12 students. To date, the program has graduated 171 well-qualified, entry-level equipment technicians. The Caterpillar Dealer Academy continues as a cooperative two-year, college-level student technician education program that leads to an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree with a major in Caterpillar Service Technology. The partnership between the local sponsoring Caterpillar dealers and Florence-Darlington Technical College builds the foundation for new technicians to launch their careers within the Caterpillar dealer network. Florence-Darlington Technical College has achieved the rigorous AED Technical standards and is now the 39th AED Affiliated program for diesel technology in operation at 28 colleges. Your Participation at Ritchie Bros. Live Auction Supports Foundation's Workforce Efforts Thanks to all of the contributors to the 7th Annual AED Foundation and Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Live Auction. The auction is one of our key fundraising activities each year. Visit www.aedfoundationauction.com to view all the fabulous items. Bidding will take place at the Live Auction at the Ritchie Bros. Reception on Friday evening, Jan. 17, 2014. There is still time to donate. For more information, call or e-mail Rebecca Rakers, 630-468-5113, rrakers@aednet.org. New Items Added to the Auction A Case of Exquisite 1989 Château La Dominique-St. Emilion Wine Donated by Bomag Tasting La Dominique is an exquisite experience for the senses. The 1989 vintage has been noted as one of the best years for Château La Dominique. La Dominique shares absolutely the same conditions as Cheval Blanc, one of the best wineries in the region. Valued at approximately: $5,000 12 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | December 2013 Weekend as an Astronaut for Two Donated by WTP Advisors Sit at the controls of the space shuttle, experience space shuttle mission simulation, and perform hands-on space exploration activities. Package includes lunch with a veteran astronaut at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex, two nights hotel accommodations at the Residence Inn Cape Canaveral Cocoa Beach, and two American Airlines flight certificates for roundtrip coach travel within the contiguous 48 United States and Canada. Valued at approximately: $3,000