Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/340625
President's Message July 2014 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 5 President & CEO - BRIAN MCGUIRE Associated Equipment Distributors Oak Brook, Ill. Executive Vice President & COO ROBERT HENDERSON Associated Equipment Distributors Oak Brook, Ill. OFFICERS Chairman - TIM WATTERS Hoffman Equipment Co., Piscataway, N.J. Vice Chairman - DON SHILLING General Equipment & Supplies, Inc. Fargo, N.D. Sr. Vice President - WHIT PERRYMAN Vermeer Equipment of Texas, Inc. Irving, Texas Vice President - RICK VAN EXAN Toromont Industries Ltd. Concord, Ont., Canada Vice President - WES STOWERS Stowers Machinery Corp. Knoxville, Tenn. Vice President of Finance MICHAEL D. BRENNAN Brandeis Machinery & Supply Co., Louisville, Ky. Past Chairman - MIKE QUIRK Wagner Equipment Co. Aurora, Colo. AT-LARGE DIRECTORS TODD BACHMAN Florida Coast Equipment, Inc. Boynton Beach, Fla. RON BARLET Bejac Corp. Placentia, Calif. DENNIS J. HELLER Stephenson Equipment Inc. Harrisburg, Pa. LARRY R. MILLER Kelbe Bros. Equipment Co. Inc. Butler, Wis. MITCH NEVINS Four Seasons Equipment, Inc. Houston, Texas MIKE ROONEY Thompson Tractor Co., Inc. Tarrant, Ala. REGIONAL DIRECTORS RYAN GREENAWALT Midwest Reg. Alta Equipment Co. Wixom, Mich. TODD HYSTAD Western Canada Reg. Vimar Equipment Ltd. Burnaby, B.C. PATRICK W. MCCONNELL West Reg. Clyde/West, Inc. Portland, Ore. CHRISTOPHER PALMER Northeast Reg. Wood's CRW Corp. Williston, Vt. GILES POULSON Rocky Mountain Reg. Faris Machinery Co. Commerce City, Colo. JAY RODES, Southeast Reg. Wilson Equipment Co. Lexington, Ky. RICK VAN EXAN Eastern Canada Reg. Toromont Industries Ltd. Concord, Ont. GARY D. VAUGHN South Central Reg. OCT Equipment, Inc. Oklahoma City, Okla. Some people can look back at their past and trace their present success to one big event or decision, or to one chance encounter or one special mentor – but that "one thing" is probably the exception rather than the norm. For most of us, success results from all those things stacked together. One of the first things I decided to do in my new role as AED's president and CEO was to focus on the one thing that could actually help create a tall stack of resources that would quickly add up to very tangible business success for people in the equipment business: That one thing is AED's Leadership Academy. When you add up all the education and experiences we build into this 48-hour conference for young leaders, you wind up with a solid stack of takeaways that no future owner or executive should be deprived of. In other words, the ONE THING your company's rising stars need most is the big lineup of bene- fits found at this event. O utside – There's no substitute for getting outside of their routine, outside of the business; of course, there's never a good or easy time to break away, but getting away for personal development is critical for busi- ness success. N etwork – Everyone in this business needs a peer network, a go-to group of people they've become friends with, who they trust and can shoot a text to or call anytime. Where else but AED Leadership Academy is your son or daughter or other future leader going to be able to find that industry foundation of people their own age? E mployees – Today's young leaders care very deeply about good culture and creating happy employees who will play it forward and create happy customers. We're placing substantial emphasis on this area to help them keep building strong business culture when they become the decision-makers. T ools – Our aim is not just to inform but to actually engage with attendees, answer their questions about real stuff they're dealing with and provide application that is as relevant the day they get back to the office as it sounded when they were hearing it. H elp – Building on that notion of tools, our presenters are not only subject matter experts, they're also a bunch of great human beings who keep it real. Young leaders might need help in a wide range of areas, and Leadership Academy provides a safe environ- ment for asking questions. I nvestment – I would recommend that you look at this conference as one of the best investments you can make in the future success of your company. And if you happen to be a young leader who has recently taken over the reins of an equipment business, Leadership Academy is for you, too. N ew – What's new, you ask? Well for starters, I decided that holding the confer- ence in August would open up some great opportunities for fun. So, from the time our participants arrive on Tuesday, Aug. 26 till the time they depart on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 28, they will be able to enjoy a great round of golf, a patio reception and barbeque party with live music from local favorites Frank & Dave, as well as a fantastic boat party downtown on the Chicago River with architecture narration, open bar, excellent food and unbeatable company. G row – In the end, this is what it's all about. Make them ready, build their confi- dence, and encourage them to be the leader everyone needs them to be and the leader they want to become. I take this event very seriously, and I want you to do the same. It's definitely the one thing you can do this year to create lasting results. (aednet.org/leadership) BRIAN MCGUIRE (bmcguire@aednet.org) is president and CEO of Associated Equipment Distributors. Every Young Leader Needs One Thing, and We've Got It Nothing can take the place of the education and experiences of Leadership Academy. BY BRIAN MCGUIRE