CED

November 2012

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President's Message provides a major new service to dealers and schools. The system now includes a Spanish-language version. AED Outreach and Ongoing Member Services In addition to public policy advo- cacy and workforce development, AED has increased its value in other areas and has had other significant accomplishments. n We added to the value of AED Summit and the Executive Forum programs. The 2012 Executive Forum attendees rated the program as the highest value ever. n We maintained CED magazine as the best-in-industry trade publica- tion, bringing insight and analysis of industry issues and dynamics that is unavailable elsewhere. n AEDNews – our weekly e-mail indus- try newsletter – has grown to 10,000 opt-in subscribers. n We survived a catastrophic 2010 flood that destroyed our headquarters building, completely re-establishing our administrative operations in a new facility in less than a week. n We completed the integration of Canada with AED, and have since engaged on Canadian policy issues: Environment, Health and Safety, Keystone XL pipeline, Canada's inclusion in Trans Pacific Partnership trade nego- tiations, the Detroit-Windsor Bridge, on the Board of Canadian American Busi- ness Council, on the Canadian Cham- ber's Transportation Committee, regular visits to all Canadian provincial dealer associations, and re-establishment of the annual Canadian Environment, Health and Safety Conference. n We have increased our presence at the local level – with AED staff attending a high percentage of local group events in both the U.S. and Canada; and organizing and leading local group fundraising and speaking events for Congressional candidates. UndercArrIAge for Mini excavators & cTL's continuous rubber Tracks & rollers, Idlers, & Sprockets over 1,000 ModeLS for (FOR TRIPLE BAR SHOES) www.tufpads.com • bls@tufpads.com 1120 Thorndale Ave. • Bensenville, IL 60106 888-TUFPADS or 800-307-0299 Please visit us in CONDEX Booth 301. Const Equip Dist 2012 C4 November 2012 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 19 It's gratifying to see a well-planned and implemented strategy produce its intended results in terms of growth in effectiveness and value. The Board's wisdom in setting the organization on its current path is paying off. But the industry's current challenges for the coming year are bigger than ever: a "broken" highway funding system; tax rates and provisions on which we have relied are under threat of elimination or cutback; a shortage of qualified techni- cal workers; a languishing construction sector and general economy; anti- business regulations; and a bias against fossil fuels all threaten our futures. AED must stay the course and keep up the pressure. As U.S. Chamber Presi- dent Tom Donohue told us in January, if we don't, someone else is out there who wants to "eat our lunch." n TOBY MACK is president and CEO of Associated Equipment Distributors. He can be reached at jtm@aednet.org. BoLT-on & cLIp-on rubber Track pads Artliner-BLS

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