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Inside AED July 2014 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 9 As the new president of AED, Brian McGuire is asking a lot of questions, and none are more important than those centered around AED's manufacturer members. "Since 2008, manufacturers have not participated in AED at the level they once did," said McGuire. "We need to ensure that we are delivering value to our manufacturer members and that we are providing the best program and services to support a successful network of dealers. The AED President's Manufacturer Advisory Council is the first step in that process." At a meeting held in early June, McGuire assembled a cross section of manufacturers to address their needs and start a conversation with AED manage- ment and current Chairman Tim Watters. David Combs, co-chair of the Council, and senior manager for MTU America Inc., commented on the meeting, which started off with a review of all that AED does for dealers. "As manufactur- ers, we tend to focus on what happens at Summit and CONDEX and then forget about what AED does the rest of the year," said Combs. "It was very interesting to myself and the other manufacturers to learn what AED does for our dealers and distributors. Unanimously, all of the 15 manufacturers in attendance agreed that AED is a viable organization and that a strong AED is good for dealers, manufacturers and the industry." Top on the manufacturers' agenda was greater atten- dance at Summit and CONDEX, as well as AED's Executive Forum. "It was clear our initial focus should be to add value to CONDEX and Summit," said Combs. "It's critical to all of AED's programs that we get our events back on track," he continued. AED will take the ideas shared through the President's Manufacturer Advi- sory Council and use them to reinvent and reinvigorate AED's major events, with the most significant changes coming in 2016. The Council agreed to meet twice a year, with the second meeting to be scheduled at Summit 2015 in Orlando. Ideas will continue to be developed throughout the year and will be discussed at length in February. Based on the meeting, some future topics that the Council might tackle are recruit- ment of technicians and the impact of a growing rental business on the manufacturer-distributor relationship. "We're very fortunate to have a dedicated group of manufacturers who are committed to AED's success and recognize the value we have to their dealers," added McGuire. "We look forward to making AED everything it can be – for all our members." Council to focus on ensuring value for manufacturer members. Inaugural Meeting of AED's New Manufacturer Advisory Council Sets Stage for Change Proposed New Member This list is published each month as required by AED bylaws. Comments on the applicants should be directed to AED President and CEO Brian McGuire 800-388-0650, ext. 326. Kello-Bilt Inc. Red Deer County, Alberta David Combs Last month, AED rolled out a new benefit exclusively for AED member companies – Call Counsel! is a free, completely confidential hotline staffed by attorneys from the Chicago office of Kopon Airdo, LLC, with a network of attorneys nationwide. Callers receive immediate guidance on commercial, employment, and litigation-based legal questions, enabling them to evaluate possible courses of action – and to understand the ramifications of such actions – when a legal situation arises or is looming. How It Works 1. An AED member calls the hotline (312-506-4480) with a legal question. The caller will reach Michael Airdo or another Kopon Airdo professional. 'Call Counsel!' gives all AED members free access to AED's general counsel, Michael Airdo at Kopon Airdo, LLC New Legal Service for AED Members (continued on next page) Michael Airdo