It was a long time coming, but the AEM (Association of Equipment Manufacturers) has added Sherman Ward “Bud” Bushnell, the founder of the elevated platform Genie, to its Hall of Fame.
The Genie helps support a wide swath of industries in the global construction and agricultural sectors, though the AEM was keen to state that Bushnell’s induction into its Hall of Fame was based on a wide range of contributions to developing and advancing technologies.
The Hall of Fame is a way the AEM recognizes those pioneers whose inventions, ideas, leadership, and courage have lent itself to the manufacturing and construction industry.
The award ceremony was held on November 18, 2022, at the AEM’s Annual Conference in Napa, California. The award was presented to the current President of Genie, Simon Meester.
“Bud Bushnell is a tremendous addition to the AEM Hall of Fame,” noted Megan Tanel, the President of the AEM. “His combination of innovation, professional dedication to safety, and personal dedication to the team he built at Genie is exactly what the AEM Hall of Fame is meant to celebrate.”
The late Bud Bushnell, who passed away on November 14, 2020, founded Genie Industries—currently a brand of Terex Corporation—making its pioneering development into the leader in mobile elevating work platforms for people to work at height safely.
Genie Industries started up in 1966 in Seattle. His first lift utilized compressed air, and because his customers noted the hissing noise it made during the lifting operation, describing it as a genie (djinn) in a bottle, Bushnell adopted it as the company name.