The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame celebrates the people who create the equipment and technologies that build, feed, and power our world.
The AEM is the North America-based international trade group representing off-road equipment manufacturers and suppliers with more than 1,000 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture and construction-related industry sectors worldwide.
While creating the equipment and technologies that have changed the world, many of the inductees have created a positive, inclusive, and thoughtful environment for the people around them to make it possible, and the AEM is seeking nominations for the 2023 induction ceremony here.
“When you look at the members of the AEM Hall of Fame, it’s clear none of them would be there without including the people around them, on both a professional and personal level,” said Megan Tanel, the President of the AEM. “That’s why {we must include] not only the innovators themselves but also those that empowered the people and communities that made their success possible.”
Sherman Ward “Bud” Bushnell, the 2022 inductee, and founder of Genie Inc. was recognized for his products, but also for how he treated his people and built his teams.
“Leading by example, putting the customer first, and focusing on the team to make it happen has made us the company we are in the last 55 years,” said Simon Meester, the current president of Genie in support of Bushnell. “We have a lot of exciting products coming our way in the next 10 years and I would say Bud’s spirit [is] in all of them because they are all focused on addressing unique customer challenges, and they are built by teams, not individuals.”
In 2021, Bryn Fosburgh, the Senior Vice President of Trimble was inducted into the AEM Hall of Fame—not only for his work on real-time kinematic technology for GPS systems but also for his work improving technology education in Western Africa and assisting with disaster relief in East Asia.
“He sponsored educational grants to École Polytechnique, which is a technical university in Senegal,” said William Marbell, the Trimble Director of Global Business Development. “At the University of Lagos (Nigeria), he was there personally to deliver lectures to motivated engineers and donate technology to them.”
Added Mark Nichols, a general manager with Trimble Navigation: “When we had the earthquake in Kobe, Japan (in 1995), Bryn got on an airplane, flew to Japan, and deployed GPS technology to enable the recovery. And when the Sichuan Earthquake (in 2008) occurred in China, Bryn personally got on a plane and flew into Chengdu.”
The AEM Hall of Fame is accepting nominations for 2023 until Friday, June 16. To submit a nomination for consideration, click here to fill out the form, and tell us their story of innovation, industry contribution, leadership, and social responsibility.