2014 Successes and 2015 Plans
We are extremely thankful for our members’ support in many areas over the last 12 months and for the success we have enjoyed in continuing to build a strong association of farm equipment manufacturers.
While numbers don’t tell the entire story, they are an important tool in measuring our success. By the time 2014 draws to a close, we will have added over 70 new members to our Association for the second consecutive year and remain on track to see our total membership top 750 companies in 2015. Much of this success can be credited to current members’ efforts in sponsoring new members.
During the past year, we also saw major attendance gains at both our Spring Conference and Fall Convention. Planning is well underway to build on that success with our upcoming Spring Conference in Charlotte, NC. In addition to our programming, we will offer several plant tours and fun NASCAR-themed team-building events. Online registration for the March 18-21, 2015, Spring Conference in Charlotte will open Dec. 19 at FarmEquip.org. Our Fall Marketing and Distribution Convention will return to the Midwest in 2015 with dates of October 27-30 and a location that is within driving distance for many of our members—Kansas City, MO.
Throughout 2014 our Association continued to monitor legislative action in over a dozen states, and we expect that number to grow in 2015. Over the last 18 months, one of the most active states has been Wisconsin, where farm equipment’s access to public roadways came under attack. While we were successful in modifying some of the proposals and obtaining carve-outs for some equipment, the legislation that passed, which will take effect in 2015, was far from ideal and certainly not something we would want to see introduced in nearby states.
Throughout the year, we have continued to work with AEM and other like-minded groups to ensure that Wisconsin’s elected officials and administrative policy makers are aware of the impact that restrictions on axle weights will have on the state’s farmers’ productivity and the future availability of the larger, more efficient equipment they need in order to compete.
Representatives from both our Association and AEM recently met with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The constructive dialogue identified a number of gaps in the understanding of the inventory and condition of Wisconsin’s bridges and culverts, and a clear technical understanding of size and weight issues related to farm equipment. We believe continued meetings will foster a better understanding of the diversity of the equipment used in agriculture and the impact the very limited use of that equipment actually has on state and local roadways.
As with all public policy issues our Association deals with, member involvement is critical to our success. While we monitor legislation as it’s filed, we encourage members to visit regularly with your local elected officials and share with our office any concerns related to our industry.
In addition to monitoring and attempting to influence legislation, we also have worked to improve our relationship with groups that promote standards within the industry, such as ASABE. While we can inform our members of pending and adopted standards, we believe they need to become involved in the proposed standards process earlier and to be more vocal regarding the impact that proposed standards will have on their products. We have committed additional resources in this area and in the coming year will increase Association staff involvement with our Product Councils and Committees addressing these issues.
We welcome member input on any topic and encourage all members, large and small, to become even more involved in our Association as we work together for additional successes in 2015. S