I Make America. Well, not me but the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and their members do. It’s the first anniversary of the campaign and AEM is not only thanking supporters but holding a “virtual march” on Washington this week.
To mark the occasion, I Make America is holding a Virtual March on Washington this week, and has called on its supporters to send letters, sign a petition, and call their elected officials in Congress to demand they take a stand for American jobs by passing a comprehensive, well-funded highway bill.
On September 29, 2010 in Washington, D.C., AEM – along with Mike Rowe of Discovery Channel’s Dirty Jobs – launched I Make America, a national grassroots campaign to promote manufacturing jobs through infrastructure investment and export agreements as proven ways to create and sustain jobs for American workers. The campaign has enlisted the support of more than 13,000 people nationwide so far, AEM’s 850+ member companies, and industry organizations.
I Make America will continue to demand Congress takes action and passes a well-funded, multi-year highway bill. Their inaction is hampering American workers and manufacturers’ efforts to get back to work rebuilding and modernizing our roads, bridges and highways. America’s stagnant economy, high unemployment and the declining resources in our communities demand a sense of urgency from our political leaders in D.C.
The third AG CONNECT Expo will be held January 29-31, 2013 at the Kansas City Convention Center, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which started the global agribusiness trade show in 2010. The show is now on a biennial schedule synchronized with Agritechnica, the global agriculture trade show in Hanover, Germany, owned by the German Agricultural Society, DLG. The two global agriculture trade exhibitions – Agritechnica in Europe and AG CONNECT Expo in North America – coordinated timing of their show dates for the convenience of exhibitors and attendees with global business interests.
“Agriculture today is increasingly global, and AG CONNECT Expo is a global trade show offering industry professionals the best information and the best people possible, without boundaries,” said Tim Merrett with Deere & Company, who is serving as AG CONNECT Expo 2013 chair. “We have succeeded with this goal and will continue to provide a quality gathering place for sharing global agricultural ideas and management trends.”
Exhibit space sales for AG CONNECT Expo 2013 are now open, and deadline is September 15, 2011 to receive priority status with the first round of exhibit space assignments.
AG CONNECT Expo and AEM will be visiting with attendees at the 2011 AMS InfoExpo next week in New Orleans, so we will be sure to find out more there!
Here’s a photo contest for you to consider entering. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the I Make America campaign have launched the Picture a Better America Photo Contest. Their goal is to, “demonstrate the urgent need to invest in America’s crumbling infrastructure.”
The contest will showcase the hard-working men and women who “make” America. The Picture a Better America Photo Contest aims to greatly amplify the voices of I Make America’s grassroots supporters and others committed to demonstrating the real cost of Congressional inaction on infrastructure investment and who are pushing for passage of a fully-funded six-year highway bill by September 30th of this year.
“We’re calling on all Americans to send in their photos to the Picture a Better America Photo Contest. We need to show our elected officials that our roads, bridges and highways are crumbling and America needs Congress to pass a fully-funded highway investment bill this year,” said AEM President Dennis Slater. “The time is now for Congress to invest taxpayer dollars in projects that will create meaningful jobs and will make our roads safer.”
I think you’ll be especially interested in the America Grows Here Category. You’ve got until July 15 to enter and you can get full details on the website.
Have you ever eaten corn on the cob? Are you wearing a cotton shirt? America is a world leading provider of these products and more. Without investment in American infrastructure, our products, crops, and the machines that harvest them, will sit idle in our fields instead of feeding and clothing the world. Show the natural beauty of America’s farms and fields, by submitting a photo today!
2010 was a big year for Alltech, what with hosting the FEI World Equestrian Games and all, but in 2050 the company is talking about having 9.3 billion people for dinner.
“Feeding the World – 9.3 billion people for dinner in 2050″ is the theme of Alltech’s lecture tour this year that kicked off during AG CONNECT Expo on Saturday. Dr. Mark Lyons, International Project Director for Alltech, says AG CONNECT was a great place for them to start. “We have operations in 90 countries, we’re selling into almost 120 countries,” Mark said. “So for us, it’s an excellent venue. Having a stop in Georgia is one thing, having a stop here at this event is much different.”
Now the lecture tour moves on to stops along the eastern part of the U.S. and then the western part. “We’ll have 23 stops in North America and over 100 stops globally,” Mark said. “It culminates in our symposium in May in Kentucky. It’s a very important part of what we do. We estimate that we get in front of about 20,000 people a year.” There were several hundred at the event in Atlanta.
The chairman of the management committee for AG CONNECT Expo is Martin Richenhagen, AGCO President/CEO. I spoke with him about this year’s show which is now winding down to its last hour.
Martin said that one of the differences for this show from last year was having a lot more visitors and he credits having other organizations holding their meetings at the same time with helping. He says the location was very desirable for exhibitors. They use the show to hold their own meetings with dealers and customers. He says they want the show to attract big growers who are looking to invest. He also makes a point about how the show is put on by a non-profit organization, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Martin also talks about the relationship with AgriTechnica, the largest European show, and says they have even invested in AG CONNECT Expo. Beginning now the two shows will run in off set years.
I have several more interviews to post from AG CONNECT Expo but am transitioning over to the AFBF Annual Meeting so I’ll see you from there. Our show photo album is now complete. I hope you enjoy them.
This morning at AG CONNECT Expo the first session was the Ag Executive Forum. The keynote speaker for breakfast was Thomas Cunningham, Economist and Associate Research Director, Federal Reserve of Atlanta. Thanks to Mary Thompson, Farm Foundation, for taking a photo of us in the hallway during my interview with him.
According to Thomas the economy is recovering but at a very slow pace. I asked him if there was room for optimism and he said it was more like “less room for pessimism.” He says that things are pretty good for the ag sector of the economy. With people around the world building wealth they’re spending more on food. As he put it, “It doesn’t look too bad right now.” and “The world is getting wealthier and as it does that it is changing its diet.” He doesn’t see this trend reversing. I thought he made an interesting observation that in talking with ag groups they “have a good sense of history.” So the bottom line is that the ag sector is relatively healthy compared to the rest of the economy but we should keep in mind that the world has changed, mostly for the better, and make financial decisions accordingly.
The winners of the AG CONNECT Expo 2011 “Advocating for Agriculture” awards were honored at the “Celebration of Agriculture” and opening ceremony for the show on Friday evening. These awards recognize those who support “in a compelling way the work of farmers and ranchers to provide abundant and affordable food and fiber.” Online voting by the Ag community helped select the winners, and more than 12,500 votes were cast for the nine finalists.
The winners from left to right are: Next Generation of Ag Award — Elliott Marsh from Statesboro, Georgia Ag Woman of the Year — Beverly Hall from Baxter, Tennessee Community Advocate Award — Ray Bowman from Frankfurt, Kentucky
We’ve been talking with Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Vice President of Agricultural Services Charlie O’Brien about AG CONNECT Expo since it was first announced at Ag Media Summit in July 2008.
Now we are starting the second AG CONNECT Expo, which will be held every other year after this year, and Charlie says the show has really come together this year to be what they envisioned. “It’s certainly a larger footprint than we had last year,” Charlie says. “It feels like people really stepped it up a little bit more this year and it’s really looking good on the show floor this year.”
Charlie says it worked out very well for them to team up with American Farm Bureau, as well as other groups such as the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, to have co-located events. “That’s kind of been the strategy all along is to have key meetings associated with it and then have the trade show and the educational events as part of the trade show. We’re trying to be as efficient as we can with everybody’s time.”
I spoke with Josh Daniel, State Vice President from Oconee County, and Beth Hickey, State Vice President
Stephens County, about their involvement in the expo. “We’re helping with some of the educational breakout sessions and with some of the other educational opportunities and tours that AG CONNECT is offering,” Beth told me.
They are both very excited about meeting people from the agriculture industry all over the world. “It’s really a joy to meet people in the industry and seeing the way it’s growing and changing and always learning more about agriculture,” said Josh.
Preview day for the second AG CONNECT Expo is underway here in Atlanta and it’s obvious the newest U.S. ag show is going to be much bigger this year.
There are already more media folks here than last year in Orlando. In fact, Julie Harker with Brownfield Network commented that last year it was just her and Chuck here!
I took photos and recorded Julie interviewing show director Sara Mooney, who says they are happy being co-located with the American Farm Bureau annual meeting this year. “We’re really excited about it,” Sara said. “We’re going to have over 380 exhibitors on the show floor with AG CONNECT and American Farm Bureau Trade Show Pavilion.”
In addition to the exhibit hall, Sara says there’s also an extensive education program, with over 30 brand new sessions and topics as well as Innovation Theater sponsored by Successful Farming. The show, which is sponsored by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), officially opens this evening with the grand opening ceremony and will run through Monday afternoon.
Listen to Julie’s interview with Sara here: Sara Mooney
It is welcome time for AG CONNECT Expo, where they’re connecting the world of agriculture. Preview day is coming up on Friday and Cindy and I are checked in and ready to bring you all the action.
We’ll be on the floor throughout the next several days conducting interviews, attending educational sessions and taking lots of photos. Speaking of photos, I have started the official ZimmComm photo album: 2011 AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album
Thank you to AG CONNECT Expo for making it possible for ZimmComm to cover this show. It is the 2nd one and we’re looking forward to many more in coming years.
The winners of the AG CONNECT Expo 2011 “Advocating for Agriculture” award have been announced. These awards recognize those who support “in a compelling way the work of farmers and ranchers to provide abundant and affordable food and fiber.” Online voting by the Ag community helped select the winners, and more than 12,500 votes were cast for the nine finalists.
The “Advocating for Agriculture” award winners are:
Ag Woman of the Year — Beverly Hall from Baxter, Tennessee Community Advocate Award — Ray Bowman from Frankfurt, Kentucky Next Generation of Ag Award — Elliott Marsh from Statesboro, Georgia
The “Advocating for Agriculture” awards seek to create a wider public understanding and appreciation of the industry’s role and the significant contribution that production agriculture makes to our quality of life. The achievements and significant contributions of the award winners also serve as an inspiration for future industry leaders.
Grand prize winners receive a round-trip for two to AG CONNECT Expo 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia and will be honored at AG CONNECT Expo during the “Celebration of Agriculture” reception on Preview Day, January 7.
You can see more about the winners here including their video entries. You can watch Beverly’s below.
Registration is now open for AG CONNECT Expo 2011 in Atlanta, GA.
AG CONNECT Expo, the new global Ag trade show in North America, announces that registration has opened for the 2011 show. AG CONNECT Expo 2011 is slated for January 8-10, 2011 (Preview Day January 7 by special admission) at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. This new international agriculture event showcases the latest industry innovations, products and technology and offers access to leading company and industry experts worldwide.
Registering in advance saves over 30 percent off the show registration fee. Attendees can also save money by registering in advance for the extensive educational programming that will take place at the show. Go online to www.aem.org for full details and to register.
I recently spoke with Sara Truesdale-Mooney, the Show Director for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). This past January, AEM held its first agricultural trade show, the Ag Connect Expo. Sara told me that it was a great first show. “We are very pleased with the results and it really exceeded all of our expectations for a first-time event.”
The next Ag Connect Expo will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, January 7-10, 2011 at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. So far, the educational program is taking shape and Sara said it will be bigger, better and have more offerings. AEM is also planning to expand the Innovations Center as well as adding days and sessions on the show floor as well as more seating. Sara noted that all the sessions were full this past January.
While next year’s show is still a work in progress, Sara said that they are taking into account all the feedback from the attendee surveys and focus groups to ensure that the next show will be even better. Next year there will be a broader scope of exhibits, more floor space and they will bring back their signature elements.
On a closing note, Sara mentioned that Ag Connect Expo has been selected to participate U.S. Department of Commerce’s Buyer Program. Approximately 35 shows are selected for the program each year, and this will be the second year Ag Connect has been selected.
Registration opens in August but you can pre-register now by going www.agconnectexpo.com.
You can learn more about the Summit by listening to my interview with Sara.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has released their 2010 outlook for agricultural machinery. It looks like an expectation of continued “continued weakness in U.S. and Canadian tractor sales.” This is comes from a survey they conduct of members. So although this year’s outlook is somewhat negative, future years look much better.
For all sizes of two-wheel tractors, however, the declines are expected to be less steep than 2009 losses. Double-digit decreases are expected for four-wheel-drive tractors, following relatively flat business in 2009. Combine sales are predicted to drop in the double digits for 2010 after 2009 sales growth. Sales of tractors and combines are then predicted to start rebounding through 2011 and 2012.
For other types of farm-related equipment covered in the AEM survey, overall 2010 demand for most products in the U.S. and Canada is expected to improve after 2009 business declines. All categories are predicted to be in the plus column for 2011 and 2012.
One of the exhibits I visited at AG CONNECT Expo is our primary Precision Pays.com sponsor, Ag Leader Technology. Mike Olson, Sales and Support Manager, was on the floor interacting with attendees when I stopped by.
The Ag Leader booth was one of the ones displaying the “New Product” banner. I asked Mike what was new. He says there have been several new products released recently by the company including their new INTEGRA display. The 12.1 inch screen combines the operation control options Ag Leader is known for, with a built-in full-featured steering and guidance system including an on-screen lightbar.
Mike says most of the growers he spoke with know they need to implement precision technology but are asking questions about how they can use it in their operation.
You can watch or listen to my interview with Mike below:
I had a chance to sit down with Alida Bellandi, the Director of International Marketing for the Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers (ABIMAQ) during the AG CONNECT Expo. Bellandi’s organization was here to participate in the AgriEvolution Forum, a forum that is promoting a dialogue between the associations of manufacturing around the world. The first forum was in Rome two years ago, and the second one was hosted here by the Association of Equipment Manufactures (AEM) with the goal to discuss the future of the industry.
Bellandi told me that her organization represents manufacturers that produce equipment for small to medium sized farmers. This includes equipment used for soil preparation to silos to tractors and harvesters. Brazil has been manufacturing equipment for 30 years and currently exports to more than 60 countries.
Since AG CONNECT Expo was an international show, I asked Bellandi about Brazil’s efforts in helping other countries with their efforts. She told me that Brazil has developed a direct planting technology that is something other Latin American countries are very interested as are many countries in Africa. She also noted that while sustainability is a very important aspect for the ag industry in Brazil, it is not yet important in developing countries.
“What you have to understand is the stage they are in right now. They have to feed their people and they have practically nothing in many countries. So environmental issues are not very important for them. We’re trying to show them they could start thinking about it a little bit differently. But in Latin America, we’re beginning to influence them,” Bellandi.
To get people thinking about environmental issues, ABIMAQ has produced a free video called “The Earth hanging by a drop,” that demonstrates how ecosystems are affected by global warming. To receive a free copy of this video and to learn more about the organization, visit ABIMAQ’s website.
The inaugural AG CONNECT Expo is “in the books.” It was a good one too. I believe the show was very professionally done and everything went smooth. Attendees and exhibitors have echoed those comments when I’ve spoken with them.
To wrap things up I spoke to Charlie O’Brien, VP Ag Services for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. He says that they’re extremely pleased with the show. Attendance neared a total of 8,000. He says that the show committees have all met and the common theme among them was “quality, quality, quality.” Meaning that they have all been impressed with the quality of the booths, the sessions and the people on hand to answer questions. Looking forward they would like to broaden the scope of the show with more exhibitors. They’ve already got a large portion of next year’s floor space sold. He also heard from exhibitors that they were grateful for the integration of educational sessions into the show.
Next year’s show will be in Atlanta, GA January 7-10 so make your plans now. You can watch my interview with Charlie or listen to and download it below:
AG CONNECT Expo released some statistics about the show this morning during a press briefing. We heard from Show Director Sara Mooney and AEM VP of Ag Services, Charlie O’Brien.
Here’s some quick stats for you. There are currently 7,000 registered. The final numbers will change since we’re not at the end of the show yet by the way. Of those 7,000 there are 2,000 producers with an average or 2,900 acres and 80 percent say they are decision makers. There are 1,800 agribusiness and 800 dealers. The balance consists of all the people working out on the show floor. There are 312 exhibitors using 167,800 square feet of space. About 20 percent of attendees are from outside the U.S. and there are 67 countries represented and 49 out of the 50 states in the U.S. (Hawaii) didn’t have anyone here.
The VP of Statistics, Technical and Safety Services for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is Darrin Drollinger. He addressed the Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC) which is conducted by the American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers (ASABE) being held in conjunction with AG CONNECT Expo. In his comments he talks about AEM and their new show.
In this week's program Chuck talks with Mike Adams, AgriTalk.
Chuck and Mike often wind up at the same events all over the country so it seemed like a good idea to do a little AgriTalking about the changes they've seen in the ag media landscape.
I Make America. Well, not me but the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and their members do. It’s the first anniversary of the campaign and AEM is not only thanking supporters but holding a “virtual march” on Washington this week.
The third AG CONNECT Expo will be held January 29-31, 2013 at the Kansas City Convention Center, according to the 
“Feeding the World – 9.3 billion people for dinner in 2050″ is the theme of 
The chairman of the management committee for AG CONNECT Expo is Martin Richenhagen, AGCO President/CEO. I spoke with him about this year’s show which is now winding down to its last hour.
This morning at AG CONNECT Expo the first session was the Ag Executive Forum. The keynote speaker for breakfast was Thomas Cunningham, Economist and Associate Research Director, 
The winners of the 
We’ve been talking with Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Vice President of Agricultural Services Charlie O’Brien about 
Preview day for the second 
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has released their 
One of the exhibits I visited at AG CONNECT Expo is our primary 
I had a chance to sit down with Alida Bellandi, the Director of International Marketing for the Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers (ABIMAQ) during the 
Since 
AG CONNECT Expo released some statistics about the show this morning during a press briefing. We heard from Show Director Sara Mooney and AEM VP of Ag Services, Charlie O’Brien. 
In this week's program Chuck talks with Mike Adams, AgriTalk.
