In a signal to the industry that the Association of Equipment Management Professionals plays a critical role in the heavy equipment industry, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) chose AEMP to receive its prestigious Power of A Summit Award and a Power of A Gold Award for the association’s work to develop a telematics standard. It was the culmination of an effort that began in 2007 and recently became an international standard, ISO 15143-3. AEMP was recognized with the Summit Award for its successful efforts in Advancing a Profession Through Technology and received a Power of A Gold Award for Solving a Global Industry’s Technology Challenge.
ASAE created the Power of A Awards in 2010 to showcase how associations leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry/professional performance, kick start innovation and improve world conditions. The Power of A Summit Award is the association industry’s highest honor, recognizing associations such as AEMP for their invaluable contributions on the local, national, and global levels. The award honors the outstanding accomplishments of association professionals who work tirelessly to strengthen lives, the workforce, our systems and structure, the economy, and the world.
AEMP was one of only six associations chosen to receive the Summit award out of over 150 nominations ASAE received.
“The Summit Award is ASAE’s highest award given to associations that make exemplary commitments to creating a stronger America and the world,” says Chris Vest, CAE, and ASAE’s Director of Public Policy. “Part of ASAE’s advocacy role is to educate outside audiences about the true value of associations and the resources they bring to bear on our nation’s most pressing problems. Associations have a good story to tell. We thank AEMP for their inspiring work.”
Sharon J. Swan, FASAE, CAE, Chief Executive Officer of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and chair of the Power of A Awards Judging Committee adds, “Congratulations to AEMP for paving the way for a solution that makes a significant positive contribution to its entire industry. AEMP’s initiative exemplifies how we work best when we work together and how associations have a positive influence on our everyday lives.”
Don Gengelbach, CEM, AEMP Chairman of the Board noted that, “It was real exciting to see AEMP receive this prestigious award from the world of associations, and I think everyone involved in the development of our telematics data standard should be very proud of what AEMP has accomplished. We’ve been able to improve the use of data to benefit the bottom line of organizations throughout a whole industry, and for a small association like ours, that’s pretty impressive.”
Stan Orr, FASAE, CAE, AEMP’s President and Chief Executive Officer points out that these awards recognize a journey more than 10 years long. “In 2007, telematics began emerging as a critical issue in the heavy equipment industry, and this technology remains unfamiliar to most of the world today. Dick Brannigan, CEM, who is now retired, was AEMP’s visionary Chairman of the Board. He recognized the profound effect telematics would have on the equipment management profession and the industry. Through his efforts we saw a remarkable level of cooperation from manufacturers to meet end user customer needs.”
Dick Brannigan, CEM, states, “When our first meeting with the manufacturers took place, we had no clue how much resistance they might have to our ideas. Each of the manufacturer reps in the room seemed surprised by the simplicity of our request. Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu and Volvo found our idea valid in concept and they recognized that it would enhance their product support efforts”.
Orr, in pointing out to ASAE how success was achieved, pointed out the collaborative efforts from all “sides” of the Equipment Triangle, including a critical partnership with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). “When I think of people who had an impact on this effort, I think of Randy Jaminet (now retired) and Nick Bollweg of John Deere, Nick Redd at Caterpillar, Bud Sims and Randy Amerine of Qualcomm, Ken Calvert of Komatsu, Bill Hurni from Volvo, and Al Cervero of AEM. They all did their part to make these remarkable results a reality. And of course, many individuals in the AEMP membership and across all sectors of the industry rolled up their sleeves, put aside their differences, and created something that has re-shaped this huge industry forever.
“You simply cannot overstate how difficult this telematics journey has been, or how profoundly important it was to the industry and the public. The visionary leaders of this effort had to work through numerous obstacles. For instance, they had to consider engine improvements, particularly emissions tiering, which varies by continent. They had to develop a standard that met international language requirements for mixed-brand fleets and requirements within each brand’s line of equipment. They had to solve the riddle of data transfer in a safe and secure method. They had to break down organizational and industry cultural barriers to succeed. And in true Equipment Triangle style, they did it voluntarily. A telematics standard that invites innovation can mean better living for us all. I have been honored to witness and participate in the start of this industry transformation, and it’s exciting to see AEMP’s work receive this high-level recognition from the larger world of associations.”
AEMP was honored at the 8th Annual Summit Awards Dinner in October at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. A team of AEMP leaders joined over 2,000 association executives, government officials, and business and community leaders in an evening of celebration for the value of associations and their impact on society. AEMP’s telematics initiative was showcased in a video at the dinner.
Joining chairman of the Board Don Gengelbach, CEM, and President Stan Orr, FASAE, CAE, were AEMP past-chairmen Guy Gordon, CEM, Bob Merritt, CEM, and John Meese, CEM. Also in attendance was Tim Morgan who served on the technology committee during the work on the standard, Linda Gengelbach, Cindy Orr, and Tiffany Bishop, and representatives of the four OEMs who played a vital role in the creation of the Standard, including Nick Redd of Caterpillar, Nick Bollweg of John Deere, Ken Calvert of Komatsu, and Tony den Hoed of Volvo.
