AED Summit 2022

AED Summit 2022 logo

Why is AED Summit one of the best construction industry events?

The 2022 Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) Summit connected vendors, dealers and manufacturers for a three-day event at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla. Attendees were able to meet in person with current and potential customers during the Conference Dealer Expo (CONDEX).

Approximately 40 educational sessions focused on topics such as leadership, management and sales were also available. Closing remarks from former Vice President Mike Pence concluded the event.

“AED is always full of networking opportunities to meet with existing partners and find new partners for distribution,” noted Peter Mitterndorfer, vice president, Antraquip Corporation.

What were attendees’ goals for the 2022 AED Summit?

The event drew a large crowd of new and recurring attendees. Many established lofty goals.

“Because we are a startup, and last year was our first year in business, our goals for AED 2022 were to finalize deals within our current dealer network and generate some new dealer prospects out in the field,” said Colin Talbert, sales representative, XCMG Group. “AED Summit was a great opportunity to get everybody in one place and have conversations with decision-makers.”

Colin Talbert XCMG Group
Colin Talbert, XCMG Group at AED 2022 Summit
Edgar Chavez and Steve Fowler of ALLU Group Inc
Edgar Chavez and Steve Fowler of ALLU Group Inc at AED 2022 Summit

 

“Our initial goal was to sign up a couple more dealers,” stated Edgar Chavez, president, ALLU Group Inc. “We had one promising conversation before CONDEX was open for an hour.”

 

“Attending AED Summit is important to us because we want to maintain relationships with the distributors that we have,” explained Larry Colley, director of sales, Sullivan-Palatek Inc. “We support distributors because we only sell to distributors. We can also look for new relationships in areas where we have less of a presence.”

Randy Wilson, Horace Douglas and Larry Colley of Sullivan-Palatek Inc
Randy Wilson, Horace Douglas and Larry Colley of Sullivan-Palatek Inc at AED 2022 Summit
Geordie Stewart of Connect Work Tools
Geordie Stewart with Connect Work Tools at AED Summit 2022

 

Geordie Stewart, director of sales at Connect Work Tools, noted, “AED is one of the best ways to get in front of dealer principals to grow our dealer network. We’re all in the same space and able to escape the cold for a couple days, so everyone is in a good mood.”

 

“Our goal was to not only establish but maintain our distributor network,” stated Frank Chulick, president, Stewart-Amos Sweeper Company.

Matt Snyder and Frank Chulick Stewart with Amos Sweeper Company
Matt Snyder & Frank Chulick Stewart with Amos Sweeper Company
Matthew Gruden of Toku America Inc

Matt Gruden, general manager at Toku America Inc., commented, “With everything opening up, we attended AED to see our customers and our friends. We also wanted to get a pulse on what our competitors are doing.”

 

Giorgio Carera, CEO of FAE USA Inc., planned on using the event to “meet existing dealers and new prospects, attend the educational programs, get updates on the industry and the supply chain, and build forecasts for the next couple of years.”

Giorgio Carera, CEO of FAE USA Inc.
Giorgio Carera, CEO of FAE USA Inc. meets with customers at AED Summit 2022

Who was at the 2022 AED Summit?

Because the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted typical business for the last two years, many were excited to see customers in person again.

Evan Brown of KATO-CES
Evan Brown of KATO-CES at AED Summit 2022

“AED is a close-knit and welcoming community,” explained Evan Brown, marketing manager, KATO-Compact Excavator Sales LLC. “You get to see a lot of the same people year after year and build those relationships. Getting in the same room with everyone and talking shop, especially after being separated for so long due to COVID, was great for us.”

“We wanted to see some of the dealers that we haven’t been able to meet with,” added Shannon Johnson, head of sales aftermarket, Berco of America Inc. “We covered a lot of territory by talking with visitors and our dealers from Canada and the U.S.”

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“We wanted to see some of the dealers that we haven’t been able to meet with,” added Shannon Johnson, head of sales aftermarket, Berco of America Inc. “We covered a lot of territory by talking with visitors and our dealers from Canada and the U.S.”

“We wanted to broaden our horizon on new dealership opportunities and reach customers that we hadn’t been able to meet face to face with due to COVID,” said Ben Taft, president, Spimerica. “This was our first time at the show. We were able to connect with some dealers we expected to, as well as some we did not expect.”

Anna Kidd, CEO of Harford Attachments, commented, “Meeting our customers face to face, which has been a big hurdle for us, was important. Because we’re based out of the U.K., AED Summit was one of the first opportunities we had to meet with current and potential customers outside of a Zoom meeting.”

“AED Summit attendance was down in 2021 due to the pandemic, and we saw a nice rebound this year,” added Billy Stump II, director of national sales west, Screen Machine Industries LLC. “We were excited to see new and familiar people and return to some normalcy.”

“We got to visit with some of our customers we’ve been out of touch with since the pandemic,” said Josh Timm, sales manager, ITR America LLC. “It was good to be face to face with a lot of our customers and reestablish those connections.”

How did companies increase their exposure?

Several attendees used the 2022 AED Summit as an opportunity to establish their company’s name.

“We’re a new brand from Northern Ireland and are bringing it to the North American market,” said Hubert Watson, sales director, Roco9 Ltd. “AED was a great opportunity to meet with people and explore our potential.”

“This was our first time at AED,” noted Brett Waggoner, vice president, ACME Division, AME International. “Our main goal was to meet new people and get our name into the market. We currently work with many different equipment dealers and wanted to meet some new ones while we were there.”

“AED was an opportunity for us to get in front of potential dealers and expand our footprint,” said Matt Greenwold, vice president of business development, Hi-Vac Corporation. “We met some potential customers for the Northeast and California.”

Rachel Boutet, chief marketing officer of DFD Loaders Inc., commented, “We’re a brand that’s been around for 65 years in the rest of the world with a presence in over 50 countries. We recently introduced the brand to the U.S., and AED was an excellent opportunity to get in front of decision-makers at the dealers.”

“Primarily, we wanted to get our name out there,” added Dick Cai, president and CEO, Sunward America Corporation. “We also wanted to give our sales reps and dealers the opportunity to meet us and increase our exposure.”

“As a national dealer for Atlas and Mantsinen, AED Summit 2022 was an opportunity for us to get in front of the North American market,” stated Thomas Hickson, general manager, SMH Group. “We met with all of our targets and built some new connections as well.”

Why did attendees introduce new products at the 2022 AED Summit?

Ryan Murphy, director of marketing at Indeco North America, commented, “The industry heavy hitters are always at AED, which is why we use it as an opportunity to show off our new products.”

“We introduced a new product the first day of the show,” stated Thomas Larsson, CEO, Viking Equipment Inc. “We also established some brand recognition within the dealer environment and showed people what we’re all about.”

“We improved our relationships with existing dealers and showed them some of our new products,” noted Dan Phillips, northeast regional business development manager, Seppi M. USA. “We also appreciated the opportunity to meet new dealers to bring into our fold.”

“AED was an opportunity for us to launch several of our new products,” said Michelle Wilson, northeast sales representative, Montabert USA. “We were also able to meet with our dealers, do some business reviews and find out where we’re shining and where we can continue to improve.”

“We had some dealer meetings and opportunities to meet some new dealers and also to introduce a couple of products that are fairly new to AMI,” said Bernie Howorth, vice president of sales and marketing, AMI Attachments Inc.

“We’re transitioning from direct sales to a dealer network,” said Gary Dory, sales manager, Advanced Crusher Technologies Inc. (ACTECH). “AED was a chance for us to connect with potential distributors and share information about our product.”

“We’ve got a fairly new aftermarket division, so AED was an opportunity to build relationships with the dealer network,” said Cassie Mason, marketing coordinator, ITM. “The people that attended Summit this year were exactly the people we wanted to have conversations with about our products.”

Was the 2022 AED Summit a success?

Even with high hopes going into the event, many felt that the 2022 AED Summit outperformed their expectations.

“AED is a great opportunity to interact with dealer principals and ownership,” explained Nathan Uphus, sales manager, Felling Trailers Inc. “The event was very well attended this year, which meant we had a lot of new people come through the booth.”

“Foot traffic was better than we expected,” noted Jim Morgan, director of sales, LayMor. “We met several potential dealers and built many new relationships.”

“I’ve seen the membership and attendee growth for AED and felt it was time for us to get involved and be a part of AED again,” said Eric Dupee, vice president of U.S. sales, Remu USA Inc. “We were able to branch out and meet many new prospective dealers.”

“The number of registered attendees exceeded our expectations,” said Terry McKay, tradeshow manager, Black Cat Wear Parts. “We were able to build some brand awareness and get in front of a lot of our potential customers.”

Greg Hickman, sales and marketing manager for HydrauliCircuit Technology LLC, commented, “I’ve been coming to AED Summit for a number of years and have witnessed its progression. We appreciated the decision to put the breakfast and presentation program on the second day in the same room as CONDEX. That brought in additional foot traffic from people before they went to their suites for meetings.”

“AED Summit is always a great networking opportunity,” noted Jeffrey Schatz, sales manager, Witzco Challenger Trailers Inc. “Every year, we’re able to meet with a lot of our current and future clients at this event.”

“This was my first year attending AED Summit and our company’s second year as a member,” said Jed Burey, senior national account manager, Kohler Power – Engines. “I’ve been impressed with AED’s impact on the industry through its foundation work and its voice within the legislative branch of our government. This year’s Summit was very successful for us because we were able to be in the same room as decision-makers and people who are passionate about the industry and about their business.”

“When you host an event like AED Summit, people get excited and are ready to buy and look for gear,” said John Creswell, sales manager, Tag Manufacturing Inc. “Whether you have equipment, attachments or technology solutions, AED is a great place to be.”

AED 2022 Summit ribbon cutting ceremony
The 2022 AED Summit leaders cut the ceremonial ribbon for the opening of CONDEX.
Matt Greenwold and Ryan Burkhalter of Hi-Vac Corporation at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Matt Greenwold and Ryan Burkhalter, Hi-Vac Corporation
Patrick Jennissen and Nathan Uphus of Felling Trailers Inc at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Patrick Jennissen and Nathan Uphus, Felling Trailers Inc.
Mark Cornelius of Tramac Corporation at AED Summit 2022
Mark Cornelius, Tramac Corporation
Matt Snyder and Frank Chulick Stewart with Amos Sweeper Company
(L-R) Matt Snyder and Frank Chulick, Stewart-Amos Sweeper Company
Jed Burey of Kohler Power - Engines at AED Summit 2022
Jed Burey, Kohler Power - Engines
Edgar Chavez and Steve Fowler of ALLU Group Inc
(L-R) Edgar Chavez and Steve Fowler, ALLU Group Inc.
Jeffrey Schatz of Witzco Challenger Trailers Inc at AED Summit 2022
Jeffrey Schatz, Witzco Challenger Trailers Inc.
Scott Tanner and John Creswell of Tag Manufacturing Inc at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Scott Tanner and John Creswell, Tag Manufacturing Inc.
Dan Phillips and Ben Carlson of Seppi M. USA at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Dan Phillips and Ben Carlson, Seppi M. USA
Gary Dory of ACTECH at AED Summit 2022
Gary Dory, ACTECH
Randy Wilson, Horace Douglas and Larry Colley of Sullivan-Palatek Inc
(L-R) Randy Wilson, Horace Douglas and Larry Colley, Sullivan-Palatek Inc.
Jim Morgan of LayMor at AED Summit 2022
Jim Morgan, LayMor
Evan Brown of KATO-CES
Evan Brown, KATO-CES
Jeff Platzke of Hydrema U.S. Inc at AED Summit 2022
Jeff Platzke, Hydrema U.S. Inc.
Billy Stump II of Screen Machine Industries LLC at AED Summit 2022
Billy Stump II, Screen Machine Industries LLC
Michelle Wilson of Montabert USA at AED Summit 2022
Michelle Wilson, Montabert USA
Cassie Mason of ITM at AED Summit 2022
Cassie Mason, ITM
Brett Waggoner of AME International at AED Summit 2022
Brett Waggoner, AME International
Hubert Wilson of Roco9 Ltd at AED Summit 2022
Hubert Wilson, Roco9 Ltd.
Chris Collins and Ben Taft of Spimerica at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Chris Collins and Ben Taft, Spimerica
Greg Hickman of HydrauliCircuit Technology LLC at AED Summit 2022
Greg Hickman, HydrauliCircuit Technology LLC
Anna Kidd of Harford Attachments at AED Summit 2022
Anna Kidd, Harford Attachments
Terry McKay of Black Cat Wear Parts at AED Summit 2022
Terry McKay, Black Cat Wear Parts
Matthew Gruden of Toku America Inc
Matthew Gruden, Toku America Inc.
Doug Balella of The Knapheide Manufacturing Company at AED Summit 2022
Doug Balella, The Knapheide Manufacturing Company
Charles Priggemeier, Aaron McLaurin, Thomas Hickson, and Len Lawrence of SMH Group at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Charles Priggemeier, Aaron McLaurin, Thomas Hickson and Len Lawrence, SMH Group
Geordie Stewart of Connect Work Tools
Geordie Stewart, Connect Work Tools
Ryan Murphy of Indeco North America at AED Summit 2022
Ryan Murphy, Indeco North America
Eric Dupee of Remu USA Inc at AED Summit 2022
Eric Dupee, Remu USA Inc.
Thomas Larsson and David Esposito of Viking Equipment Inc at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Thomas Larsson and David Esposito, Viking Equipment Inc.
Rachel Boutet and David Font of DFD Loaders Inc at AED Summit 2022
(L-R) Rachel Boutet and David Font, DFD Loaders Inc.
Colin Talbert XCMG Group
Colin Talbert, XCMG Group
Giorgio Carera, CEO of FAE USA Inc.
Giorgio Carera, CEO of FAE USA Inc., meets with customers at FAE’s CONDEX booth.