Play the Manufacturing Challenge for Big Prizes

Jul 03, 2024

AEM Celebrates US Innovation with Nationwide Tour

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is taking its biggest road trip ever - the "Manufacturing Express" bus tour! This exciting journey across the country isn't just about sightseeing; it's a celebration of the vital role equipment manufacturing plays in our economy.

But wait, there's more! AEM has launched an online video game, the "Manufacturing Challenge," exclusively for the tour. Test your knowledge of the industry and compete for amazing prizes, including the grand prize: a brand-new Ford F-150! Anyone in the continental U.S. can join the fun by visiting www.manufacturingexpress.org.

The "Manufacturing Express" isn't just a party on wheels. It's also an opportunity to showcase the incredible work of equipment manufacturers and their employees.

The tour will visit 80 communities, stopping at manufacturing sites to highlight the industry's $316 billion contribution to the U.S. economy and the 2.3 million people it employs. AEM will also engage with policymakers to advocate for policies that support this crucial sector.

Mark your calendars! The "Manufacturing Express" kicks off on July 1st in Knoxville, Iowa, and wraps up in October at Komatsu in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Don't miss this chance to learn, play, and celebrate the power of American manufacturing!

Photo Credit: AEM

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.