AED与DCCCM共建全球代理商联盟（图）

以下是第一工程机械网（www.d1cm.com）记者从现场发回的报道：

Thank you to you, partners in the construction equipment industry. Greetings from the United States of America and  the Associated Equipment Distributors.  

I am very honored and pleased to be your guest at your annual convention here in Wuhan. My wife, Linda, and I are very pleased with your hospitality and have enjoyed a few days traveling in your country. 

I represent the Associated Equipment Distributors in North America as it’s 2010 chairman. I am also the president and co-owner of our equipment distribution company where we employ 45 people in a 4 state area in the deep south or southern region in the United States. 

First, our construction equipment industry has been affected as much as any other by the economic downturn.  For us, this recession has been nothing short of a depression. A recent AED study found that from 2007 to 2009, spending on construction equipment fell 50 percent, and that over the last three years, manufacturers, distributors, and maintenance providers lost 257,000 jobs, representing 37 percent of the industry’ workforce.

The effects of the equipment industry downturn have been felt well beyond dealer yards and manufacturing plants. The study estimated that the equipment industry depression has cost an additional 274,000 jobs in the broader economy.  In total, the downturn in the U. S. equipment industry has cost 550,000 jobs nationwide since 2006.

In the United States, construction activity is created by local and federal government contracting through various infrastructure activities in roads, utility, airport, and government expansion in buildings and real estate. It is also created by private investment in the form of commercial and residential development.

Even though government funding has been stable in the last couple of years, private investment has fallen considerably due to the lack of confidence in the marketplace as a return investment. Construction equipment sales have dropped by as much as 50 to 75 percent compared to all time highs in 2008. The American economy must get back to work with various sectors of construction and infrastructure projects.

AED has been using the strength of its 700 distributors and some 200 manufacturers to generate and develop its value proposition for different areas of public policy, networking, education, benchmarking, and workforce development in our industry. While our industry has facilitated up to 15 billion dollars per year in revenues for the economy, it is our belief and strategy that distribution is the most efficient way to move product and services to the end users. Manufacturers and distributors who partner with product and its support in rental, service and parts succeed in growing the industry. Equipment distributors become valued community enterprises who are critical alliances in community and regions growth in economic development and quality of life.

There is much to be gained as we share in the knowledge of our industries. There is much to be gained in growth of commerce where equitable partnerships are exercised. Community development and the alleviation of poverty can be obtained where enterprise is promoted and rewarded. What are the avenues that can be shared in growth of our industries and the common good for all participants? Our industry is not adverse to work, even hard work. From manufacturers to distributors and then to the end users construction equipment leads the way in making lives more productive, which in turn reciprocates the quality of life for our nation’s citizens.

We were very honored that your organization sent a delegation to San Antonio last year. Hopefully, they had a great experience of learning and networking while you were there. We signed a joint memorandum of cooperation between our two organizations, and AED looks forward to continuing that partnership into the future.

I believe our industry partnership can and should be expanded to include other major economic regions of the world, creating a truly global construction equipment dealer community. AED has for many years also maintained a close partnership with the European Confederation of Equipment Distributors, which includes dealer associations throughout Europe. By extending our partnership to include China, North America, and Europe, we would have the basis for worldwide cooperation. This could grow to include emerging markets such as South America. Perhaps we can work together to establish a more formal organizational structure in the coming months.

The next couple of days will be a great learning experience for me, while I learn about your technology, systems and value chain in our common industry. We are pleased and proud to represent our industries in common. That is the machines and its services that support them as they build our countries.