Without disruption and reinvention, progress isn’t possible. It's why AEM gathered dozens of its member leaders in Milwaukee last week for a full day spent discussing the future of the association and the non-road equipment manufacturing industry it serves.
Led by AEM’s Futures Council representatives and association staff, the members in attendance took aim at several opportunities and challenges the industry is seeing today and made recommendations for how AEM can respond, grow, and adapt in the years ahead.
“Last week’s meetings gave AEM member leaders a chance to discuss and debate the ever-evolving trends and potential disruptors that will the define the future of our industry,” said AEM Senior Director of Industry Sectors John Rozum, who serves as the association’s staff liaison for the Futures Council. “We’re incredibly thankful for the contributions of the AEM thought leaders who joined us in Milwaukee last week, as they will drive our efforts to help our members and industry successfully navigate the disruptors and trends of tomorrow.”
Members in attendance broke up into five “Vision Teams” and tackled the following topics in detail:
- Autonomy & Automation
- Data & AI
- Economic & Geopolitical
- Power & Emissions
- Workforce Empowerment
The groups used the in-person gathering in Milwaukee as an opportunity to continue to build upon work they had previously been assigned, including:
- Working as an “early-alert” system” for AEM members by identifying and discussing long-term or rapidly growing disruptors (7-10 years out or current exponential trends)
- Assessing whether the disruptors will affect AEM’s service offerings
- Determining if additional member engagement is needed through AEM boards and committees.
The groups will continue to meet in the weeks and months ahead, with the goal of unveiling comprehensive plans and results to members in attendance at AEM’s Annual Conference this coming November.
“It’s no easy task to identify mechanisms to support equipment manufacturing and their customers as they navigate forward,” said Rozum. “However, AEM, our Futures Council, and our Vision Team members are excited about the progress we’ve made so far, and we look forward to continuing to do our part to assist the industry as these trends and disruptors continue to emerge.”
For more information on the AEM Futures Council and its industry-focused work in 2026 and beyond, contact AEM’s John Rozum at jrozum@aem.org.
