Member companies of the Equipment Manufacturers Institute (EMI) and Construction Industry Manufacturers Association (CIMA) have voted to approve the merger of the two US industry trade groups into one association. The new association will legally begin operation on 1 January 2002.
CIMA and EMI staff and industry leaders are already coordinating implementation of a new organisational and administrative structure. The name of the new association is still under discussion.
‘We will now have an extremely powerful and unified presence to more effectively represent manufacturers and their interests, especially in dealing with government legislators and regulators,’ said EMI’s chairman Robert Vermeer, who is chairman and CEO of Vermeer Manufacturing.
EMI membership covers the construction and industrial equipment sector as well as agricultural equipment and industry-sector service suppliers. CIMA members are manufacturers of construction machines and related equipment, components, parts and supplies as well as providers of industry-related services.
‘Our two associations have built a strong base of service, and the consolidation offers new opportunities to continue to meet member needs in today’s competitive global marketplace,’ said CIMA chairman Robert Fien, chairman and CEO of Stone Construction Equipment.
With the consolidation, membership will grow to nearly 800 companies, representing more than 200 product lines across the agricultural, construction, industrial and mining equipment industry.
EMI’s Chicago office and CIMA’s Milwaukee office will continue to operate and serve as the headquarters offices of the consolidated association. Separate divisions will address the specific interests of agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers, with service groups created for the following areas: technical and safety, statistics, government affairs, trade shows, education, international, marketing, product councils and bureaus, customer product support councils, and general administration.
A joint board of directors of 25 members each from EMI and CIMA will operate for the first year and determine future board composition. The CIMA and EMI chairmen will serve as co-chairmen of the new association in 2002 and the two staff presidents will serve as co-presidents during 2002. There will be one chairman and one president beginning in 2003.
