Dozers Descend On Capitol Hill

Idled by Recession, Bulldozers Caravan to Washington Urging Congress to Act
Now on a Highway Bill

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A large caravan of bulldozers
and other construction equipment displaying huge banners paraded through the
streets of Washington today to send a message to lawmakers that they must act
now to stop the job bleeding in the construction equipment industry. Start Us
Up USA! campaign organizers, joined by House Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and other allies, also staged a rally
on the National Mall against a backdrop of idle construction equipment and a
sea of orange flags to emphasize the 550,000 jobs lost in this industry and
encourage the federal government not to delay enactment of multi-year highway
legislation.

"Across the country, time is running out for the men and women of this
industry as job losses continue to mount and prevent a broader economic
recovery," said Toby Mack, president and CEO of the Associated Equipment
Distributors (AED). "New transportation funding is a critical component to
spurring a recovery of the construction equipment industry nationwide and
improving our nation's infrastructure," added Dennis Slater, president of the
Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), who along with AED, is
co-sponsoring the Start Us UP USA! campaign.

While recession abates for some sectors of the U.S. economy, the construction
equipment industry remains stalled in a deep depression, according to Mack and
Slater. In fact, eight percent of all jobs lost during the recession - or two
out of every 25 - can be traced to this ailing industry, according to an
economic report released just last month by IHS Global Insight. AEM and AED
largely blame the downturn in their sector, in part, on the uncertainty
surrounding the future of the highway program and a scarcity of new federal
investment in needed transportation improvements that would benefit the public
and strengthen our nation's competitiveness.

The current law - SAFETEA-LU - that funds the majority of our nation's
transportation investments is just days from expiring on October 31, and
Congress and the administration have yet to move on a new multi-year
reauthorization bill. Leaders in the Start Us Up USA! campaign are calling for
enactment of a new transportation bill before the spring construction season
begins in early 2010. "It's time for government leaders to act now on smart
solutions, not apply a temporary band-aid," noted Slater. Chairman Oberstar
spoke at today's rally and urged his congressional colleagues to take
immediate action on the highway bill rather than seek lengthy delays that
would have severe consequences for our nation's already congested and failing
transportation network. Ray Pourpore, who leads the National Construction
Alliance, an affiliation of labor unions, and Bill Cox, president of Corman
Construction in Maryland representing the Transportation Construction
Coalition, also lent their support during today's rally.

The recent IHS Global Insight report revealed that the current recession has
placed a severe drag on the construction equipment industry nationwide, which
is consequently holding back the broader economy from recovery. Other key
findings include:

-- The construction equipment industry - which includes manufacturing,
distribution and equipment service facilities - has shed 37 percent of
its workforce. By comparison, auto manufacturing and dealership jobs
are down by 16 percent, while job losses in the finance and insurance
industry amount to 6 percent of their workforce.
-- Spending on construction equipment has fallen by more than 50 percent
compared to its peak in 2006.

-- The economic output of this industry has contracted by nearly 40
percent
and resulted in the loss of approximately 550,000 jobs. That's eight
percent of all jobs lost since the start of the recession.

IHS Global Insight also analyzed the impact of the construction equipment
depression on individual states. From "peak-to-trough" - roughly 2006 to 2009
- the states suffering the greatest losses are California, North Dakota, Texas
and Wyoming, as seen below.

Construction Equipment Industry Peak-to-Trough
Employment Loss: Top 10 States

Total Employment Loss Percentage Loss
--------------------- ---------------
California 53,368 Wyoming 1.17%
Texas 53,020 West Virginia 1.01%
Florida 33,063 North Dakota 0.86%
Illinois 32,974 Iowa 0.69%
Pennsylvania 25,816 Kentucky 0.64%
Ohio 24,632 Montana 0.64%
New York 23,783 South Dakota 0.60%
North Carolina 19,804 Louisiana 0.59%
Georgia 17,497 Alabama 0.57%
Virginia 16,701 Kansas 0.56%

Construction Equipment Industry Peak-to-Trough
Output Loss: Top 10 States

Total Output Loss Percentage Loss
($billion)
----------------- ---------------
Texas $11.37 North Dakota 3.77%
California $9.23 Iowa 2.62%
Illinois $9.22 West Virginia 2.08%
Pennsylvania $5.16 Wyoming 1.80%
Florida $4.64 South Dakota 1.79%
Ohio $4.54 Wisconsin 1.63%
New York $4.49 Illinois 1.56%
North Carolina $3.84 Oklahoma 1.53%
Wisconsin $3.67 Kentucky 1.41%
Iowa $3.17 Kansas 1.40%

Monty Boyd, president and CEO of Whayne Supply Company in Louisville,
Kentucky, is among those who came to Washington today to participate in the
rally. Boyd runs one of the nation's oldest and largest Caterpillar
dealerships, and he knows all too well the dire situation the industry is
facing right now. "In this economy, each day is a challenge to keep our
workers employed," said Boyd. "Passing this highway bill will make a huge
difference for our roads and infrastructure, and it's the best way to put
people back to work."

Today's rally in Washington marks the third in a series of Start Us Up USA!
grassroots campaign stops, with previous events taking place in Las Vegas,
Nevada and Chicago, Illinois. More information on Start Us Up USA!, including
detailed state-by-state economic data, photos and video of previous campaign
events, and testimonials from some of those most affected by this industry
depression, can be found at www.StartUsUpUSA.com.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (www.aem.org) is the North
American-based international trade association for the off-road equipment
manufacturing industry serving the construction, agriculture, forestry, mining
and utility markets. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with
offices in Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Beijing and a European presence in
Brussels. It represents more than 800 companies.

Associated Equipment Distributors (www.aednet.org) is an international trade
association representing companies involved in the distribution, rental and
support of equipment used in construction, mining, forestry, power generation,
agriculture and industrial applications.

SOURCE Association of Equipment Manufacturers; Associated Equipment
Distributors

Nick Yaksich of AEM, +1-202-491-4272, NYaksich@AEM.org; or Christian Klein of
AED, +1-703-599-0164, caklein@potomac-law.com