The forecast may have called for rain on the nation’s capital, but the sun shone bright on the National Mall as excavators, cranes, and more filled the lawn all the way from the Washington Monument to the Capitol Building.

Last week was AEM’s biennial Celebration of Construction on the National Mall, a 3-day long event where manufacturers and industry groups from all different parts of the construction industry gather in Washington, DC to showcase their heavy machinery, breaking innovations and the future of infrastructure support to federal lawmakers.

“We’re a big industry within the US and we support a lot of jobs and a lot of investment and infrastructure.” Said Justin Moe, Product Manager for Kioti Tractor, a member company participating in Construction on the Mall for the first time. “So this is great to get this kind of equipment in front of people that aren’t familiar with it, have conversations with government officials, policy makers, fellow AEM members, and really just that knowledge sharing across the industry.”

Of course, no celebration of the equipment manufacturing industry is complete without an appearance from the AEM Manufacturing Express. The bus hit the road again to make the trip to DC, visiting 32 Members of Congress, 2 Senators, and 3 Cabinet Officials while it was here.

Parked right in front of the historic Smithsonian Castle, visitors came from congressional offices, participating member companies, and even school field trips to play the Manufacturing Challenge and give their support for the men and women who make the equipment that builds, powers, and feeds America.

“To come up to the mall and have so much great equipment exhibited for people who want to come out and see ‘what is the new innovation in technology?’ ‘What equipment do you have?’ It is so fantastic.” Said Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. “This great equipment is what builds the roads and bridges that connect our people and move our products around the country.”

With a new administration and a new congress in place, the industry is ready to make their voices heard in Washington and stand up for the communities that rely on the work they do to support themselves. Thankfully, both the public and private sectors share these goals and can come together to build a stronger industry.

“The partnership is key,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “These companies go out into the workforce and tell us exactly what they need, so that reflection & feedback is key for me to know exactly what they want and we will connect those dots for them.”

Equipment manufacturers across the country are hungry to find the next generation of workers, so support from the Department of Labor is incredibly meaningful to these employers.

“In the past we’ve made the mistake and said everyone has to go to a four year degree, but I think construction, manufacturing, there’s a lot of high paying jobs, whether it comes down to being a technician, plumbing, electrical, all of those jobs use our equipment.”, said Joe Miller, VP of Sales and Marketing for Wacker Neuson. “They can go to trade schools, they can go and do an apprenticeship. So for us, part of that’s very important and we’re happy to be part of the team that’s building America right now.”

As children play on the equipment imagining themselves as construction workers, leaders of the industry and congressmen come together to discuss how they can make that future a reality. In order to manifest a stronger equipment manufacturing industry for all Americans, we’re going to have to make sure our voices are heard and that legislators at all levels understand how their decisions impact our communities.

This Celebration of Construction on the National Mall is a testament to how important it is to open these lines of communication and give those who work in the industry themselves a chance to speak directly with their representatives. By coming to the capitol and showing legislators how communities across America are innovating the ways in which we build the country, our federal government can be more informed when drafting policy that impacts us.