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In addition to strong overall attendance at the 2025 Associated Equipment Dealer (AED) 2025 Summit in Orlando, Fla., which neared 2,500, there was a marked increase in the number of women executives actively involved in the association and its events From the exhibit floor to the educational sessions and during the plethora of networking opportunities, the formidable force of female leaders in the ag equipment industry delivered an impressive range of innovative products, dealer-derived service solutions, engagement Q&A sessions and case studies in success.

Just hours before the Women in Equipment Reception hosted at the end of day one at the Summit, Steve Werntz, Business Development Specialist at AED, offered an update on the group’s growth, its evolution in recent years and its impact in the ag industry.

“About 6 years ago we launched the Women in Equipment event, trying to bring the right people in the room. At that time, we were hoping to get about 20 people. We got 30, and it’s grown every year, with the last one bringing in 127 dealers, representing over $12 billion in annual sales," said Werntz. He added, "It’s not a little thing anymore. It’s a great place to get involved and find a support group. Traditionally, about 20% of our AED members were involved in agriculture, and we are now up to 40% who have an ag component, some of which have ag and construction components. We remain committed to getting the right people in the room and we always welcome more to join this growing group of women in equipment and the various events which we run to bring them together.”

This year’s reception is estimated to have attendance nearing 150. Reflective of the exhibits and sessions on tap during the event, the women attending the reception represented a wide range of businesses, from equipment dealers to manufacturers to finance executives, as well as research professionals and top management in artificial intelligence, IT and tech service companies.

A snapshot summary of a sampling of the high-level women in equipment on hand helps showcase the deep bench of experts. At a dealer tech session earlier in the day, I’d already met up with Alexandra Norris, Director of Systems Integration with Specialty Equipment Insurance Services (an Amynta Group Company) who also met up with industry colleagues. Jennifer Albright, CPM, CPSM, of Spend Right Consulting, was on Friday’s session agenda to deliver an education session, “Rev Up for Efficiency: Harvesting AI for Back Office Brilliance.” In 2024, she authored an article for AED on “Maximizing Profits through Spend Management." She is also connected with Rocketwise, which coordinates IT management, network security and intelligent voice systems.

Advanced Warranty Experts Managing Partner Kristi Woodburn explained how her group helps maximize warranty recovery for ag equipment dealers. The success of the business seems a testament to her customer-centric consulting services which help her clients reduce warranty write-offs and drive success. Molly Swanston, owner of Swanston Equipment Corp., provided perspective on the challenges of workforce recruitment and retention as well as ag and construction industry trends she’s consistently tracking.

A casual conversation with a pair of financial experts turned into an appreciated tutorial on the economics of equipment dealers, thanks to Bernadette Braden, CLFP, Business Development Director. PEAC is a multi-national asset finance platform, operating across Europe, the UK and US. Owned by funds managed by HPS Investment Partners LLC, who are a leading global investment firm, PEAC offers financing programs to equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and customers.

Helping to grow my understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) powered platform technology was Leah Olson of Brilliant Harvest. Having briefly chatted ahead of the morning keynote session, our conversation quickly evolved into a deep dive discussion on the vital role AI can and should play in supporting the needs of equipment dealers, and the ways AED and industry leading tech firms can help bridge the knowledge gap to support dealers and their customers in this fast-changing tech-forward industry. Also too humble but noteworthy for the significance of her experience and innovative mindset, Leah, a former manufacturing company CEO, explained how the Brilliant Harvest team, which prides itself on being farmers first and innovators next, provides what’s been described as a “customer experience game changer” with its AI-powered Helpdesk made to empower equipment dealer teams across the entire customer experience (CX), from purchase to repair.

Notably, AED’s entire team — women and men, both on the leadership level and behind the event scenes — is deserving of applause for their foresight in establishing an outlet and opportunities for the women in equipment. Also, for their collaborative, supportive, spirited and diligent delivery of answers and updates for attendees during the entire event, from the first keynote to Friday morning’s economics deep dive from ITR Economics’ Lauren Saidel-Baker, job well done and more news to come on future events.

The AED will be hosting its 2025 Women in Equipment Conference Sept. 17-19 at the Royal Sonesta in downtown Chicago, Ill. According to the organization, the event focuses on helping women leaders understand their unique strengths as well as barriers to success, grow their leadership skills, interact with other women professionals from allied industries to grow their network, and increase the visibility of women in the industry.

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