AEMP's annual asset management symposium

The Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) will take on three important issues in the future of asset management during its Asset Management Symposium: telematics, finance and Tier 4. The annual two-day Symposium, a leading educational and networking event for asset management professionals, kicks off in Louisville, Ky. on Oct. 30, 2012. General information and details on seminars and speakers are available at aemp.org/symposium.

On the first day of the Symposium, Bill Sauber, manager, remote technologies at Volvo and member of the AEMP Telematics Committee will introduce attendees to the basic concept and history of telematics, as well as the AEMP-led Telematic Standard. Bill Purdie, president and founder of MobileNet, Inc., Jeff Akers, president of 360Concepts, and Terry Rasmussen, Fleet Services Manager at Caterpillar, will speak on the latest industry advances in telematics. Experienced fleet managers John Meese, senior director, heavy equipment for Waste Management, Inc., Kerry Sudrla, corporate equipment operations and technical manager at Kiewit Corporation, and Chris Harrell, GPS and telematics manager at Granite Contracting will speak about practical strategies for integrating telematics into a fleet.

The second and final seminar of day one will shift focus to another crucial concept, finance. Attendees will hear from Rob Blackadar, VP of national accounts at Ritchie Bros., and Jeff Jeter, President, Americas, of IronPlanet, on used equipment values.  Immediately following, Brett Hoffman, senior appraiser at JJ Kane Appraisal will provide insight into equipment appraisals.

Immediately following the seminar, Peter Gregory, SVP, National Accounts from Wells Fargo Equipment Finance along with Brad Coverdale, director product support, Sunbelt Rentals and Gregg Nierenberg, vice-president of fleet operations for Hertz, will lead a panel discussion on the pros and cons of renting, leasing or buying equipment, and the bottom-line impacts of each option. These experienced industry veterans will bring a diverse and broad perspective regarding the evaluation process.

Highlighting this year's Symposium is Peter Blake, CEO of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. Blake will deliver his keynote address on how the shifting business climate has changed the way companies view equipment investments during the Tuesday evening reception and dinner. An expert in the industry, Blake joined Ritchie Bros. in 1991 as a controller. He received several promotions throughout the years, and was elected to the board of directors in 1997. He became the CEO in 2004.

The Symposium's second day will center on one of the leading topics affecting the industry, Tier 4. Attendees will gain a thorough understanding of how Tier 4 affects the dealer and what it means for the end user. Experts leading this discussion include Todd Coffey, corporate services manager for Brandeis Machinery & Supply, Eric Matthewson, project manager and Tier 4 dealer readiness expert for Caterpillar, and Bill Pyles, VP of service for Nortrax, Inc. 

Immediately following, Ken Hill, CESP, VP of Wearcheck USA, will give presentation on analyzing machinery fluid conditions.

Rounding out the seminar, contamination control experts Howard Chesneau, president of Fuel Quality Services, along with Pyles and Matthewson, will cover contaminants in today's equipment through a review of implementation and control initiatives.

New this year, an extensive, panel-wide Q&A session will follow each half-day session, offering deeper discussion and insight into each topic.

In addition to educational seminars, discussions and networking, attendees can take advantage of AEMP's Professional Development Institute (PDI). Through the PDI, participants are able to attend classes relevant to AEMP's professional certifications: Certified Equipment Manager (CEM), Equipment Manager Specialist (EMS) or Certified Equipment Support Professional (CESP). Certification exams are scheduled on Nov. 1, 2012. For more information on certifications and the PDI, contact Jim Phillips, vice-president of educational services at 970-384-0510 ext. 202 or [email protected].

Online registration is now open. Special early bird rates apply through Sept. 1 and are $899 for members, $999 for non-members. Standard fees of $995 for members and $1,150 for non-members go into effect after Sept. 1. For more information, contact Cindy Challis Orr, CAE and chief administrative officer, at 970-384-0510 ext. 203 or [email protected].