AEM Logo PNG
The designers developed the AEM logo in a geometric style to give company-wide recognition in the professional market. These are three angles of different sizes, placed vertically. They represent parts of the attachment because the company produces specialized equipment and devices for it.
AEM: Brand overview
In 1894, a group of U.S. manufacturers of farm tools and vehicles formed a joint organization in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its members made plows, reapers, seeders, and horse-drawn wagons, and faced common problems with technical standards, trade rules, and large buyers. The organization was named the National Association of Agricultural Implement and Vehicle Manufacturers, or NAAIVM.
During the first half of the 20th century, U.S. farm machinery changed rapidly as tractors, motorized seeders, and mechanical harvesters replaced horse-powered equipment. As the industry expanded, the association changed its name to Farm and Industrial Equipment Institute, or FIEI, and later to Equipment Manufacturers Institute, or EMI. In 1987, EMI took control of ICUEE, the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition in Louisville, later known as The Utility Expo.
A separate branch developed through the Construction Industry Manufacturers Association, or CIMA, which represented makers of excavators, graders, pavers, and cranes. Its interests often overlapped with EMI because companies such as Caterpillar Inc. and John Deere worked across both construction and agricultural equipment. CIMA expanded internationally in the late 1990s by opening an office in China. In 1999, CONEXPO-CON/AGG became the largest U.S. trade show by area.
On January 1, 2002, EMI and CIMA merged to form the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, or AEM. The new organization represented equipment makers in construction, agriculture, forestry, mining, and utilities. Its headquarters stayed in Milwaukee, while later offices opened in Washington, Ottawa, Beijing, and Brussels. By the 2020s, AEM had grown from several hundred member companies to more than 1,000.
Meaning and History
The beginning of this organization was laid by the National Association of Agricultural Implement and Vehicle Manufacturers, founded at the end of the 19th century to enlarge the special equipment segment. In the course of its expansion and development, it changed its name several times to fully reflect the industry’s evolution. In 1911, a large-scale event took place in its history: the first official meeting, which gave rise to the CIMA (Construction Industry Manufacturers Association), the direct prototype of AEM.
The firm began its active introduction into the US economy in 1968, when its first safety manual appeared. CIMA greatly increased its membership list by accepting foreign manufacturers a year later. This was her contribution to recognizing the industry she represents globally. In 2002, the Construction Industry Manufacturers Association merged with the Equipment Manufacturers Institute, forming the current Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
Building on their achievements, the new organization continues the technical legacy. Thus, the industry segments were able to survive and form a powerful industry for producing off-road equipment (construction and agricultural equipment). The company’s rebranding touched all its aspects, including the visual identity mark.
What is AEM?
AEM is the Association of Equipment Manufacturers in the United States, which brings together manufacturers in the heavy transport equipment market. Its key area is the production and sale of special equipment for the agricultural sector, the construction industry, and the road sector. It is one of the largest companies in North America, with over 1,000 members. The head office is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Before 2019
The logo featured an abbreviation consisting of the word “AEM.” It was executed in bold grotesque, with a predominance of even, precise lines. The monolithic letters were painted bright blue and placed between two red figures that resembled arches with a horizontal base. They reflected the company’s direction by conveying the form of bulldozer blades, a bucket for grabbing up land, and a grader shovel for roads. The central part between them formed an open ellipse, which contained the name of the association of special equipment manufacturers.
2019 – today
After AEM became a partner and a member of the Commodity Classic board, the logo’s style changed. As a result, he received a cleaner structure. First, the developers corrected the disproportionate “M,” in which the right leg was slightly wider than the left, so both sides are now the same size. Secondly, they have replaced the wide font with a thin one. Thirdly, the designers proposed new symbols in place of red dots: one miniature cube and two right angles composed of straight stripes.
The graphic part directly conveys the association’s activity because the geometric shapes symbolize attachments for special equipment and stop for fastening during intensive work (for example, when lifting loads and digging ditches). At the bottom, in small print, the company’s full name is transferred – “Association of Equipment Manufacturers.” The inscription is left-aligned, made in classic block letters, and colored in dark gray.
Font and Colors
The designers sought to reflect the scope of AEM’s activities in the logos, so they chose strict geometric shapes reminiscent of special equipment elements for the visual identity. And since attachments most characterize it, they used its general structural forms. To attract attention, the logo’s designers preferred a contrasting palette.
The lettering in the first AEM logo was done with the TeeFranklin Heavy typeface by Suomi Type Foundry. In the second version, the font used for the abbreviation is identical to David Bold, and the bottom inscription is typed in Arabic-font-2013 Bold by Ramzi2005. Accordingly, the letters are wide; in the others, they are narrower. Their unifying feature is the absence of serifs.
Now the corporate palette includes red (graphic sign), gray in several shades (text), and white (background). The early emblem was more colorful, featuring bright blue and red.