AEM Logo PNG
The designers developed the AEM logo in a geometric style to give the company company-wide recognition in the professional market. These three angles, in different sizes, are placed vertically. They represent parts of the attachment because the company produces specialized equipment and devices for it.
In 1894, a group of U.S. farm tool and vehicle manufacturers 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 renamed itself the Farm and Industrial Equipment Institute (FIEI), later the Equipment Manufacturers Institute (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 remained in Milwaukee, while it later opened offices 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 organization dates back to the National Association of Agricultural Implement and Vehicle Manufacturers, founded at the end of the 19th century to expand 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 major event marked 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 entry into the US economy in 1968, when its first safety manual was published. CIMA greatly increased its membership list by accepting foreign manufacturers a year later. This helped the industry gain global recognition. In 2002, the Construction Industry Manufacturers Association merged with the Equipment Manufacturers Institute to form the current Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
Building on their achievements, the new organization continues the technical legacy. As a result, the industry segments survived and formed a powerful industry for producing off-road equipment (construction and agricultural equipment). The company’s rebranding touched every aspect, including its visual identity.
What is AEM?
AEM is the Association of Equipment Manufacturers in the United States, which brings together manufacturers in the heavy transport equipment market. It focuses on producing and selling specialized equipment for the agricultural, construction, and road sectors. It is one of North America’s largest companies, with over 1,000 members. The head office is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Before 2019
The logo featured an abbreviation of “AEM.” It was executed in bold grotesque, with a predominantly even, precise line. The monolithic letters were painted bright blue and placed between two red figures resembling arches with horizontal bases. They reflected the company’s direction by evoking bulldozer blades, a bucket for moving earth, and a grader blade 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, it became cleaner. First, the developers corrected the disproportionate “M,” whose right leg was slightly wider than the left, so both sides are now the same size. Secondly, they replaced the wide font with a thin one. Third, the designers proposed new symbols to replace the red dots: one miniature cube and two right angles made of straight stripes.
The graphic element directly conveys the association’s activity because the geometric shapes symbolize attachments for specialized equipment and fastening points used during intensive work (for example, when lifting loads and digging ditches). At the bottom, in small print, the company’s full name appears: “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. Since attachments are its defining feature, they used its general structural forms. To attract attention, the logo’s designers preferred a contrasting palette.
The first AEM logo used the TeeFranklin Heavy typeface by Suomi Type Foundry. In the second version, the abbreviation uses David Bold, and the bottom inscription is set 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.
The corporate palette now includes red (graphic sign), gray in several shades (text), and white (background). The early emblem was more colorful, featuring bright blue and red.