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Equipment manufacturers outline challenges for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and employee safety are some of the biggest challenges for 2021, according to a new survey by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Dennis Slater is president of AEM.

“I think it’s just one of these lingering issues that we will address probably for the next year or two and maybe more than that,” he says. “The pandemic and the ups and downs does get to people’s confidence in how things are going. Confidence plays a big role in people will I buy the next combine, will I buy the next tractor, and how will the year be.”

Regulatory issues top the list. Slater tells Brownfield the organization and industry need to communicate their story with the Biden administration.

“Let’s have regulations that are for safety and not just have regulations that would just really get in the way of doing business,” he says.

Equipment manufacturers say they are also concerned about lack of talent and workforce challenges, tariffs and modifications to tax code, internal reorganizations, and supply chain disruptions, price of inputs, and reduced demand.