Best Practices
42 Construction Equipment Distribution www.cedmag.com October 2009 Best Practices While you tend to day-to-day business issues at your dealership, debates on issues such as health care, infrastructure investment, economic stimulus, environmental regulation and taxes seem to rage on endlessly in Washington and in your home state. What's a dealer to do? How can one stay informed, involved and have their voice be heard by legislators? To answer these questions, we asked Christian Klein, AED's vice president of government affairs, as well as three politically involved AED dealers about what it takes to stay on top and win in the legislative arena. You don't need to be a political activist to know that what goes on in Washington and in your state capital can help or harm your dealership in a dramatic fashion. One of the most important benefits of AED member-ship is to have a presence in Washing-ton to oppose or support legislation on your behalf. Together, dealers' collective voices are louder than they could be individually. Christian Klein has been AED's man in Washington for more than 13 years, coming on board in 1996, and assuming his current VP role in 2003. Last March, AED moved to increase visibility in Washington and hired Daniel Fisher as AED's director of government affairs and associate counsel. Testifying Before Congress The results of the investment appear to be paying off. AED has experi-enced increased success in getting its messages heard, with three members testifying before the House Small Busi-ness Committee in the past 18 months on issues important to dealers. In June of 2008, Dale Leppo, Chairman of Leppo Rents/Bobcat of Akron, testified before Congress to enact a no strings attached tax credit for individu-als and couples who buy a primary residence before the end of 2008. The idea, proposed by AED, eventually became law and has since evolved into the popular $8,000 tax credit that is currently breathing life into the residential housing market. In June 2009, Tim Watters, presi-dent and CEO of Hoffman Equipment Co. in Piscataway, N.J., briefed the House Small Business Committee on credit challenges confronting equip-ment distributors and their customers in the current economic environment. Then in July 2009, Tom Kirchhoff, executive vice president and COO of Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co. Inc., in Harrisburg, Pa., reported to members of Congress that the uncer-tainty surrounding the federal highway program is contributing to unprecedent-ed volatility in construction markets. We have found the House Small Business Committee to be a good forum for getting in front of Congress and getting them focused on our issues, said Klein. So how and why are certain dealers asked to testify before Congress? According to Klein several factors can come into play. In some cases, we are looking for a national spokesperson who can repre-sent the industry; a recognized name, explained Klein. As a former AED chair-man and chairman of AED's Govern-ment Affairs Committee, Dale Leppo was perfect for the role he played. As a Bobcat dealer, Leppo could also speak You Don't Need All the Answers to Dialog with Lawmakers Three AED members moved into the limelight on Capitol Hill after recognizing what a difference their voice makes. By joanne costin On July 16, Thomas Kirchhoff, executive vice president and COO of Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co. Inc., testified before the House Small Business Committee that uncertainty in the federal highway program is causing volatility in the construction markets.