The Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association (FEMA) has been working with equipment manufacturers for decades. At their 60th annual fall convention, they elected their new president, John Malinowski of Yorkton. His election as President is a first for the organization, as he is the first Canadian to assume the post.
Malinowski is the President and part owner of Leon's Mfg. Company Inc. The company, founded by Leon Malinowski in 1952, manufactures and distributes agriculture and industrial material handling equipment under the Leon and Ramrod names.
Leon's Mfg. has been part of FEMA for around twenty years, Malinowski says he had been approached to join the board ten years ago. He also says the process has been one of gradually working his way up the ranks, before finally being elected President in the most recent convention.
"It's something I never thought much about... You're having so much fun, and you're learning so much and you're networking, it doesn't seem like work for me, it's just part of our business," he adds.
His goal as President will be to promote specialty, short line manufacturers, which are much like Leon's Mfg. itself.
"There are many hundreds of companies like us which are innovating, and providing equipment for dealers and farmers across North America and around the world. The number one mandate for me is to help market and better expose a lot of these privately owned, and in many cases family owned organizations that have been in business for for forty, fifty, or even a hundred years, to help them market and help farmers realize there is a lot of innovation going on," Malinowski says.
Raising the profile of the smaller equipment manufacturers is a priority for Malinowski because he sees the specialty manufacturers as bringing out new ideas and innovations which need to be exposed.
Malinowski feels that being a member of the organization has helped open doors for his business internationally, and says that it is his job now to show specialty manufacturers the benefits of joining, and show farmers how those businesses can help them more effectively run their operations.
FEMA represents over 300 manufacturers, 260 supplier companies and 40 marketing firms.
"It's a sixty year old organization. They've been around for sixty years because they have persevered through a lot of tough times, and we want to work on that and build that for the next couple decades, to build a stronger base for the younger companies coming up the ladder," Malinowski concludes.
