LiuGong North America, in collaboration with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) hosted the AEM “Manufacturing Express” bus at its facility in Katy on August 22.

The “Manufacturing Express” bus is month-long bus tour through Texas with about 30 stops to celebrate manufacturing employees who “build, power and feed the world.” There are more than 345,000 manufacturing employees in Texas, an AEM representative told the Katy Times. The “Manufacturing Express” program is in its second year this year, having toured AEM’s home state of Wisconsin and 23 other states in 2024. The grassroots advocacy campaign, called “I Make America,” is designed to get the 2.8 million men and women of the equipment manufacturing industry involved in supporting pro-manufacturing policies, according to the AEM website.

“During these educational visits, we rally support from the ground up – company by company, telling employees about the power of associations, grassroots organizations, and what we can accomplish together.” said Wade Balkonis, AEM Director of Grassroots Advocacy, on the website. ”At each facility, we are working to bolster our 40,000+ community of supporters and encourage them to help spread the word. Grassroots advocacy allows organizations to tap into the strength of their workforce and fight for policies that impact everyone.”

Founded in 1958, LiuGong is a manufacturer based in China which builds and sells heavy construction equipment such as excavators, wheel loaders and material handlers. In 1966 launched China’s first modernized wheel loader. The company now has divisions in North America, South America, Europe, India, Asia Pacific, Russia, the Middle East and South Africa.

The Katy location at 22220 Merchants Way Suite 100, with 35 employees, serves as a parts warehouse for the company, serving North and Central America for vehicles sold through construction equipment dealerships in the U.S.

On display at the event were two examples of LiuGong’s wheel loaders – one diesel-powered and one battery-powered. The battery-powered model costs less to power than the diesel model, said Andrew T. Ryan, president of LiuGong Construction Machinery N.A., LLC. The battery-powered model costs about $2.00 per hour to run while the diesel version costs $25.00 to $35.00 per hour. The company also makes forklifts up to 16 tons and container handling equipment for local ports.