New ICUEE 2015 Benefit Auction to Help Connect Military Veterans With Industry Jobs

MILWAUKEE (June 18, 2015) – Bringing military veterans and industry jobs together is the goal of the new ICUEE 2015 benefit auction, to be held Thursday, October 1 on the show floor.

ICUEE 2015 will be held September 29-October 1 in Louisville, Kentucky USA (Kentucky Exposition Center). ICUEE, the International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition, is also known as The Demo Expo and is the largest event for the utility industry, owned and produced by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The show brings together industry professionals to gain comprehensive insights into the latest technologies, innovations and trends affecting their industry.

One hundred percent of the auction proceeds will go to The Call of Duty^TM Endowment. This national organization helps military veterans find high-quality jobs, including in the construction/utility industry, by supporting and funding groups that prepare veterans for the job market and raising awareness of the value that veterans bring to the workplace.

“The construction/utility industry faces challenges fulfilling skilled workforce needs at both the manufacturer and end-user levels, and military veterans have valuable skills that translate well to industry jobs; this event reflects the ‘giving back’ spirit of our industry and is yet another way for our attendees and exhibitors to help their communities and others all across America,” said Show Director Sara Truesdale Mooney.

The ICUEE 2015 benefit auction will be held 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. October 1 and will not have minimums nor reserves (all items will be sold). ICUEE 2015 exhibitors are donating products and services; auction items already include a signed guitar from country music star Kip Moore, Atlanta Braves baseball package, underground and construction equipment, complimentary ad listings and more, with new items being added (updates will be on the ICUEE website).

The ICUEE benefit auction is presented with the support of Benjamin Media and J.J. Kane Auctioneers.

“We are very pleased to have the support of Benjamin Media and J.J. Kane Auctioneers; their invaluable assistance and dedication have been key to producing this worthwhile event which supports our veterans,” said Mooney.

J.J. Kane Auctioneers President Joe Kane said: “We are proud to be a part of the ICUEE benefit auction event, offering us a chance to support those who have given of themselves to serve our nation.”

Benjamin Media President Rob Krzys said: “We have always been about giving back to the industry. The ICUEE benefit auction allows us to go even bigger by helping our veterans find construction and other good jobs when they return from duty. We encourage everyone to go big with us; together we can make a difference that will have a huge impact on this country and our industry.”

The Call of Duty Endowment – Proven Results

The Call of Duty Endowment focuses on proven, highest-impact non-profit groups. Working with the auditing firm Deloitte, it uses a rigorous seven-step process to screen the organizations it supports and ensure quality and accountability in placing veterans into high-quality jobs.

Currently nine organizations are funded through The Call of Duty Endowment:

• AMVETS
• Corporate America Supports You (CASY)
• Easter Seals of DC, MD and VA’s Veteran Staffing Network
• Hire Heroes USA
• JVS
• Salvation Army Haven
• Still Serving Veterans
• U.S. VETS
• Veterans Inc.

The group also annually awards the Seal of Distinction to additional best-in-class veteran-serving organizations. In 2014, winners included:

• Able-Disabled Advocacy
• American Red Cross of Southern Nevada
• Career Source, Palm Beach County
• National Able Network
• Project Renewal
• Thresholds (Home-Health-Hope)
• Veterans Leadership Program of Western Pennsylvania

The Call of Duty Endowment was conceived as a non-profit, public-benefit corporation by Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. The goal of The Call of Duty Endowment is to identify and fund the best-in-class organizations to place 25,000 veterans in jobs by the end of 2018.

For more information visit The Call of Duty Endowment website and Facebook page: http://www.callofdutyendowment.org/home and www.facebook.com/callofdutyendowment.

Visit www.icuee.com for the latest information on the ICUEE benefit auction and attending or exhibiting at the show.

About ICUEE
The International Construction and Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE), also known as The Demo Expo, is held every two years and focuses on the job needs of utilities and utility contractors in the electric, telecommunications/cable, natural gas, water and wastewater sectors. Attendees can test-drive the latest equipment, watch live demonstrations of new products and technologies, and take advantage of best-practices industry education. www.icuee.com 

About AEM
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is the North American-based international trade group providing innovative business development resources to advance the off-road equipment manufacturing industry in the global marketplace. AEM membership comprises more than 900 companies and more than 200 product lines in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors worldwide. AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices in the world capitals of Washington, D.C.; Ottawa, Canada; and Beijing, China. www.aem.org