In the MDNA your membership affords many bene ts that you might not be aware of, including Premier Vendor partners. With your member bene ts, you have access to quali ed and vetted vendors through our Premier Vendor program. Premier Vendors are the leaders in their speci c MDNA-aligned industries and can help save you money by ensuring that the job or service they perform is done right, the rst time.
Premier Vendors provide essential services that you, as an MDNA member, require and they do it with a comprehensive understanding knowledge of our industry.
A Premier Vendor provides products or services speci c to MDNA member needs, including trucking, rigging, repair, nance, insurance, and many other aspects of a typicamember company’s day-to-day operations. These vendors have been recommended for Premier status by other MDNA Member rms and have been vetted by membership, the membership committee, and the association to ensure they meet and maintain the same high ethical standards our organization represents. Think of a Premier Vendor as more of a partner with our MDNA members instead of just a supplier as we work together to achieve the common goal of making machine tool sales as efficient and pro table as possible.
Why Use a PremierVendor?
What's Required of PremierVendor Applicants?
Along with the obvious contact information, membership requires several sponsors from MDNA Member companies as well as several references. A brief description of their business and full disclosure of ownership and officers of the company also is provided. During membership meetings we discuss the value of adding a proposed Premier Vendor as well as the services they can provide. As members, we want to know who prospective Premier Vendors are (including ownership), what services they provide and, of course, who that we know and trust have recommended them for this opportunity for a relationship with MDNA members.
This application and vetting process ensures that only the best suppliers attain Premier Vendor status.
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If, like most of us, you are solicited daily by trucking, nance, investment companies, and the like, you are inundated by myriad choices, none of which seem to rise above the rest. Everyone is offering the best rates and service, and some even offer nancial incentives to entice you to do business with them. All seem knowledgeable and helpful— but do they really know what we do, how we do it, and the risks of what we do it with? The answer is: Most de nitely not.
Because of this, an opportunity was created for members to be provided a list of quali ed, knowledgeable, and responsible vendors. These are vendors that rise above, go the extra mile, have done their homework, and are the best available to meet members’needs. In other words: Premier Vendors.
Premier Member Bene ts
Once a vendor is approved to be an MDNA Premier Vendor, they are provided a host of opportunities and bene ts, including:
● 30% off exhibit cost at convention.
● Listing in the MDNA website back office.
● Listing in the Electronic Buyer’s Guide.
● Allowed to purchase display ads in the Electronic Buyer’s Guide.
● Allowed to attend, host and sponsor chapter meetings.
● Allowed to attend convention as a paid attendee.
● New Premier Vendor introduction in MDNA Biweekly Eblast
● 10% discount for Locator and Locator Online Display Advertising
● Welcome to attend and sponsor AMEA events
The greatest value, however, comes in building trusted relationships with our member companies by providing services second to none. Whether it be insurance and employee bene ts, equipment leasing and nancing, crating, transportation and logistics, rigging, or many other areas — these vendors have made the grade. They have been used by trusted member companies and recommended to all members as a reliable source that maintains the high standards of service we require and should expect.
Andy Kamashian, CEA
Ready to use a trusted supplier or service provider? Then check out all the Premier Vendors HERE on the MDNA website.
Have a Prospective PremierVendor for the MDNA?
If you do business with and have a relationship with a vendor you feel would be a good candidate for our Premier Vendor program, please email me or the office@mdna.org to request a Premier Vendor Application. I can assure you it is one of the best values and most promising opportunities available — for our organization and the vendors we rely upon.
If you have any questions about Premier Vendors, I am your man.
MDNA Membership and Premier Vendor Chairman
Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales, Inc
Two Dates to Choose From
Monday, September 16th
Member Price: $295
Monday, October 28th
Member Price: $295
AMEA Certi ed Equipment Appraisers (CEA) are required to complete these classes every two years to remain current with this requirement.
Note: This course does not meet the Appraisal Foundation's USPAP continuing education requirements for Real Property appraisers and state licensing or certi cation.
New Premier vendor - Hydraulic Parts Source
Hydraulic Parts Source is among the newest businesses in the select circle of MDNA Premier Vendors, with an experienced executive team that is becoming well-known in the used machinery business.
Andrew Pringle is Director of Business Development and Surplus for Hydraulic Parts Source, which is headquartered in Harrison Township, Mich., in north suburban Detroit. He’s relatively new to Hydraulic Parts Source but is a veteran of the surplus machinery trade and sees great potential bene t for both his new employer and the MDNA member businesses the company will serve as a Premier Vendor.
“It’s not just that we can help you with your hydraulic components,”he explains of the connection with MDNA members.“We can acquire good surplus stock from anyone who wants to pass it along. We can do repairs. We do drop shipments to protect your customer base and not involve our organization at all. We're really willing to do whatever we need to do to facilitate and keep sales relationships together for your customer base and, obviously, to grow ours in return.”
Pringle and his family reside in his hometown of Twinsburg, Ohio, several miles south of Cleveland and his previous employer, HGR Industrial Surplus. He began at HGR in sales and worked his way up through the supervisory ranks to director of sales. At Hydraulic Parts Source, he’s involved in strengthening and expanding the company’s brand as well as procurement, which takes him to customers for on-site assessments and relationship-building.
HGR was one of the MDNA members that stepped up on behalf of Hydraulic Parts Sourcewhen the Michigan company applied for Premier Vendor status. The MDNA Premier Vendor networking and marketing program designed to broaden relationships between MDNA members and key industry-supporting partners.
“I knew HGR was a major player with the MDNA,”Pringle recalls.“I was familiar with the organization and appreciated the bene t of getting involved with the (used machinery) community. So, basically, we found sponsors to vouch for the quality and character of our business, and one of them was HGR.”
“I joined Hydraulic Parts Source in the rst place because I know that (CEO) Corey Gilbert is a man of character, that the organization operates with Integrity, and that they really value customer service.”
Andrew Pringle
New PremierVendor - AMS Container Line, Inc.
As used machinery becomes an increasingly international business, the need grows for associates who can con dently navigate unfamiliar waters. New Jersey’s AMS Container Line, Inc., is one of those businesses, and one of the MDNA’s newest premier vendors.
Inder Khokhar is the founder and owner of AMS Container, headquartered in East Windsor, just off the New Jersey Turnpike about midway between New York City and Philadelphia. From his office, he oversees freight forwarding in and out of major American seaports and airports, as well as surface transport. He specializes in moving used machinery — most of it by ship — to customers both foreign and domestic.
“Our core business is international shipping,”Inder explained in a recent interview.“We do export a lot of used machinery— especially to Japan, India, and Bangladesh, and also a few shipments to Europe. We can also provide short-term warehousing at multiple locations in the U.S. if it is some machinery we need to pick up inland and get it to NewYork, we can bring it to the yard and load the containers there. We are a general domestic company for international shipping, and we also do domestic trucking. We outsource the trucking and have a brokerage license.”
Customs is a key consideration for customers, and Inder’s team knows those ropes well. AMS is licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission as a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier, which Inder calls“a premier certi cation to handle sea freight into and exports out of the U.S., where we can issue our own bill of lading.
“Customs are very regulated as those regulations are very, very straightforward,”he continued.“Nobody can expedite Customs. If they say they can it’s probably just a sales pitch. With customs, it is right or wrong — no gray areas. There are terrorism concerns, for instance, I’ve had somebody stuck with some machines that are very old, but which could be modi ed to make something dangerous. Customs held it to make sure that it is not going to some country where they can start producing barrels for guns and things like that.”
Inder has been in the shipping business since he was a 19-year-old college student in his hometown of Delhi, India.
“I joined a company that wanted to have a U.S. office and that’s how I migrated to New Jersey in 2002,”he recalled.“At that time, we were primarily looking at Indian subcontinent business, and New Jersey/New York was one of the biggest gateways. So I made my base here and in 2008, I started this company on my own.”
AMS operates from the East Windsor offices and a warehouse in nearby Linden. N.J., near New York City. As Inder began attending sale events in the NewYork area seeking export prospects, he became acquainted with MDNA-affiliated machinery dealers. Those associations led to eventual sponsorships for AMS as an MDNA premier vendor.
Inder Khokar
Social Media 101 – WE NEED YOU!
If you want to get updates from a Page in your Feed, you can follow it. If you want to show support for a Page, you can like it. When you like a Page, you automatically follow it, which means you will see updates from it in your Feed. In turn, it also increases your social media footprint at the same time. So, please take a second and like us! Try it here, right now. We are on a mission to get every member engaged on social media. Click Here
Check out our latest spotlight video on our Youtube
Read the latest MDNA Blog?
You can do so by clicking here. Whether on our social media channels, on our Blog or here in the MDNA News, we are telling members story. We are promoting members to one another and throughout the world wide web. We are promoting you your brand and the MDNA Brand. We pick up and share stories that promote you as an expert, human interest stories and general news that is relevant to the membership. Contact us with any story that you are interested in sharing at office@mdna.org. or follow this link to use our form and introduce yourself and your company to your fellow mdna members and beyond
Click here to meet David Winger and learn more about MDNA Member Federal Equipment Company
MDNA 2024 Board Elections
The MDNA Board of Directors, at its meeting on May 1, 2024, approved the following Boards of Directors to serve for the 2024-25 year.
MDNA Officers
Ed Krause, CEA – President
Dan W. Wheeler, CEA – First Vice President
John Taucher, CEA – Treasurer
Troy Clark, CEA – Second Vice President
Acting Immediate Past President – John Greene, CEA
David DiBenedetto, CEA – AMEA President
Ryan Yoder– LOCATOR Services Inc. President
Kristine Conroy – Austin D. Lucas Scholarship President
Presidential Appointees
John W. Conroy, AM, MDNA Past President
Michael F. Feinstein, CEA, MDNA Past President
Kim Khoury, CEA, MDNA Past President
Randy Koster, CEA AMEA Past President
Paul Lashin, CEA, MDNA Past President
Ron Shuster, AM, MDNA Past President
Directors-at-Large serving their second year
John Butz , AM(2025)
Tom Loweks (2025)
John Stencel, IV (2025)
Charles Winternitz, CEA (2025)
Directors-at-Large
Ryan Blumberg, CEA (2026)
Brian Epstein (2026)
Terry Yoder (2026)
Robert Yeoman, CEA (2026)
Voluntary Board Member
Carl Davis
Tom Mowery
Chapter Representatives
Canada – Nelson Martins
Chicago – John J. Myers
Cleveland – TBD
Detroit/Toledo – Nicholas Gibbs, CEA
European – Matt Gadsden
Milwaukee/Minneapolis – Brad Wilson
New England – Marc D. Mazzalupo, CEA
NewYork/New Jersey – David Valitt
OhioValley – Mark Coxon
Philadelphia – Tim Cromwell, CEA
Southern Regional – Andy Kamashian, CEA
West Coast – Gina Wheeler
AMEA Officers
David DiBenedetto, CEA – President
Doris Toronyi, CEA – 1st Vice President
Robert Yeoman, CEA – Treasurer
Terrance Jacobs, CEA – 2nd Vice President
John Lawton, CEA Immediate Past President
Randy Koaster, CEA – Presidential Appointee
Jack Mendenhall, CEA – Presidential Appointee
Charles Winternitz, CEA – Presidential Appointee
Directors
Nick Gibbs, CEA – Director
Jake Josko CEA – Director
Edwinna Kamashian, CEA – Director
Jasen Kisber, CEA – Director
James Slattery, IM – Director
LOCATOR Services Inc. Officers and Directors
Ryan Yoder– President
Carl Davis – Treasurer
Mauro Damino – Immediate Past President
Mark Robinson – Secretary
Directors
Ryan Blumberg, CEA
Brian Epstein
Michael F. Feinstein, CEA
Tom Lowkes
Austin D. Lucas Scholarship FundTrustees
President: Kristine Conroy
Trustees
Jack Boecher, AM
Michael F. Feinstein, CEA
Jeannine Harris
Kim Khoury, CEA
Tom Lowkes
Dina Shuster
Randy Stevens, CEA
Your Calander and Join us in“The
Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
The 2025 MDNA National Convention will be held in New Orleans May 1 - 3 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. The Sheraton is one of New Orleans' premier hotels centrally located on Canal Street in the heart of New Orleans between Bourbon Street to the west, the Mississippi River and casinos to the east, the old-world splendor of the Garden District to the south, and the fabulous jazz clubs and Historic District to the north. The hotel's expansive lobby bar will make a great spot for renewing old friendships and starting new ones. And we have secured a great room rate of $259 per night.
Our Thursday evening Welcome Party will be held at Mardi Gras World. Located along the banks of the Mississippi, it is where they create, construct and store the oats for Mardi Gras and all the other festivals held yearly in New Orleans. Stroll through acres of oats from previous years' parades while networking with your fellow dealers and spouses. Dinner will follow at the Mansion adjoining the oats.
The best part of visiting New Orleans is experiencing the food, the jazz and the aura of this unique environment. For that reason, Friday night will be an open night where, following a cocktail reception at the Sheraton, everyone will be free to explore the jazz clubs, restaurants, bars, casinos and the city itself, nearly all of which is within walking distance of the hotel. We will supply information to all attendees on the many options available. We will also supply suggestions for Friday and Saturday afternoon, where you have free time to experience everything from swamp tours, airboat rides, plantation tours, cemetery tours, zip-lining in the swamps, walking tours through the various districts of New Orleans and Mississippi Riverboat cruises. The possibilities in New Orleans are endless.
On Saturday evening we will welcome in our new President at one of the most patriotic venues in America - The National WWII Museum. This incredible site is a must-see for any visitor to New Orleans and is (in my opinion) the best and most complete tribute to all our American, Canadian and European WWII veterans. We will have private use of several of the exhibit halls followed by dinner and a special show at BB's Stage Door Canteen. It will be an MDNA night to remember.
Plenty of Sponsorship opportunities exist for this event. If you would like information on sponsoring please contact Convention Committee Member John Greene, FL Sales.
