Eagle Crusher president inducted into AEM Hall of Fame

Susanne Cobey, the longtime president and CEO of Ohio-based concrete crushing and recycling equipment maker Eagle Crusher Co., is one of the two newest inductees into the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame.

Cobey was joined by compact construction equipment pioneer Akio Takeuchi of Japan-based Takeuchi Manufacturing as one of two inductees honored at the AEM annual conference last November in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“AEM takes great pride in welcoming Susanne Cobey and Akio Takeuchi to our Hall of Fame roster of esteemed industry leaders,” AEM President Megan Tanel says. “They both serve as inspiration for the next generation to cultivate and pursue transformative ideas for the industry and the betterment of all.”

“Susanne Cobey, confronted with challenges in the crusher industry during the 1980s, ingeniously used Eagle Crusher’s technology to spearhead the pavement recycling sector, contributing significantly to concrete and asphalt waste reduction.”

Cobey joined Eagle Crusher in 1970 as parts manager and advanced through multiple ranks to become president and CEO in 1990.

AEM credits Cobey with helping spearhead the concrete recycling industry in the United States, with Eagle Crusher building what it calls the first such U.S. commercial recycling plant, its Jumbo 1400 model, in 1984. “Her innovations created a new product line for Eagle Crusher and a new American industry,” AEM says.

The association credits Cobey’s "bold vision” for the Jumbo 1400 for taking crushing to a new level with its abilities to process high volumes of aggregate, concrete and recycled asphalt pavement (RAP).

“A whole line of portable horizontal impactor plants soon followed, creating a boon for the aggregate crushing, the recycled concrete and the RAP markets," AEM says.

Calling Cobey a "female pioneer in a male-dominated industry,” AEM says she has dedicated herself to helping other women in the industry succeed in part by addressing the topic of women in the industry in numerous videos and news articles.

Akio Takeuchi founded Takeuchi Manufacturing in 1963 at the age of 29. Responding to customer feedback, he is credited by AEM with offering the world’s first compact excavator. “Since then, Takeuchi Manufacturing has presented more innovations, including the first offset boom excavator and the first compact track loader,” the association adds.

The company’s current global footprint includes a growing presence in the United States, with AEM describing it as “a solid, quality-driven compact construction equipment company,” and crediting Akio Takeuchi for having established a legacy.

“Akio Takeuchi’s strategic leadership within the compact equipment market, coupled with his attentive approach to customer needs and product development, has notably pioneered a distinct industry segment,” Tanel says.

The AEM Hall of Fame has been recognizing agriculture and construction equipment manufacturing industry personalities since 1993, with the Hall’s roster including such names as Benjamin Holt (Caterpillar), Joseph Cyril Bamford (JCB), Jerome Increase Case (CNH Industrial), John Deere (Deere & Co.), Gus Ramirez (HUSCO International) and Mary Andringa (Vermeer). The induction of Takeuchi and Cobey brings the total number of inductees to 69.