The Manufacturing Institute Recognizes AGCO Employees with Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Awards

AGCO (NYSE: AGCO), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and solutions, is pleased to announce that three AGCO employees have received 2016 STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead Awards. Miranda Aarons, line design manager, Hesston, Kansas, and Beth Tucker, director, quality assurance, Hesston, Kansas, were both presented the 2016 Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Award. Additionally, Jaclyn Clark, manufacturing engineer, Jackson, Minnesota, was presented the 2016 STEP Ahead Emerging Leader Award.

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AGCO Step Ahead Award Honorees and AGCO employees and executives celebrate at the fourth annual STEP Ahead Dinner Gala at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Pictured from left to right: Dennis Branch, VP, Human Resources, NA; Rachel Giannini, Manager, Global Employee Engagement & Inclusion; Jaclyn Clark, Manufacturing Engineer, Jackson, Minnesota; Beth Tucker, Director, Quality Assurance, Hesston, Kansas; Miranda Aarons, Line Design Manager, Hesston, Kansas; and Lucinda Smith, SVP, Global Business Services (Photo: Business Wire)

“It is a pleasure to see that Miranda, Beth and Jaclyn were nominated by AGCO colleagues for their leadership and significant achievements,” said Lucinda Smith, senior vice president, global business services at AGCO. “The STEP Ahead program supports the same diversity and inclusion approach as the AGCO Global Women’s Network (AGWN).”

AGWN is a business advisory group set to develop, promote and advocate women as leaders and growers of profitability, collaboration and a diverse culture across AGCO. Celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2016, AGWN was established to provide a platform to proactively cultivate the leadership skills of women and men, thus driving excellence in innovation, customer service and ultimately to do better business in the markets in which AGCO serves.

The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing institute, from the factory-floor to the C Suite. The 2016 STEP Ahead Awards leadership programs and additional activities took place from April 20 through April 22 in Washington, D.C., with the Awards Dinner Gala on the night of April 21 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The Manufacturing Institute honored 100 women and 30 Emerging Leaders, a category introduced last year to honor women under the age of 30 who have achieved unique accomplishments at the start of their careers.

“These 130 women are the faces of exciting careers in manufacturing,” said Jennifer McNelly, executive director, The Manufacturing Institute. “We chose to honor these women because they each made significant achievements in manufacturing through positive impact on their company and the industry as a whole.”

The STEP Ahead Awards are part of the larger STEP Ahead initiative which was founded in 2012 to promote the role of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production through recognition, research, and best practices for attracting, advancing, and retaining strong female talent.

About AGCO

AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural solutions and supports more productive farming through its full line of equipment and related services. AGCO products are sold through five core brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra®, supported by Fuse® precision technologies and farm optimization services, and are distributed globally through a combination of approximately 3,000 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2015, AGCO had net sales of $7.5 billion. For more information, visit http://www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.

About The Manufacturing Institute

The Manufacturing Institute (the Institute) is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers. As a non-partisan organization, the Institute is committed to delivering leading-edge information and services to the nation's manufacturers. The Institute is the authority on the attraction, qualification and development of world-class manufacturing talent. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

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