The AED Foundation
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSchaumburg, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
The AED Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The AED Foundation
- Legal name
- The AED Foundation
- Website
- https://aedfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The AED Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Development and Professional Certification
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM), Supply Chain, Logistics & Procurement Certifications (EDAAANAK)
Keywords
Where The AED Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Schaumburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The AED Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Annual Campaign / Member Donations: As a non-profit foundation, The AED Foundation primarily relies on contributions from AED members through its Annual Campaign. Donations fund day-to-day operations and key focus areas: accreditation, career promotion, and research. Contribution levels vary with tiered benefits including access to on-demand webinars, recognition in CED magazine, on the Foundation's website, and at AED's Summit, plus complimentary tickets to the AED Foundation Fundraising Gala.
- Technical Testing Fees: AED members pay $100 per technical test for pre-screening technician applicants (non-members pay $200). The 160-question test covers six core competencies and can be taken twice at no additional fee. Revenue supports the testing infrastructure and certification administration.
- Caterpillar Foundation Grant: The Caterpillar Foundation provided a $300,000 grant specifically directed toward scholarships for high school students planning to attend AEDF accredited college programs ($2,000 per student). This is a restricted grant for scholarship distribution, not general operating revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | AED Member Technical Test |
| Subscription | Annual | Certified Manager Programs (CMP) — self-study course bundles |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Scholarships for High School Students |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
The AED Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The AED Foundation delivers workforce development, industry accreditation, technical testing, and professional education programs for the heavy equipment distribution industry. Its offerings include the Certified Manager Program (Parts, Branch, Rental, Service, and Sales Management), the Certified Technician Program with a 160-question technical assessment, accreditation of college programs, recognition of high school programs, and the Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). All programs are built on six core competencies and the AEDF National Construction Equipment Technical Standards (9th edition).
Product overview
The AED Foundation offers a comprehensive portfolio of workforce development and certification programs for the heavy equipment industry. The core offerings include the Certified Manager Program (CMP) with five specializations (Parts, Branch, Rental, Service, and Sales Management) and the Certified Technician Program. Supporting these are Technical Assessments for pre-screening, Accredited College Programs and Recognized High School Programs that form the educational pipeline, the Construction Career Aptitude Test and Stackable Credentials for early engagement, and the Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). The Foundation's Vision 2025 campaign coordinates these initiatives with a goal of certifying 5,000 technicians by 2025. Self-study courses and scholarships supplement the portfolio. All programs are aligned around six core competencies: Diesel Engines, Powertrains, Electric/Electronics, A/C and Heating, Hydraulics/Hydrostatics, and Safety/Administration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Certified Manager Program (CMP) Online certification program for dealership management roles, with department-specific tracks including Parts Management, Branch Management, Rental Management, Service Management, and Sales Management.
- Certified Technician Program Certification program with a 160-question technical test covering six core competencies. Technicians must score 70% or higher to earn the Certified AEDF Technician credential.
- Technical Assessment Pre-screening test for technician applicants at AED member dealerships. AED members pay $100 per test; non-members pay $200. Includes 160 questions across six core competencies.
- Accredited College Programs Post-secondary equipment technology programs that have met AEDF's national technical standards for diesel-equipment technology. Students earn Certified AEDF Technician title upon completion.
- Recognized High School Programs High school transportation technology programs recognized by AEDF that prepare students for AEDF accredited college programs and technician careers.
- Construction Career Aptitude Test Free aptitude test for students ages 13-17 that helps determine strengths and weaknesses across topics including mathematics, basic electrical, safety, and mechanical reasoning.
- Stackable Credentials Online credential programs for high school students that build sequentially on industry knowledge and AEDF's six core competencies, currently available for safety and electronics.
- Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP) Apprenticeship recognition awarded by AEDF to qualifying apprenticeship programs at AED member dealerships. Technicians completing IRAP-recognized programs become Certified AEDF Technicians.
- Scholarship Program $2,000 scholarships funded by the Caterpillar Foundation grant awarded to high school students planning to attend an AEDF accredited college program.
- Self-Study Courses Individual online professional development courses taken at one's own pace, available separately or as bundles for Certified Manager Programs completion.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,405 AEDF Certified Technicians certified since January 2018
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The AED Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The AED Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The AED Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Brandeis Machinery & Supply Co.flagshipBrandeis Machinery & Supply Co. became the first AED distributor member recognized by AEDF as an Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). Their apprenticeship program, started in 2015, was recognized as exemplary by the Foundation. Technicians completing their program can become Certified AEDF Technicians.
- Power Equipment Co.flagshipPower Equipment Co. became the first AED distributor member recognized by AEDF as an Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). Along with Brandeis Machinery & Supply Co., they are the inaugural IRAP designees, demonstrating the IRAP program's viability and setting a model for other AED member dealerships.
- U.S. Department of LaborcoreThe U.S. Department of Labor named The AED Foundation a Standards Recognition Entity (SRE) for the heavy equipment industry after a two-year process. This designation enables AEDF to recognize apprenticeship programs at AED member dealerships as Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAP), providing a pathway for in-dealership training programs to produce Certified AEDF Technicians.
- Associated Equipment Distributors (AED)coreThe AED Foundation is the non-profit foundation for the heavy equipment industry and the sister organization to Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), the international trade association for equipment distributors, manufacturers, and service providers. AED members receive preferential pricing on AEDF technical tests ($100 vs $200 for non-members) and access to the full suite of AEDF programs.
- Accredited College Programs (38+ institutions)coreAEDF accredits post-secondary equipment technology programs at colleges across North America. These programs deliver two-year training aligned with AEDF's six core competencies and produce AEDF Certified Technicians. Programs include Owens Community College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Ferris State University, North Dakota State College of Science, and many others. AEDF collaborates with these schools on curriculum alignment, equipment requirements, and instructor standards.
- Recognized High School Programs (6+ institutions)coreAEDF recognizes high school transportation technology programs that meet AEDF's technical standards, derived from and subset of AEDF national college standards. These include Anne Arundel County Public Schools Center of Applied Technology North, Canyons Technical Education Center, Berks Career and Technology Center, JATC-North Jordan School District, Eaton RESA Career Preparation Center, and Kent Career Technical Center. Programs provide a seamless progression from high school to AEDF accredited college programs.
- Equipment ManufacturerscoreEquipment manufacturers collaborate with AEDF through industry task forces to develop and update the AEDF National Construction Equipment Technical Standards (currently 9th edition). Representatives from dealers, manufacturers, and technical colleges participate in task forces to ensure standards reflect current equipment technology. Manufacturers benefit from a pipeline of qualified technicians trained to industry standards.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The AED Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SkillsUSA: SkillsUSA is a broader CTE (career-technical education) organization serving middle school, high school, and college students across many skilled trades, including pathways into diesel/heavy equipment programs — comparable in pipeline-building mission though wider in scope.
- Associated General Contractors of America (AGC): AGC is the leading construction trade association with a workforce development mandate spanning craft training and credentialing — a broader incumbent operating in the same construction ecosystem that drives heavy equipment demand.
- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC): ABC is a national construction industry trade association that runs apprenticeship, training, and certification programs for craft professionals — a broader incumbent operating in an adjacent (construction) industry with comparable workforce development mandate.
Direct peers
- National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF): NATEF is the most direct peer — an industry-specific accreditation body that accredits automotive technician training programs at secondary and post-secondary institutions, mirroring AEDF's role for the heavy equipment industry.
- American Welding Society (AWS): AWS is a long-standing skilled-trades certification body for welders, with program accreditation, technician credentials, and educational standards — structurally analogous to AEDF's role for heavy equipment technicians.
- ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence): ASE is the leading technician certification body in the automotive aftermarket, certifying technicians through standardized tests — directly comparable to AEDF's Certified Technician program in heavy equipment.
- NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research): NCCER provides standardized craft training, certification, and accreditation for the construction industry. It overlaps with AEDF in skilled trades accreditation and credentialing for the built environment.
- HVAC Excellence: HVAC Excellence is a parallel skilled-trades accreditation and certification body for HVAC technicians — a strong structural peer given its industry-specific testing, program accreditation, and competency-based certification model.
Emerging players
- ThinkBig (Caterpillar Dealer Technician Training): Caterpillar's ThinkBig program is a dealer-technician training partnership model that produces OEM-certified technicians at community colleges — directly competing for the same technician pipeline AEDF serves, though from a single-OEM perspective.
Regional players
- Universal Technical Institute (UTI): UTI is a for-profit technical training provider with manufacturer-specific programs (including diesel/heavy equipment), serving a similar student demographic as AEDF-accredited colleges — a peer at the program-delivery layer, though for-profit rather than accreditation-focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The AED Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe AED Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The AED Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
The AED Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The AED Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The AED Foundation
What does The AED Foundation do?
The AED Foundation delivers workforce development, industry accreditation, technical testing, and professional education programs for the heavy equipment distribution industry. Its offerings include the Certified Manager Program (Parts, Branch, Rental, Service, and Sales Management), the Certified Technician Program with a 160-question technical assessment, accreditation of college programs, recognition of high school programs, and the Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP). All programs are built on six core competencies and the AEDF National Construction Equipment Technical Standards (9th edition).
Is The AED Foundation a public or private company?
The AED Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The AED Foundation founded?
The AED Foundation was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The AED Foundation based?
The AED Foundation is headquartered in Schaumburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does The AED Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Annual Campaign / Member Donations are the primary driver. The others are technical Testing Fees and caterpillar Foundation Grant.
Who are The AED Foundation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SkillsUSA, Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Direct peers are National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), American Welding Society (AWS), ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence), NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) and HVAC Excellence. ThinkBig (Caterpillar Dealer Technician Training) is listed as an emerging player. Universal Technical Institute (UTI) is listed as a regional player.
Does The AED Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The AED Foundation.
What industry is The AED Foundation in?
The AED Foundation's product category is Workforce Development and Professional Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAALAH, Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE), with a secondary code of EDANAIAM, Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8700.