OAK BROOK, Ill. — Walter Berry, president of Berry Companies was elected and installed as Associated Equipment Distributors 2005 chairman. Based in Wichita, Kan., Berry Cos. has 21 locations in five states and represents Bobcat, Bomag, Komatsu, Link-Belt, Volvo and Yale. Berry Cos. is also a significant rental player and is No. 80 on the RER 100.

Berry's activities with AED have included positions on the annual meeting and executive development, industry round table, rental round table and product support round table committees. He has also served as both a director and vice president of the AED Foundation.

Other AED officers for 2005 include: vice chairman Dale Leppo, president of Leppo Rents/Bobcat, Akron, Ohio; senior vice president Les Bebchick, president of Equipment & Systems for Industry Inc., Hopkinton, Mass.; vice president Dennis Romanson, president and CEO of Briggs Equipment, Tampa, Fla.; Ken Nordstrom, regional sales manager, Finning Ltd., Edmonton, Canada; and vice president of finance, James Price, executive vice president of Valley Supply & Equipment Co., Funkstown, Md.