Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, US, and 2020 Democratic US presidential candidate, has been chosen by President-elect Joe Biden to be his transportation secretary, a move met with approval from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).

鈥淭he Association of Equipment Manufacturers congratulates Pete Buttigieg on his nomination to serve as the next Secretary of Transportation,鈥� said Dennis Slater, president of AEM, in a statement.

鈥淔rom dozers to pavers, to excavators and cranes, the 2.8 million men and women of the equipment manufacturing industry build the equipment necessary to maintain and modernise our nation鈥檚 transportation infrastructure. Equipment manufacturers stand ready to work with Mr. Buttigieg and the .鈥�

as saying the Department of Transportation is the 鈥渟ite of some of our most ambitious plans to 鈥� and that he trusts 鈥淢ayor Pete to lead this work with focus, decency, and a bold vision.鈥�

Slater noted that earlier this year, Buttigieg participated in a on infrastructure co-hosted by AEM during which he 鈥漮utlined an ambitious plan for working with states, cities, and local government to cut the backlog of road repairs in half, repair half of the nation鈥檚 structurally deficient bridges, revitalise the shrinking Highway Trust Fund, and create six million new family-sustaining jobs.鈥�

He added, 鈥滱EM looks forward to continuing the dialogue with Mr. Buttigieg on how to advance our shared vision for a 21st century infrastructure.鈥�

Biden has been urged to make  in his new administration. To that end, he was quoted, 鈥淢ayor Pete Buttigieg is a patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation. I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us.鈥�

Construction industry in the repair and rebuild the nation鈥檚 aging infrastructure.

鈥淲e are ready to work with the incoming administration and Congress to help craft an agenda that is focused in rebuilding infrastructure and reviving the national economy,鈥� stated Stephen E. Sandherr, chief executive officer of Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). 鈥淭o that end, we are eager to work with the president-elect as he and his team fashion their promised infrastructure investement proposals.鈥�