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Erixon Equipment's Rebrand Wins Best Branding at the 2026 AMA Iowa NOVA Awards

  • Jun 1
  • 2 min read
  • Bryan & Kimberly with thier AMA Award
  • AMA Award

At the 2026 American Marketing Association of Iowa NOVA Awards, our marketing strategy and branding partner, K. Johnson Studio (KJS), won Best Branding for their work on the Erixon Equipment rebrand, "From Ranko to Erixon Equipment: A Brand and Business Transformation." The project covered the company's full transition from dealer to branded manufacturer under founder Bryan Erixon.


We were honored to see this work recognized. Here is what the rebrand involved, and why it still shapes how we build equipment and support our dealers and customers today.



What the team won it for


KJS led Erixon Equipment's award-winning transformation from Ranko Equipment, a dealership, into a branded manufacturer with its own product line and dealer network. The work included:

  • A new company name and visual identity, built around founder Bryan Erixon's own last name

  • The naming and launch of the X-Line, Erixon's current machine lineup, which now includes skid steers, compact wheel loaders, excavators, telehandlers, forklifts, and more on the way

  • Direct research with employees, customers, and dealers to shape the brand around real feedback

  • Internal operations changes across inventory, sales, and accounting, so the business could deliver on what the new brand promised



Why the rebrand mattered for our dealers and customers


A name change only means something if the business behind it holds up. Erixon Equipment's rebrand was built to close the gap between what the company promised and what it could deliver, for the people who buy and sell the equipment every day.


One year in, that shows up in the numbers:

  • Erixon's dealer network has grown from zero to nationwide

  • The X-Line has expanded across five equipment categories with more to come 

  • The company has moved from a single-location dealership model to a manufacturer with a growing national dealer footprint



In Bryan Erixon's words


"There's a long tradition in this industry of putting your family's name on your equipment but it's not about recognition, it's about accountability. Our dealers and customers should know exactly who stands behind every machine we build, and I take that responsibility personally,” said Bryan Erixon, the founder and CEO of Erixon Equipment. 



Where things stand today


Erixon Equipment's rebrand, led by K. Johnson Studio, won Best Branding at the 2026 AMA Iowa NOVA Awards. The recognition reflects a brand transformation built on direct customer and dealer input, internal operations improvements, and a product line, the X-Line, that carries the same principles the rebrand was built on.


Congratulations to K. Johnson Studio on this recognition, and thank you to AMA Iowa, our dealers, and our customers for being part of this transformation. We’re proud to say that the branding behind Erixon Equipment and our X-Line machines is award-winning. 

Growing Together, Always.


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