Trimble Acquires Load Systems International to Integrate Crane Safety and Accuracy into Construction Processes

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today that it has acquired privately-held Load Systems International Inc. (LSI), a market-leading manufacturer of wireless and hardwired crane safety instrumentation, headquartered in Quebec City, Canada. The acquisition enhances Trimble's broad portfolio of technologies that improve the safety, quality, transparency and efficiency of construction and maintenance projects across a range of industries. Financial terms were not disclosed.

According to a recent study¹, the global crane market is anticipated to exceed $45 billion in 2016, an increase of more than 25 percent over 2012. LSI supplies this growing market with load information management and crane collision avoidance technologies that deliver accurate, collaborative knowledge through advanced instrumentation, sensing and radio technologies. The company's hardware products address multiple applications, such as vertical buildings, ports and terminals, mining, and the onshore and offshore requirements of the oil/gas/chemical industry. 

A 2010 report by the UK-based Health and Safety Laboratory² identified scores of incidents worldwide in the previous 20 years involving the collapse or major structural failure of a tower crane—most often attributed to issues including erection, extension or dismantling of the crane, extreme weather conditions, or operator misuse. 

LSI's technologies improve crane safety and accuracy by providing operators and construction teams with detailed knowledge to optimize usage conditions and processes. The company's products include load cells and pins, line-riding tensiometers, load moment indicator (LMI) systems with pressure transducers, rated-capacity indicators (RCI) and limiters, inclinometers, cable reels, wind speed sensors and displays, work-area definition software, and much more.  LSI's Radio Transmitter Division also provides radio transmitters, wireless gateways and radio modems for general industrial applications.

"Crane safety is a major concern in any construction material handling project, with major impacts to safety, costs, liability, insurance and timely completion," said Bryn Fosburgh, vice president responsible for Trimble's Construction Technology Divisions. "Trimble's commitment to transform construction processes and facilitate more effective projects doesn't end at ground level. The combination of LSI's solutions with Trimble's geospatial, location, analytics, modeling and visualization tools provides opportunities to integrate crane safety more closely into construction project planning and execution." 

"Cranes represent substantial investments in any construction or maintenance project, with significant risk for owners and renters," said David Smith, president and CEO of LSI. "Our focus has always been to deliver solutions that raise the technology bar and enhance site safety, while making it easier for customers to optimize the use and management of their cranes. We look forward to continuing that work at Trimble, while developing still more innovative products by leveraging Trimble's advanced technologies and global reach."

About LSI

LSI was founded in 1998 by three individuals who had been working for a crane safety instrumentation manufacturer focusing on hardwired technology and saw the advantages that wireless technology could bring to the crane and lifting industry. In order to offer effective wireless solutions for all crane types, the company developed its radio technology in-house, versus buying an off the shelf radio solution. Today, LSI has 110 employees globally, with offices in Houston, Texas; Quebec City, Canada; Aberdeen, Scotland; Dubai, UAE; and Adelaide, Australia.

For more information, visit: www.loadsystems.com.

About Trimble

Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

For more information, visit:  www.trimble.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the business operations and prospects of Trimble, including the impact of the Load Systems International acquisition on Trimble's ability to improve the safety, quality, transparency and efficiency of construction and maintenance projects across a range of industries. These forward-looking statements are subject to change, and actual results may materially differ due to certain risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause or contribute to changes in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to (i) realizing the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, (ii) Trimble's ability to strengthen its portfolio serving its customers in construction through the acquisition, including its ability to quickly and effectively combine the products with its geospatial, location, analytics, modeling and visualization tools, and (iii) the risks and uncertainties associated with unexpected expenditures or assumed liabilities that may be incurred as a result of the acquisitions. More information about potential factors which could affect Trimble's business and financial results is set forth in reports filed with the SEC, including Trimble's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and its annual report on Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to Trimble as of the date hereof, and Trimble assumes no obligation to update such statements.

1. 2012-2016 Global Crane Market Report, Technavio Insights. 
2. "Tower Crane Incidents Worldwide," prepared by the Health and Safety Laboratory for the Health and Safety Executive, 2010.

GTRMB

SOURCE Trimble