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

SUNNYVALE, Calif. (Aug. 21, 2014) — Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced 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 study, 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 Laboratory 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.”