Signature Control Systems is off to a busy start in early 2006. The company made two dynamic announcements recently, both of which will help boost its profile among irrigation professionals. The first announcement confirms that Signature Control Systems has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Bear Irrigation from Grizzle & Hunter Plastic.
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“The combination of Signature and Bear technologies will provide customers an even more powerful set of solutions and water management tools,” said Brian Smith, chief executive officer of Signature Control Systems. “The primary motivation for the acquisition is to grow our solutions for our current and growing customer base. The acquisition of Bear Irrigation completes an important part of our business strategy: to expand into new markets and increase product development. It also supports our current business strategy of strategic alliances.”
Bear Irrigation focuses on golf course irrigation with a product line including sprinklers, rotors, valves and conversion assemblies. Together, the two companies will meet a wider set of customer needs and have a significantly greater opportunity to grow into new markets, particularly in the golf, sports and turf management segments. “By combining our intelligent controllers, desktop and Web-based software – along with the complementary expertise of Mr. Glen Grizzle, president of Grizzle & Hunter Plastic – Signature has the opportunity to bring to our customers an industry-defining technology platform,” Smith says.
Financial terms of the agreement were approved by both board of directors and were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close later this month.
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Meanwhile, John Deere Golf & Turf One Source used the backdrop of last week’s Golf Industry Show to announce the launch of John Deere Golf Irrigation. Beginning this spring, the division will provide One Source customers with a full line of irrigation heads, valves, controllers, sensors and communications systems. Deere and Signature Control Systems have entered into an exclusive strategic alliance to jointly research, create and distribute water management products and solutions for the golf market.
“We’re pleased to offer this new product line to our golf customers,” said Gregg Breningmeyer, director of sales and marketing. “Until this point, One Source distributors only had access to irrigation products in specific regions. With this introduction, all 44 North American One Source distributors are now able to provide a full range of John Deere golf irrigation products.”
Dave Truttmann, national sales manager, One Source, remarks, “We have a wealth of resources at our disposal. Signature Control Systems (formerly Thompson Manufacturing) has been an industry innovator in the design and manufacturing of intelligent irrigation controllers and site management systems since 1907. Signature recently purchased the golf irrigation assets of Bear-Irrigation, giving Signature additional expertise in sprinklers.”
John Deere will also draw expertise from its One Source partners, including AMS, AquaMaster, Liquigistics, Profile Products and others who provide water management-related products.
The launch of John Deere Golf Irrigation is the initial phase in the creation of a water management initiative – a comprehensive program that will extend beyond irrigation products to help customers address a wide range of water issues, including quality, consumption, ground water, plant/soil hydrology, erosion control and application efficiency.
“Golf course management isn’t just about turf care and quality of cut,” Breningmeyer says. “It’s about superior management of all resources. John Deere Golf Irrigation and our water management solutions initiative are being developed to answer the needs we’ve heard from our customers. These programs are based on and will enhance the core value of what John Deere One Source is really all about – helping the superintendent do his or her job more efficiently and more effectively.”