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Truck-Lite Holdings Announces Corporate Name Change to Clarience Technologies

May 11, 2020

New Name Reflects Strategic Vision and Family of Brands

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (May 11, 2020) – Truck-Lite Holdings today announced that it has changed its corporate name to Clarience Technologies, LLC. The name change reflects the company's broader focus on providing total visibility to the commercial and recreational transportation industry through its family of technology-driven brands. The name Clarience is formed by combining “clarity,” which signifies the visibility and insight that the company brings to its customers, and “science,” which is how it is achieved.

Brian Kupchella, Chief Executive Officer, Clarience Technologies, said, “For over 65 years, we have been a leading innovator and manufacturer of the highest-quality, most trusted products for the commercial and recreational transportation marketplace. As we have evolved, we’ve built a family of businesses – Truck-Lite, DAVCO, Road Ready, RIGID and Lumitec – each with strong market position and lasting customer relationships. We’ve also focused on our key capabilities in electronics and technology, building best-in-class telematics offerings and the most advanced lighting and safety systems available.”

Kupchella continued, “As we continue to grow and innovate, we’ve made several changes to our operations including establishing our new Global R&D Center in Pittsburgh, PA, near Carnegie Mellon University, and Global Headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. The next step in our transformation is rebranding our parent company to better reflect our mission to provide visibility and safety to the transportation industry through leading electronics, technology, telematics and data analytics capabilities. We adhere to a simple principle: in transportation, the more you can see and be seen, the better.”

Clarience Technologies is a family of brands. Each of the individual businesses will retain their current names and branding and each will have access to additional resources and expertise from its parent company, Clarience Technologies. Customers, suppliers and partners will find no change in the quality of products or services offered, obtaining information on products or services or conducting business with Clarience Technologies or its brands. All current contracts, agreements, ERP and billing processes will remain as they stand with the individual brands.

The Clarience Technologies family includes:

  • Truck-Lite Co., LLC, a worldwide leader in forward and safety lighting, wiring harness, turn signal and safety system technologies serving the medium- and heavy-duty truck, trailer and commercial vehicle industries.
  • DAVCO Technology, the North American leader in Class 8 heavy-duty diesel-powered truck fuel-heater/water separators and filter systems serving on- and off-highway
    industries including oil and gas, genset, construction, military and marine.
  • Road Ready, the leading wireless, multi-functional smart trailer monitoring network with advanced data and analytics capabilities. Road Ready provides the most
    comprehensive and inclusive fleet telematics solution available, including the largest suite of wireless sensors and third-party integrations, and is easily customizable for any fleet requirement.
  • RIGID Industries, the world leader in forward-projecting LED lighting and the premiere brand for off-road enthusiasts. RIGID is known for quality and durability and is
    committed to bringing innovative products to numerous industries including agriculture, construction, police, fire, rescue, industrial, marine, military, mining, automotive, offroad and power sports.
  • Lumitec, a market-leading international LED lighting manufacturer. Lumitec supplies underwater, flood, interior, utility, courtesy and navigation lighting to more than 250 OEM boat builders worldwide and offers a range of commercial vehicle, terrestrial, dock and deck, and specialty lighting products.

Clarience Technologies has 12 locations globally and supplies products to customers in 68 countries on six continents. Learn more about Clarience Technologies at www.ClarienceTechnologies.com.


About Clarience Technologies, LLC
Clarience Technologies is a family of brands focused on bringing total visibility to commercial and recreational transportation. Through our data and insights, we improve fleet management, streamline supply chains and enhance safety on and off the road. And for decades, our collaborative, transparent approach has been turning customers into long-term partners. Since our flagship brand introduced the first sealed marker light in 1955, our companies have unveiled a steady stream of innovation ever since. Today, Clarience Technologies is a global company known for its quality and dedication to sustainability – and to a simple principle: in transportation, the more you can see and be seen, the better.

Media Contacts
Jennifer Friedman
Jennifer.Friedman@trailrunnerint.com
+1 917-612-8839

Eric Borman
EricB@trailrunnerint.com
+1 515-341-7036

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Truck-Lite Announces New Investor

December 17, 2019

Brian Kupchella, Truck-Lite’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are very excited to partner with Genstar. We believe its investment philosophy aligns extremely well with Truck-Lite’s long-term strategy and will allow us to accelerate our growth plans, continue to invest in new products and markets and improve our value proposition to our customers and partners.”

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Road Ready System to be Offered on New Stoughton Trailer Builds

November 1, 2019

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (September 2019) – Truck-Lite Co., LLC, a worldwide leader in LED lighting, telematics, engine protection, safety and visibility systems, has partnered with Stoughton Trailers to offer the Road Ready trailer telematics system on new trailer builds. Released in 2017, Truck-Lite’s Road Ready system provides fleets with wireless, remote visibility to their trailers’ location, freight and equipment health in real time. Its solar-powered Master Control Unit (MCU), which mounts on either the roof or nose of a trailer, is made of military-grade components and comes with a 10-year battery, ensuring continual location and data reporting to a fleet’s dispatch office. Through its partnership with Truck-Lite, Stoughton will offer an MCU as a no-cost option on new trailer sales. “The need for GPS trailer tracking continues to grow each year, and our partnership with Truck-Lite lets us provide an immediate, real-time solution to our customers who seek to improve their operating efficiency,” said Luke McMaster, vice president of dealer sales and marketing for Stoughton. “Stoughton and Truck-Lite are well-known for their high-quality products and services in the heavy-duty trailer industry, and the addition of Road Ready as a selectable option on our new trailer build configurator continues that tradition.” The Road Ready MCU serves as the brains of the system, sending regular updates to the Road Ready user interface and providing real-time location via GPS. Cargo sensors will also be available in the offering at an additional cost. Data plans and other Road Ready sensors, including door, temperature and light-out detection will be available directly from Truck-Lite. “Truck-Lite is very excited that the Road Ready system will be part of Stoughton’s 2020 model offering. Our long-term partnership supplying lights and harnesses helped pave the way to providing our smart-trailer technology on Stoughton’s new trailer builds,” said Jon Stineman, vice president of OEM sales for Truck-Lite. “Our Road Ready sales and customer success teams will be readily available throughout the process to ensure the best in customer satisfaction and utilization of the Road Ready network.” The Road Ready system by Truck-Lite is the leading wireless, multi-functional trailer monitoring network and is easily customizable for any fleet requirement. With its suite of wireless sensors and the largest number of OE trailer system and fleet software integrations, Road Ready provides the most comprehensive and inclusive fleet telematics solution available. About Stoughton Trailers Stoughton Trailers is a Top 10 international supplier of semi-truck trailers. The Wisconsin-based, family-owned company designs, manufactures and markets a wide rande of dependable semi-truck trailers used for over-the-road trucking as well as agricultural trailers and other specialty transportation equipment. It provides one-stop build, finance, rental and fleet management solutions through world-class responsiveness and design value. For more information, visit www.stoughtontrailers.com.

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Truck-Lite Announces Appointment of David McKean to Road Ready Division

July 11, 2019

FALCONER, N.Y. (June 2019)– Truck-Lite Co., LLC, a worldwide leader in LED lighting, telematics, engine protection, safety and visibility systems, has appointed David McKean to the position of executive vice president of business development.

McKean began his career with General Motors in 1983 and most recently served as executive director of global purchasing and supply chain before leaving the company in 2013. From there, he accepted the role of vice president and chief procurement officer for Navistar, where he was responsible for overseeing all procurement activity as well as logistics operations, supply chain risk management and supplier diversity activities. In his capacity with Truck-Lite, he will be responsible for the development and maintenance of strategic partnerships for the Road Ready business division.

“Dave brings more than 35 years of expertise in the transportation industry to Truck-Lite, where he will lead the expansion efforts of our Road Ready communications network,” said Brian Kupchella, Truck-Lite CEO. “His extensive history in global procurement and supply chain management and network of heavy-duty supplier contacts will benefit Truck-Lite significantly as we focus our efforts to broaden our Road Ready partner base.”

Originally from Poughkeepsie, NY, McKean has an AS in engineering science from SUNY Delhi; a BS in industrial distribution from Clarkson University; and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He joined Truck-Lite on June 17.

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Truck-Lite Finalizes Acquisition of TrackPoint Systems, LLC

June 7, 2019

Falconer, N.Y. – Truck-Lite Co., LLC, a worldwide leader in heavy-duty and off-road lighting, telematics, engine protection, safety and visibility systems, has completed the acquisition of TrackPoint Systems, LLC, a premier supplier of asset management solutions to the transportation, utility, construction, oilfield and government sectors.

Truck-Lite entered a joint development project with TrackPoint in January 2017 with the goal of communicating information from Truck-Lite’s industry-first Light-Out Detection System to a fleet’s back office. TrackPoint’s solar-powered and wireless capabilities significantly complemented the Road Ready by Truck-Lite technology roadmap; since then, Road Ready by Truck-Lite has developed into an independent business unit and provides the industry’s first true smart trailer network tied to telematics.

“Entering an agreement with TrackPoint was a key factor in Truck-Lite’s emergence as a leading telematics systems provider,” said Brian Kupchella, Truck-Lite CEO. “By combining our resources and expertise, we’ve built the most dynamic and customizable trailer telematics network available.”

Founded in Nashville in 2005, TrackPoint revolutionized wireless, location-based asset monitoring products and has served local, state and federal government agencies in addition to privately owned fleets. With its patented solar-powered Tr/IPS™ master control unit, TrackPoint quickly became an industry leader in wireless, untethered trailer tracking and monitoring.

The Road Ready system by Truck-Lite is the leading wireless, multi-functional trailer monitoring network and is easily customizable for any fleet requirement. With its suite of wireless sensors and the largest number of OE trailer equipment and fleet software integrations, Road Ready provides the most comprehensive and inclusive fleet telematics solution available. For more information, visit www.roadreadysystem.com.

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Truck-Lite Acquires Lumitec, LLC

April 12, 2019

Falconer, N.Y. – Truck-Lite Co., LLC, a worldwide leader in heavy-duty and off-road lighting, telematics, engine protection, safety and visibility systems, has announced the acquisition of Lumitec LLC, a premier supplier of LED lighting for the marine industry.

“Lumitec’s reputation speaks for itself as one of the most trusted lighting suppliers among both boat OEMs and end users,” said Brian Kupchella, Truck-Lite CEO. “Combining Lumitec and Truck-Lite allows us to take advantage of each other’s distribution networks and share technology, helping Truck-Lite to expand into different markets while staying true to our core business.”

Founded in 2007, Lumitec supplies deck, underwater, interior, navigation and specialty lighting to more than 250 boat builders worldwide. A frequent winner of innovation and supplier-performance awards, Lumitec has been named to Inc. Magazine’s fastest-growing private businesses list for seven consecutive years. In addition to its marine lighting, Lumitec offers a line of LED lighting for commercial vehicles. John Kujawa, the company’s founder and president, will continue to lead the business.

“We see in Truck-Lite a partner with a strong philosophical alignment combined with deep technical resources and a massive market presence. We couldn’t be more excited about our partnership,” Kujawa said. “Our relationship with Truck-Lite expands our sales reach, broadens our access to suppliers and technologies and strengthens our ability to achieve our overarching goal of delivering exceptional value to our customers.”

Both Truck-Lite and Lumitec proudly design, engineer and manufacture their products in the USA. Lumitec is based in Delray Beach, Florida.

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Since its founding in 2007, Lumitec LLC has gone from a small startup to a market-leading, international LED lighting manufacturer. Today, Lumitec is known for its innovative lighting solutions used on the finest boats and yachts in the world and is recognized for its commitment to high performance and failsafe reliability.

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Truck-Lite investing $4M in Michigan HQ

March 8, 2019

Automotive safety lighting supplier Truck-Lite Co. plans to move its headquarters from New York to Southfield, Mich., where it intends to create 95 jobs and invest $4 million.

The company is relocating to be closer to the supply chain and qualified talent, according to a news release from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Truck-Lite manufactures and distributes lighting products for cars, heavy-duty trucks and military vehicles. Its products use plastics extensively in housings, light fixtures and mirror systems. It has molding in McElhattan, Pa., and internationally in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Headquartered in Falconer, N.Y., a village in the southwest corner of New York, Truck-Lite chose Southfield for its new base over competing sites in Pittsburgh and New York, the release said.

The move is being supported by an $855,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Truck-Lite's agreement with the state stipulates that the company create 95 jobs over a five-year period through 2024. The city of Southfield is also offering a potential tax abatement, as well as expedited permitting, staff assistance and a job fair.

Company officials could not be reached March 7 afternoon for more details on the move.

Truck-Lite has annual revenue of more than $100 million. It employs 3,000 worldwide.

It had been a subsidiary of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based transportation services firm Penske Corp. until its 2015 sale to private equity firms Koch Equity Development LLC and BDT Capital Partners, according to a news release from 2015.

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Truck-Lite Announces Executive Appointments

July 31, 2018

FALCONER, N.Y.  – Truck-Lite Co., LLC, a worldwide leader in heavy-duty lighting, telematics, engine protection, safety and visibility systems, has announced three executive promotions and the addition of one new position within its organization: Mark Bara, to executive vice president of sales and marketing; Laurie Beegle, to president of DAVCO Technology, LLC; Paul Sniegocki, to executive vice president of engineering and chief technology officer; and Doug Wolma, to the newly designated role of president.

In his new role, Mark Bara is responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing functions for the global Truck-Lite organization. Previously president of DAVCO, Bara brings 45 years of experience in the heavy-duty aftermarket to the position. Before joining DAVCO in 2005, he spent 32 years at Detroit Diesel Corporation, serving in leadership roles in manufacturing, engineering and sales and marketing.

Laurie Beegle assumes the role of president of DAVCO after serving as vice president of operations since January 2016. Previously, she held roles as director of operations and chief financial officer after joining the company in 2004.

Paul Sniegocki accepted the role of executive VP and CTO after serving as VP of research and development since 2007. Previously, Sniegocki held the roles of director of engineering, research engineering manager and senior tooling engineer after joining Truck-Lite in 1992.

Finally, Doug Wolma has joined the company in the newly created position of president. Wolma brings nearly 30 years of experience in the automotive and heavy-duty industries to Truck-Lite, having worked for General Motors, Detroit Diesel, Daimler, Meritor, Dana and, most recently, AP Emissions Technologies, which is the North American leader in automotive aftermarket emissions equipment. In this new capacity, Wolma will work closely with Truck-Lite’s CEO, board of directors and executive management team and be responsible for making key operational and strategic decisions for Truck-Lite and its current domestic and foreign subsidiaries to drive performance and assure the implementation of operational plans and improvements.

“These additions to our executive staff come at an exciting time for Truck-Lite,” said Brian Kupchella, Truck-Lite CEO. “Mark, Laurie, Paul and Doug have decades’ worth of experience between this organization and the industry at large and will greatly facilitate Truck-Lite’s strategic trajectory for continued growth in 2018 and beyond.”

 

DAVCO Technology, LLC is a subsidiary of Truck-Lite and is the industry’s leading manufacturer of fuel heater/water separators and filter systems.

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Truck-Lite celebrates the life and career of chief technology officer, Bradley Van Riper

May 9, 2018

FALCONER, N.Y. – Truck-Lite Co., LLC regretfully announces the passing of senior vice president and chief technology officer Bradley C. Van Riper after a brief battle with cancer.

Van Riper, 64, started his career at Truck-Lite in 1978 as a maintenance technician and steadily acquired more responsibility as the company grew. By 1994, he was promoted to vice president of research and development and was in his most recent role since 2006. As SVP and CTO, he was active in supporting the development of new product innovations and held several U.S. patents, and was responsible for developing technology integration plans, intellectual property monitoring and adapting regulatory standards for the global Truck-Lite organization.

Brad’s passion for safety and innovation spurred his rise through Truck-Lite’s ranks and was readily apparent by his involvement with numerous organizations and committees, within both the transportation industry and his community. Industry board memberships included the Society of Automotive Engineers (past chairman, lighting committee); Transportation Safety Equipment Institute (past president, government relations liaison); Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association; Society of Plastic Engineers (senior member); Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Association (senior member); and the United States delegation to the Groupe de Travail “Bruxelles 1952” (GTB), which develops performance standards for transportation products used in Europe.

“Brad has been an integral part of the Truck-Lite organization for 40 years,” said Brian Kupchella, Truck-Lite CEO. “His contributions extend beyond the success of this company to the entire transportation safety industry. He will be missed by all who knew him.”

Locally, Brad was active with the Chautauqua County Traffic Safety Board, which works to improve traffic safety conditions across the county; the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST); STEM Wars and Career Search and manufacturing technology institute board at Jamestown Community College; and, perhaps most notably, the LINKS Charity, which has contributed more than $1.5 million to local cancer care efforts since its inception in 1991.

Notable distinctions with which Brad was honored include Jamestown Community College’s Distinguished Alumnus; TMC’s Silver Spark Plug, a lifetime achievement award for outstanding contributions to heavy-duty vehicle maintenance; and TSEI’s Henneberger Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact within the transportation safety industry.

In his spare time, Brad was an avid sports fan and loved to golf, fish and spend time with his family. He leaves behind an adoring wife of nearly 40 years, two sons, one grandson, his mother, four siblings, countless professional and personal colleagues and friends and a legacy at Truck-Lite that will never be replicated.

Memorials may be made in Brad’s name to the LINKS Charity to help fight cancer in the Jamestown, NY, area at www.linkscharity.com, or to the Bemus Point United Methodist Church, 4954 Bemus-Ellery Road, Bemus Point, NY 14712.

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