Interface

Autumn/Winter 2021 27 www.hae.org.uk www.eha.org.uk T rime, specialist in the design and manufacture of lighting towers and generators for the construction and events market, and BGG, one of the leading European manufacturers of generators, have jointly acquired 100% of the US company FTG Equipment Solutions. Based in New Castle (DE), FTG has for many years been the distributor of Trime light towers and Tecnogen generators (brand of BGG Group) that covers the North American market with a wide sales network capable of serving the main local operators in the construction, rental and events market. FTG will reach a turnover of 20 million dollars in 2021. Trime and BGG plan to accelerate growth in the US market through this joint operation. The timing of the transaction seems particularly favourable, as the US construction market appears to be experiencing strong recovery. In the medium term, Trime and BGG will establish their own local branches, leveraging FTG’s structure. Managing Director of FTG Steve Scattolini will continue to lead the company. Andrea Fontanella and Paolo Tacconi, respectively Chairman and CEO of Trime, said: “We are very happy to have completed this operation that will allow us to strengthen the presence of our group in the North American market as well as the international positioning of the group. The US represents the largest market in the world for lighting towers and, at this stage, is experiencing a deep change with an increasing interest in “green” products, which are already widespread in Europe and where Trime has always played a leading position”. CEO of BGG Group, Renato Bruno: “This operation has a strong strategic meaning as it allows to strengthen our presence in one of the most important markets in the world increasingly oriented to high quality products. At the same time this deal will enhance the work done in over five years of collaboration with FTG, ensuring continuity of support for our end customer.” TRIME AND BGG JOINTLY ACQUIRE US DISTRIBUTOR NEW HIRE PARTNERSHIP PROMOTES ROADWORK SAFETY A new hire partnership has been created between manufacturer and supplier of portable and temporary ITS equipment, SRL Traffic and traffic product development consultancy, Innovative Road Safety Solutions for the launch of a complete temporary traffic light installation solution. The solution will enable traffic management companies and local authorities to quickly and safely decommission and reactivate permanent traffic lights. Under the company’s new Switching Service, specially-trained SRL employees installing temporary traffic lights switch off permanent signs and install patented, high visibility PVC CoverMe Signal Bags, which they do safely from the ground using an extension pole and bungee cord. On project completion, they access and inspect the permanent signal boxes before de-bagging and reactivation. The new service precludes the need for customers to hire dedicated traffic signal engineers to make separate site visits to switch permanent signs off and on and to bag them before roadworks commence and is significantly cheaper. The ground-based service removes project delays incurred as teams wait for independent engineers to arrive and has already been used by Colas Group on a junction on Dewsbury Road into Leeds, part of the City Connect project. In a joint statement, the managing director of SRL’s hire division, Malcolm Johnstone and IRSS director, Peter Hoban, said: “Our new partnership enables us to promote the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and safety of roadwork projects across the UK and RoI. Initial customer feedback has been very strong indeed.” Established in 1997, SRL offers a portfolio that includes VMS, CCTV and traffic and pedestrian signals and its products are available for sale and hire. Peter Hoban established IRSS in 2019 following a 25-year career in the sale of road safety products to local authorities. CoverMe Signal Bags were created in response to traffic signal engineer feedback, highlighting a gap in the market for a product that could preclude working at height and associated accidents.