Sumitomo Corporation of America Announces
Acquisition of GeoFocus, Inc.
New York, June 26, 2001 - Global trading and investment enterprise Sumitomo Corporation of America (SCOA) announced today it has acquired from Williams Controls, Inc. the assets of GeoFocus, Inc., a company that specializes in providing wireless Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) applications and services to the transportation industry.
Under the purchase agreement, GeoFocus, LLC will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCOA. Former Federal Railroad Administrator Jolene M. Molitoris will serve as the new company's president and CEO.
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This acquisition is emblematic of the new investments SCOA is making," said Kenji Kajiwara, executive vice president and chief operating officer, SCOA. "As we expand our business investments in North America, we continue to look for opportunities where investment linkages with companies also provide good business synergies. We see a strong business complement with the work that our company has been doing in supplying equipment and technologies to mass transit systems throughout North America, and with the niche that GeoFocus has carved out for itself in the marketplace."
GeoFocus has positioned itself as a commuter rail industry leader with its TrainTrac® Train Information Management System (TIMS). TrainTrac® provides train location, performance to schedule, automated messaging, automatic reports generation and much more throughout the commuter rail enterprise's computer networks. The TrainTrac® product was developed in 1996 with the Tri-Rail commuter rail system in South Florida. GeoFocus has built upon its Tri-Rail success to sign contracts with some of the largest commuter rail systems in the United States including the Chicago Metra, Los Angeles Metrolink, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and Utah Transit Authority's TRAX light rail.
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We believe that our solid financial backing and global resources will help nurture the core competencies of this company, and reinforce their initiatives in commuter rail and transportation safety technologies," said Kajiwara. "We have great confidence in the staff and proven success of the GeoFocus technology, and we especially value the leadership that former Federal Railroad Administrator, The Honorable Jolene M. Molitoris, will provide as the company president and CEO."
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Becoming a part of the proud tradition of SCOA is an extraordinary opportunity for the team at GeoFocus," said Jolene M. Molitoris, CEO, GeoFocus, LLC. GeoFocus' goals for the future - responding to market demand for our GIS/GPS products, creating new cutting edge products for all modes of transportation and delighting our customers - will be enhanced greatly by the financial strength and global reach of our parent, SCOA."
Sumitomo Corporation of America (SCOA), is a fully integrated trading and investment enterprise with offices in 14 major U.S. cities. SCOA is the largest wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation (SC), an integrated global trading firm with diversified investments and businesses. Established in 1952, and headquartered in New York, SCOA has 55 subsidiary and affiliate companies that include diverse enterprises involved in PVC pipe manufacturing, steel service centers, residential development, automobile dealerships and more. The company has been a leading supplier of rail passenger cars in the United States for more than 20 years, supplying equipment for transit authorities in Northern Indiana, Los Angeles, Maryland, the State of California and Chicago. For more information about Sumitomo Corporation of America, see www.sumitomocorp.com.
The statements included in this news release concerning potential predictions of economic performance and management's plans and objectives constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, factors detailed in the Securities and Exchange Commission filings of the company; economic downturns affecting the operations of the company or any of its business operations, competition, and the ability of the company to successfully compete in future business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and the company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
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