GHL Technologies Enters Public Markets to Meet New Demands in GPS/Telematics Space; Completes Acquisition of Emergency Vehicle Installation, Inc.
BREMERTON, Wash.--April 24, 2006--GHL Technologies, Inc. (Pink Sheets: GHLT), a holding company focusing on acquisitions, strategic alliances, and partnerships with companies on the cutting edge of the GPS and telematics industry, announced today that it has entered the public markets and commenced trading on the Pink Sheets under the ticker symbol GHLT.GHL concurrently announced that it has completed its acquisition of Emergency Vehicle Installation, Inc. (EVI), a third party installer of GPS and other telematics systems in commercial and government fleet vehicles, reinforcing its business focus of becoming a leading, international GPS/telematics company. The company's management team believes both of these events will help GHL Technologies to rapidly gain market penetration in the GPS space and position the company as a leader in the expected GPS/telematics revolution.
Based in Bremerton, Washington, EVI employed 13 Certified Master Installers in 2005 and is one of the largest "stand alone" employers of such master installers in the United States. Installation professionals are certified as Master Installers by the Mobile Electronics Certified Professional (MECP) program of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and regarded as the elite 12-volt installers in the mobile electronics installation industry. Currently, there are fewer than 100 master installers in the United States.
According to numerous industry sources, global GPS and telematics sales are expected to exceed $16 billion by the end of this year, with the demand for real-time track and trace applications growing exponentially as companies continue to improve customer service standards. In addition to thriving demand from the logistics, homeland security and military sectors, market opportunities are emerging in the consumer automobile and insurance sectors as well as for personal systems to be used in distance exercises such as biking, skiing or hiking.
Meanwhile, although such leading GPS/telematics manufacturers as Trimble(TM), Magellan(TM), and Lojack(TM) originally offered installation and maintenance of their telematics systems through their internal service force, these companies have now found it more cost efficient and service effective to outsource these functions to independent telematics installers.
Through EVI, GHL Technologies seeks to capitalize on this corporate outsourcing opportunity by establishing contracts with major telematics manufacturers, expanding its regional service coverage to national and worldwide territories, and acquiring nationally and internationally only the most qualified telematics service and maintenance installation groups.
Nearly 32 percent of trucks and about 25 percent of truck trailers are anticipated to be equipped with telematics systems by the end of 2012; and virtually all commercial vehicles are expected to be equipped with GPS/telematics systems in the foreseeable future. Industry revenue from both hardware and services in the long-haul, local fleet, and trailer-use segments alone is expected to surpass the $6.5 billion mark in 2012.
"At present, only about nine percent of the overall projected marketplace is utilizing the benefits of this cutting edge technology, leaving more than 90 percent potential market penetration with no clear-cut leader across all market categories. Research confirms that the GPS/telematics space is poised for an explosion of growth activity - similar to that of the wireless phone industry in the early 1990's," said Gene Hew-Len, CEO of GHL Technologies and a 25-year veteran of the mobile electronics and GPS/telematics industry. "We believe this represents a phenomenal opportunity for GHL Technologies to leverage its market expertise and new public status to quickly establish itself as a leader in the space."
About GPS and Telematics Technologies
GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed by a constellation of 24 orbiting satellites and their ground stations and controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense. Originally intended strictly for military use, GPS uses these satellites as reference points to calculate positions accurate to within meters, or within a centimeter as with advanced forms of GPS.
Telematics is the convergence of computing, information, and wireless communication technologies with GPS location-tracking capabilities inside a moving platform, which in turn enables various location-based and multimedia communication services. Applications such as vehicle location-tracking, dynamic GPS navigation, real-time traffic reports, and automated crash and theft notifications are some service examples of telematics.
The GPS/telematics market is expected to grow at a rate of nearly 25 percent through 2007 and more rapidly beginning in 2008 as the next wave of GPS/telematics technology is made available via new satellite launches.
About GHL Technologies
GHL Technologies seeks to become a leading, international GPS/telematics company by aggressively investing in new acquisitions, building strategic alliances, and securing partnerships with companies on the cutting edge of GPS and telematics development - thereby creating value for its shareholders.
For more information, please visit www.ghltechnologies.com. GHLT shareholders are encouraged to register on the site's "Shareholder Registration" page to receive ongoing company news updates.
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: "Forward-looking statements'' as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 may be included in this news release. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or events. GHL Technologies disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Important risk factors could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements; these include, but are not limited to, risks associated with changes in general economic and business conditions, actions of our competitors, the extent to which we are able to develop new services and markets for our services, the time and expense involved in such development activities, the level of demand and market acceptance of our services, and changes in our business strategies.