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MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY

DAVCO Expands into Electronics Manufacturing as Connected, Electric Vehicle Technologies Arrive in North American Commercial Transportation

DAVCO | January 06, 2022

DAVCO Expands into Electronics Manufacturing as
DAVCO, the market leader in North America for fuel heater/water separator and more, is investing $3.5 million in its Saline, Michigan, campus to establish an Advanced Electronics Manufacturing Center, extending the company's manufacturing capabilities into advanced electronics technologies in preparation for the arrival of electric-powered commercial vehicles. The state-of-the-art facility will be adjacent to DAVCO's current manufacturing facility and is scheduled to open in early 2022. Company officials anticipate that this new facility will result in the creation of 20 new jobs.

"Over the past 45 years, DAVCO has proudly served customers with industry-leading products and unparalleled customer support, and that will not change, This new electronics manufacturing facility ensures we will continue to be able to serve commercial fleet customers as their needs evolve once they begin putting electric vehicles into service."

-Laurie Beegle, President of DAVCO

DAVCO is owned by Clarience Technologies of Southfield, Michigan, a global leader in advanced transportation technology that includes advanced LED lighting from Truck-Lite, RIGID, and Lumitec, ECCO, and Code-3 safety systems, and Road Ready advanced telematics.

A Manufacturing Showcase for the Transportation Industry's Future
The new DAVCO Advanced Electronics Manufacturing Center is located on the DAVCO corporate office property in Saline, Michigan, where renovations have been underway since fall 2021. DAVCO fuel filtration products will continue in an adjacent building on the DAVCO campus in Saline and will be unaffected by this statement.

The $3.5 million capital investment includes a clean room for component manufacturing, which is becoming increasingly critical in developing next-generation vehicle technology. In addition, the firm anticipates that this facility will be frequently utilized to demonstrate the capabilities of DAVCO, Clarience Technologies, and its complete family of companies to customers, and plans to expand the facility with a modern Customer Experience Center in the second phase.

In total, the company anticipates hiring up to 20 new employees as the plant ramps up operations. Interested parties should visit DAVCO.com/jobs to apply for open opportunities at the Advanced Manufacturing Operations Center.

The Facility Will Initially Produce Telematics to Support Road Ready Growth
The Advanced Electronics Manufacturing Plant has begun operations, and DAVCO anticipates that the facility will be fully operational by this winter. Initially, the plant will manufacture electronics hardware for Road Ready advanced telematics, a Clarience Technologies subsidiary. Road Ready, which provides advanced telematics solutions for commercial transportation, has seen rapid growth over the last year. By consolidating manufacturing at the new Michigan plant, a dedicated team will assemble Road Ready telematics hardware effectively. Road Ready manufacturing encompasses all Road Ready hardware, mobile communications units, smart bridge integrators, and Road Ready-exclusive sensors. As connected vehicle technologies evolve into the digital backbone for electric and driverless vehicles, Road Ready anticipates that demand for their solutions will continue to grow.

DAVCO Maintains a Strong Customer Focus as Commercial Vehicles Become Electric
While DAVCO has always been focused on offering solutions for diesel engines, the company's reputation extends beyond any particular technology. The organization has prospered due to a laser-like concentration on consumers—listening to them, identifying their needs, and delivering solutions with a laser-like focus. This approach has benefited customers by continuously providing goods that are continuously built to the highest quality standards, with the support that exceeds expectations.

As commercial transportation adopts electric vehicle technology in the coming years, DAVCO believes that their long-standing customer focus will enable them to embrace a broader role—that of an experienced customer partner armed with the right tools that will allow them to deliver more agile and scalable solutions. This is why the company's skills are being expanded to encompass innovative electronic solutions. For DAVCO, engaging with customers and delivering more adaptable solutions will make the company indispensable as the industry receives hands-on instruction as electric car adoption increases.

With numerous electric vehicles now in development, manufacturers actively collaborate with their suppliers to finalize product designs. When demand picks up, businesses will rely heavily on their supply chains to deliver what is required to scale production. Vehicles constructed on new technology will require a slew of new components, many of which will come from suppliers that have never worked in the commercial transportation industry before. DAVCO views this as an opportunity to harness its extensive industry experience, which will benefit OEMs significantly.

The dramatic fluctuations in vehicle demand experienced in the North American commercial vehicle market-unlike anything seen in any other industry-will only be amplified by electric vehicles." "We believe customers will take solace in the fact that we understand what's required as these fluctuations occur," said Beegle.

Clarience Technologies: Industry-Leading Brands Prepared for the Future of Transportation
Clarience Technologies was founded in 2020 to lead and thrive in the transportation industry's future. Its brands include LED smart lighting, safety and alarm components, and advanced telematics. Each brand is a market leader in the markets they serve. Clarience Technologies, as the parent business, offers best-in-class capabilities, worldwide size, and a daring vision built on a desire to help present and future clients.

By recognizing the influence that emerging technologies will have on transportation, the Clarience team established itself as a new firm dedicated to developing more practical applications for these transformative technologies.

"As global transportation faces significant changes as new technologies take hold, customers are turning to those who have remained a step ahead of what's on the horizon,Clarience Technologies was formed to help ensure these well-known transportation brands would be around well into the future."

-Brian Kupchella, CEO of Clarience Technologies.

Additionally, company officials have developed strong relationships with several prestigious universities, including Michigan State University and Lawrence Technological University in Michigan and Carnegie-Mellon University, and Penn State Behrend in Pennsylvania, which serve as critical enablers for future innovations. Similarly, with the DAVCO Advanced Manufacturing Operations Center located just minutes from downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, the firm envisions this facility eventually increasing relationships with the university and the greater Ann Arbor community.

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