BREWSTER, NY—April 1, 2008 —ELSAG North America is the new corporation created when ELSAG Datamat, a Finmeccanica company operating in the fields of automation, security, defense and information technology, completed its acquisition of Remington ELSAG Law Enforcement Systems (RELES), the leading manufacturer of advanced Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems in the U.S. including the industry leading brand, the Mobile Plate Hunter-900 (MPH-900).
Remington ELSAG Law Enforcement Systems (RELES) was created in 2004 as a 50/50 joint venture between Remington Arms Company, Inc., and ELSAG Datamat, to sell Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems to law enforcement and government agencies in the U.S. These products have been adopted by more than 300 law enforcement agencies in 28 states, including the New York State Police, the Atlanta Police Department, the Colorado State Patrol and the Pinellas County, FL Sheriff’s Department. In 2007, RELES was awarded important homeland security contracts in partnership with large U.S. corporations operating in this sector.
Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, Finmeccanica’s Chairman and CEO, said, “The 100% acquisition of RELES highlights the Group’s intention to continue its international expansion in the strategic and fast-growing security market. After the successes achieved in Italy with our automatic license plate recognition systems for the Italian Police Forces, we now plan to offer ELSAG Datamat’s entire portfolio of security products to the North American market through ELSAG North America.”
ELSAG North America President and CEO, Mark Windover, recently announced plans to significantly expand the company’s business in North America. The growth plan includes opening 5 field offices plus a new world headquarters in Brewster, NY as well as increasing its manufacturing site and Technical Center in North Carolina. The plan also entails expanding the new company’s leadership team including the recent promotion of Jason Laquatra as Vice President of Field Operations and appointments of Luci Sheehan as Vice President of Federal Operations and Rob Garrigan as Vice President of Northeast Field Operations. Windover states, “Our investment in knowledgeable, energetic people allows us to continue to address the growing technology needs of law enforcement through innovative solutions and unparalleled customer service and support.”
As the leader in advanced Automatic License Plate Recognition technology to law enforcement, ELSAG North America’s goal is to support law enforcement in their missions of public safety and homeland security with ALPR capabilities and other related technologies aimed at advancing and expanding those missions. ELSAG North America’s industry leading brand, the Mobile Plate Hunter-900 (MPH-900), has over 1,000 deployments in 28 states, with nearly 4,500 company deployments worldwide. The ELSAG North America team and the MPH-900 support over 300 law enforcement agencies around North America by providing leading edge technology that improves officer and public safety every day.
About ELSAG North America
ELSAG North America is a Finmeccanica company, a global leader in defense and security solutions, and is dedicated to providing proprietary advanced Automatic License Plate Recognition and other innovative imaging technology to North American law enforcement. ELSAG North America is headquartered in Brewster, NY. For more information about the company and its exciting technology portfolio, visit www.elsagnorthamerica.com.
About Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica is Italy’s leading high-tech company, operating in the design and manufacture of helicopters, defense electronics, civil and military aircraft, aerostructures, satellites, space infrastructures, and missiles. It plays a leading role in the European aerospace and defense industry and participates in some of the biggest international programs in the sector through well-established alliances with European and American partners. Finmeccanica also boasts significant manufacturing assets and skills in the Transportation and Energy sectors. The Group is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and operates in Italy and abroad through subsidiaries and joint ventures. It employs over 59,000 staff in total with approximately 9,000 in the UK, 3,500 in France and 1,600 in the U.S. As part of its drive to maintain and build on its technological expertise, Finmeccanica spends 14% of its revenues on Research and Development.