Signature
Industries Limited, a subsidiary of US based Digital
Angel Corporation
announces that it has agreed
to purchase Chemring Group PLC’s subsidiary,
McMurdo Marine Electronics, based in Portsmouth, UK.
Signature’s SARBE division and McMurdo are to
combine to create the world’s largest supplier
of satellite communication survival radios for the
military aviation and maritime markets.
Following
receipt of a cash deposit of £0.25
million, £2.8 million will be paid in cash at
completion for fixed assets, stock and goodwill. Deferred
contingent consideration of up to £1.5 million
will be paid in December 2007.
Completion, which is conditional upon the transfer
of certain product approvals, is expected to take place
in the first quarter of 2007.
Both companies have a long history of supplying safety
critical survival radio products. SARBE are the world
leader in the military survival radio sector and McMurdo
hold a similar position in the maritime industry.
With impending changes to the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite
monitoring system, much of the equipment currently
in service will require replacement by February 2009.
SARBE and McMurdo are well positioned to exploit the
impending opportunities in their respective markets.
David
Cairnie, CEO of Signature Industries stated “We
are delighted that we have been successful in seizing
this opportunity to bring together two of the strongest
players in Survival Radio. We are now strategically
well positioned to capitalise on the rapidly expanding
markets in the military, marine and recreational sectors”
ABOUT Digital Angel Corporation
Digital
Angel Corporation develops and deploys sensor and
communications technologies
that enable rapid and
accurate identification, location tracking, and condition
monitoring of high-value assets. Applications for the
Company’s products include identification and
monitoring of humans, pets, fish, poultry and livestock
through its patented implantable microchips; location
tracking and
message monitoring of vehicles and aircraft in remote
locations through systems that integrate GPS
and geosynchronous satellite communications; and monitoring
of asset conditions such as temperature and movement,
through advanced miniature sensors.
Digital Angel Corporation is majority-owned by Applied
Digital Inc. (Nasdaq:ADSX). For more information about
Digital Angel, please visit www.DigitalAngelCorp.com.
ABOUT Signature Industries Limited SARBE Division
Signature
Industries’ SARBE
division is a major supplier of Search and Rescue
(SAR) military air crew
Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and other military
rescue beacons for use in the event of an ejection
or other event requiring emergency evacuation of an
aircraft in a remote, possibly hostile location. Now
in its fifth decade of developing and manufacturing
PLBs, SARBE is the chosen supplier of PLBs in more
than 40 countries worldwide.
SARBE pioneered the introduction of GPS pinpoint location
technology for personal locator beacons in the early
1990s.
Recent successes include:-
·
Supply of a £4.3 million contract to the Indian
Air Force.
· Supply of the sophisticated G2R beacon for use by UK
RAF Strike Command.
· A joint award with DAC for a development contract from
the United States Air Force for the redesign of the
survival beacon carried by all air crew.
· Award of a development and supply contract for a 10
day duration survival radio for use by submariners.
Signature Industries is majority owned by Digital
Angel Corporation.
For more information about Signature Industries, visit
www.signatureindustries.com, and for SARBE visit www.sarbe.com.
ABOUT McMurdo
Established in 1937, McMurdo leads the way in the
development and manufacture of emergency location beacons
and NAVTEX technology.
Based in Portsmouth England, McMurdo first produced
a COSPAS-SARSAT (www.cospas-sarsat.com) approved EPIRB
(Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), in July
1989.
McMurdo further galvanised its position as the leader
in safety equipment technology in 1992 with the release
of the first GMDSS approved Search And Rescue Transponder
(SART). Since that date McMurdo have continually led
the way in the functionality and accuracy of emergency
location beacons launching a PLB for use on land, sea
or air in 2000. Also in that year GPS technology was
introduced to both the EPIRB and the PLB
NAVTEX technology is another area where McMurdo has
considerable expertise, developing and manufacturing
NAVTEX receivers for both SOLAS and non-SOLAS vessels.
The McMurdo name stands for high quality products
using the latest technology. Organisations such as
the Royal Navy and the US Coastguard understand the
importance of ultra-reliable high quality equipment
which is why they have chosen McMurdo products for
their vessels and their crew.
McMurdo products are used around the world, on land,
sea and in the air, where safety is important you will
find McMurdo.
For more information about McMurdo, visit www.mcmurdo.co.uk.