Supply Side: Focused Technology Solutions; Nexxiot
Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
FTS Tools LLC, a new company based in Lynchburg, Va., will sell and market the battery-operated, maintenance-of-way tool line for Focused Technology Solutions.
Focused Technology Solutions Inc., a Marmon/Berkshire Hathaway company, has agreed to a sales licensing deal with FTS Tools LLC. And Nexxiot has introduced the Kingpin Monitor Remote System to help speed the loading of semitrailers onto railcars.
Focused Technology Solutions has licensed the patents and trade marks of its battery-operated, railroad maintenance-of-way tool line to FTS Tools LLC, a new company based in Lynchburg, Va., which will manufacture, distribute and sell the licensed products under the same brand. (Berkshire Hathaway does not own FTS Tools.)
Hackettstown, N.J.-based Focused Technology Solutions will concentrate on product development.
“We are pleased that FTS Tools LLC will be taking our revolutionary tool line, including the SpikeEase, DrillEase, LagEase, and more, to new heights,” the company said in a message to its customers on Feb. 1.
“In just over three years, Focused Technology has made an incredible impact on the railroad industry, and we’re here to take these transformative tools to the next level,” FTS Tools LLC President Van Fry said. “The best days for this industry are ahead, and we believe this tool line is a big reason why.”
Nexxiot has unveiled remote capabilities for its Kingpin Monitor to improve intermodal shipping “precision and safety.” According to the company, the Kingpin sensor detects whether the kingpin is engaged and whether the hitch status is open or locked. “It provides real-time visibility on the status of semitrailer loading for both on-site operations via LED light indicators and for other stakeholders via the Nexxiot Connect Intelligent Cloud,” the company reported. Now, with remote capabilities, crane operators can receive real-time indications on loading status to help reduce “the possibility of human error,” Nexxiot reported.
Nexxiot’s Kingpin Monitor Remote System will be initially deployed by Agora Intermodal Terminals, one of Europe’s working groups of terminal operators.
“Speed is a critical performance indicator in today’s complex shipping industry, but it must not be prioritized at the detriment of safety,” Nexxiot CEO Stefan Kalmund said. “Kingpin Monitor’s new remote capabilities prioritize safety by helping operators reduce critical mistakes and speed up loading operations even in adverse weather conditions.”
