Clarience Technologies in Southfield has acquired Pressure Systems International, a leading provider of automatic tire inflation systems for commercial truck trailers based in San Antonio. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The move expands Clarience’s technology portfolio to include tire-related technologies gaining widespread adoption as commercial fleets shift toward electric vehicles.
“As electric vehicle fleets seek to maximize range and minimize downtime, tire rolling resistance plays an increasingly important role in determining EV range,” says Brian Kupchella, CEO of Clarience Technologies. “PSI is an industry innovator that expands our technology capabilities, making the company a strong, strategic fit with Clarience Technologies.”
The acquisition includes PSI operations as well as the Truck System Technologies operations, both located in San Antonio. The company will operate as a distinct business unit of Clarience Technologies. Tim Musgrave, president and CEO of PSI, will continue to lead the business in his current capacity.
“In 1993, we imagined a better way for fleets to keep their tires at the correct tire pressure,” Musgrave says. “We realized quickly we were doing more than forming a new company — we were launching a new industry. Now, as part of Clarience Technologies, we can continue delivering future innovations to transportation.”
With nearly 2 million of its systems installed on commercial trailers, PSI has helped drive adoption of automatic trailer tire inflation systems. The company says it has built upon that success, expanding into the RV trailer market in 2017 with its acquisition of Truck System Technologies (TST). Today, TST offers the only OEM-approved, factory-installed tire pressure monitoring system for travel trailers, a system made available through Thor, Forest River, and Airstream, among others.
Clarience Technologies is parent company to several brands serving commercial transportation, including Truck-Lite vehicle lighting solutions, Road Ready advanced telematics, DAVCO filtration systems, ECCO safety systems, and LED Autolamps. The company also owns Rigid Industries, an LED lighting provider serving the off-road recreational vehicle market; Lumitec, a commercial lighting supplier serving the luxury marine market; and Code 3, a lighting and connected systems provider for emergency vehicles.
One of the Clarience Technologies businesses, Road Ready, already has been working closely with PSI as part of its LogIQ smart partner network — a first-of-its-kind group of industry leaders who provide truck and trailer health data to fleet customers through Road Ready’s interface.
