Trimble is planning to halt general aviation avionics production by May, following the rumoured collapse of a deal to sell its product line.
The sale by Trimble of subsidiary Terra, set up four years ago to handle the Terra avionics product line, is also expected to fall through. Sunnyvale, California-based Trimble, best known for its manufacture of global positioning system (GPS) navigators and VHF navigation and communications radios, announced plans last October to pull out of the general aviation avionics business.
Trimble's demise was partly instigated by an announcement which incorrectly stated that it was terminating general aviation avionics production to end losses in the division. By the time the company had clarified its plans to sell the lines, some customers had switched to rival manufacturers, reducing Trimble's asset value.
Meanwhile, general aviation GPS manufacturers Magellan and Lowrance Electronics are planning to merge their operations.
Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Lowrance gained popularity among private pilots for its line of innovative hand-held GPS receivers. The company added software innovations such as obstructions and road and waterway details to the moving-map functions of its low-cost navigators.
Orbital Sciences subsidiary Magellan, which makes panel-mounted and hand-held GPS navigators, as well as consumer GPS products, will become the brand name for the merged product lines. Annual sales are forecast to exceed $150 million.
Source: Flight International
