USSC Group, the owner of Fogmaker fire suppression systems for commercial vehicles, has acquired electronic school bus driver alert manufacturer Child Check-Mate Systems. The move could signal greater integration between the companies’ core competencies.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Joe Mirabile, president and CEO of USSC Group told School Transportation News on Monday that existing Child Check-Mate customers can expect business as usual in the short and long-term. While company founders Gord Both and Allan Lowe are stepping away from the company as a result of the deal, all other Child Check-Mate employees remain.
Brad Both was named the VP of Child Check-Mate and joins the USSC Group executive team. He will continue to oversee product manufacturing and quality assurance in Ottawa, Ontario. The company will also remain a Canadian corporation.
“The addition of USSC engineering and development, coupled with the bright minds at CCM will result in enhanced product offerings and services,” Mirabile explained in a written statement. “The CCM brand will remain intact for the foreseeable future.”
Earlier on Monday, he said the deal reflects the company’s “unfaltering commitment” to advancing safety and security for customers.
“Child Check-Mate’s proven system is a welcomed addition to our portfolio of brands. It will expand and strengthen our capabilities to offer our customers innovative safety solutions for the commercial transportation markets,” he continued. “We look forward to partnering with the entire CCM team and continue building the company’s innovative products.”
Child Check-Mate was founded in 1996. Its patented alarm system reminds school bus drivers to look for students at the completion of routes and before exiting the vehicle. The company also provides an on-board motion detector to scan for unauthorized personnel inside the bus.
In addition to its Fogmaker system for school buses, paratransit, transit buses, and heavy machines, USSC Group also manufactures transportation seating for firefighters and paramedics, transit buses and military vehicles. In June, the company acquired Vista Brake Lock, which manufactures passive safety and security systems for public safety providers.
Editor’s Note: An original version of this article incorrectly attributed quotes by Joseph Mirabile to a USSC Group spokeswoman.
