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Trimble to acquire Müller-Elektronik to extend its precision agriculture capabilities

Trimble announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire privately-held Müller-Elektronik, a German company specializing in implement control and precision farming solutions. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions and clearance or expiration of the waiting period under the German Act Against Restraints of Competition. Financial terms were not disclosed.

With more than 375 employees, Müller is a pioneer in precision farming, known for developing, producing and selling Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and embedded software that provides vehicle and implement control for tractors, combine harvesters, field sprayers, drill machines, seeders, spreaders and slurry tankers to improve the management of inputs such as seed, fertilizer and pesticides. Müller was a key contributor in the development of the ISOBUS communication protocol, which allows one terminal to control several implements and machines, regardless of manufacturer. ISOBUS standardizes the control settings, reduces downtime and minimizes installation and interface challenges, simplifying data exchange and machine control. The implement control solutions developed by Müller have now become widely adopted by leading agriculture OEMs and aftermarket channels.

Combining Trimble and Müller will enable the development of new and exciting solutions for farmers worldwide, who often struggle to integrate and use disparate hardware and software products across various brands of agricultural equipment. The addition of Müller-Elektronik will enable the creation of an ecosystem where farmers, advisors and retailers can easily build field prescriptions and transfer that prescription to the implement, enabling farmers to more easily adopt precision agriculture solutions.

The acquisition of Müller-Elektronik will include the company’s other operations, WTK Elektronik, a German-based company, ME-France, ME Sudamerica, an Argentina-based company, and Mueller Electronics Inc., a North American-based company. The Müller-Elektronik businesses will be reported as part of Trimble’s Resources and Utilities Segment.