Deere & Company is investing $22 million in the 90,000 square foot building. The facility will primarily provide needed space for an expanding engineering staff and product design and verification labs. It will also include space for power electronics manufacturing. The new structure will increase the total number of Phoenix International facilities in the Fargo area to six with a footprint of more than 300,000 square feet. Phoenix currently employs more than 900 people in the Fargo area.

“This expansion will support the continuing growth of Phoenix International here in the Fargo area,” said Phoenix International president Tom Budan. “Our growth is possible in part because of the region-wide cooperation we’ve received from the city of Fargo and the state of North Dakota. As we continue to grow and add to our technical workforce and resources, this new building will enable us to bring additional advanced technologies to our global customers.”

North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple will head a list of dignitaries at the groundbreaking. 

“Phoenix International has been at the forefront of North Dakota’s growth and success for more than two decades and has contributed to our strong and diversified economy,” said Governor Dalrymple. “This expansion not only represents additional jobs and opportunities for Phoenix International and our state, but it reflects our positive business climate and the growth and development that are continuing to set North Dakota apart from the rest of the nation.”

Tom Budan, President of Phoenix International, visits with Fargo Mayor Dennis Walaker (center), and ND Governor Jack Dalrumple after the groundbreaking ceremony.

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State and local officials joined Phoenix executives to start the excavation. Pictured from left to right: John Oenick, Phoenix Program Manager Power Electronics; Bryan Bossert, Phoenix VP Operations; Mark Wolfe, Phoenix VP Supply Management; Kevin McKinnon, President Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation; Dennis Walaker, Mayor, Fargo ND; Jack Dalrumple, Governor State of North Dakota; Tom Budan, Phoenix President; Rick Berg, ND Congressional State Representative; Scott Stofferahn, State Director for Senator Kent Conrad’s Office; and Shane Goettle, State Director for Senator John Hoeven’s Office

 For more information on becoming a Phoenix International supplier, go to www.JohnDeere.com/suppliers

Already attending? Check here for maps to the various tour locations.

Phoenix International, a John Deere company, worked together with the core team to develop the JDLink system and designed and manufactures the Modular Wireless Gateway, a communications and processing module made for advanced telematics applications such as the JDLink system.

“This year’s nominations contain an excellent mix of newcomers, many of which are important enablers of connected solutions…” Commented judge Phil Magney, Principal Analyst, iSuppli. Phil continued, “The [conference] has matured into a meaningful indicator of who’s who in the industry. Some of the greatest innovation over the past year came from the companies who have taken bold steps to differentiate themselves in this competitive space.”

The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony on June 7th at The Surburban Showplace, Novi, MI. The Telematics Update Awards offer organizations across the global telematics industry the opportunity to showcase their latest telematics products, services and initiatives to the wider world. Telematics Update Magazine sponsors the Telematics Update Awards. The awards ceremony marks the beginning of the 11^th annual Telematics Detroit 2011 Expo and Conference on June 8-9.

Telematics Update provides business-to-business telematics news and intelligence, specializing in conferences, large-scale events, reports and newsletters. Telematics Update is a wholly owned subsidiary of FC Business Intelligence.

Learn more about Phoenix International’s Modular Wireless Gateway as well as other Phoenix telematics products.

Read the article here or access it online in the May-June Digital Version of Diesel Progress International.

These telematics modules integrate advanced processing with communication technologies such as Ethernet, CAN, Cellular, Satellite, and GPS, enabling sophisticated diagnostics, monitoring, and machine control.

Phoenix International takes a collaborative approach to telematics by working with solution partners chosen by each individual OEM, leaving the OEM free to orchestrate the best total telematics solution for their unique business needs.

Read about the Modular Gateway and the Satellite Gateway in the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011  Dailynews.

The PD550-dual inverter is engineered for applications where high power, efficiency and durability are required. The inverter has been chosen to be part of several diesel-electric powertrain applications in various early concept vehicles as well as heavy mining vehicles.  The PD550-dual is also used on select John Deere construction equipment being introduced at ConExpo in Las Vegas.

“This is another indication of how our Phoenix Drives™ product line has expanded alongside the growing market for vehicle electrification in the on-highway truck and mobile equipment application space,” said John Oenick, Director of Power Electronics for Phoenix.

Commercialization of the PD550-dual inverter was partially funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help bring to market a full line of inverters matched with hybrid electric motors developed by Remy International. Remy is the leading independent electric propulsion motor manufacturer in North America with over 90,000 motors on the road.

About Phoenix International
Phoenix International, a John Deere company, specializes in design and manufacture of a wide range of robust controls, displays, specialty sensors, integrated systems, and the emerging technologies of telematics and power electronics. The Phoenix Drives™ family of high-efficiency inverters provides advanced controls for permanent magnet, induction, and switched reluctance motor types in power ranges from 50 kW to 550 kW in single, dual, or cabinet-mounted platforms. Founded in 1987, Phoenix International employs nearly 900 people, and operates five manufacturing and design facilities located in Fargo, North Dakota; Torreón, Mexico; and Pune, India. For more information about Phoenix International, visit www.phoeintl.com.

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Thought this program, Daimler selects the best performing suppliers each year, evaluating companies in the following categories: quality and warranty (parts per million), on-time delivery, cost, aftermarket service, and engineering (technology) support.

During an event held to celebrate receiving the award, Gerardo Arrambide, Factory Manager in Torreon said, “I want to thank our team members and encourage you to continue your hard work and commitment to our continuous improvement efforts in order to meet our customer’s stringent quality and delivery requirements.”

The new Satellite Gateway incorporates the Iridium-based Quake Global Q9612 short-burst data (SBD) transceiver. The transceiver combines the global coverage of the Iridium satellite network with the low latency of the SBD service.

“Iridium’s global coverage and low-latency two-way SBD links provide an ideal solution for companies with equipment operating in places that are not reliably served by terrestrial wireless networks or other mobile satellite systems,” said Chuck Needham, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Phoenix International. “We have added increased power conditioning and transient protection, and integrated the Iridium-based Quake Q9612 into a hardened package designed to meet the toughest requirements for vibration, shock, temperature, humidity and other environmental conditions.”

The Phoenix Satellite Gateway is designed to be installed on a wide variety of off-road, on-road and fixed-site equipment. It operates on 12V or 24V vehicle electrical systems and has extensive built-in electrical safeguards. It interfaces with external devices through RS232 protocol and transmits data through the Iridium satellites making it available to a customer’s backend application.

“There is growing demand for better real-time visibility over construction equipment, agricultural machines, generators, heavy-duty trucks and other equipment operating in remote areas, to boost productivity, reduce repair and maintenance costs, combat theft and optimize efficient asset management,” said David Wigglesworth, director of Iridium’s data services. “Machine-to-machine (M2M) is our fastest-growing area of business at Iridium, thanks to partnerships with companies like Quake Global and Phoenix International, who are developing value-added solutions around our SBD service for a wide range of applications.”

About Phoenix International (www.phoeintl.com)
Founded in 1987 and based in Fargo, N.D., Phoenix International has nearly 900 employees and operates five manufacturing plants and design facilities. The company specializes in designing, testing, manufacturing and supporting integrated solutions for industries that require quality electronics in harsh physical and electrical environments. Acquired by Deere & Company in 1999, Phoenix International is now the Electronics Center of Excellence for John Deere.

About Iridium Communications Inc.
Iridium Communications Inc. (www.iridium.com) is the only mobile satellite service (MSS) company offering coverage over the entire globe. The Iridium constellation of low-earth orbiting (LEO) cross-linked satellites provides critical voice and data services for areas not served by terrestrial communication networks. Iridium serves commercial markets through a worldwide network of distributors, and provides services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other U.S. and international government agencies. The company’s customers represent a broad spectrum of industry, including maritime, aeronautical, government/defense, public safety, utilities, oil/gas, mining, forestry, heavy equipment and transportation. Iridium has launched a major development program for its next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT. The company is headquartered in McLean, Va., USA and trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the ticker symbols IRDM (common stock), IRDMW ($7.00 warrants), IRDMZ ($11.50 warrants) and IRDMU (units).

About Quake Global (www.quakeglobal.com)
Founded in 1998, Quake Global designs and manufactures industrial M2M modems and controllers for advanced data acquisition, machine, process and motion control and asset monitoring through satellite, cellular, GPS and other emerging technologies. QUAKE is the only manufacturer of network agnostic modems, providing its customers with a unified communications protocol for data coverage across multiple global satellite and terrestrial networks from a single device. From its headquarters in San Diego and through a network of international distributors, the company provides products and design services to OEMs and other companies in the heavy equipment, aviation, maritime, and trucking industries, as well as in utility, gas & oil, and rail applications. QUAKE provides high-quality subscriber communicators for BELL, BRITISH PETROLEUM, CATERPILLAR, DOOSAN, FARIA, FLEET MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, HITACHI, HYUNDAI, KOMATSU, SUMITOMO, VOLVO TRUCKS and VOLVO CONSTRUCTION, among others.