Clarience Technologies acquires Safe Fleet

Transportation visibility and safety technology developer Clarience Technologies, Southfield, Michigan, has acquired Safe Fleet, a safety solutions provider for fleet vehicles headquartered in Belton, Missouri.

Clarience says the purchase reinforces its mission to bring total visibility to transportation and enhance safety, security and productivity for customers across the industry.

“Clarience Technologies and Safe Fleet share a common mission of making transportation safer and smarter through technology,” CEO Brian Kupchella says. “The acquisition of Safe Fleet provides our company with critical technologies, deep vocational segment expertise and a portfolio of powerful and complementary safety products that support our vision to provide comprehensive solutions to a broader set of transportation customers around the world.”

“Safe Fleet employees, customers and partners will benefit from becoming a part of Clarience Technologies," Safe Fleet Chairman and CEO John Knox says in a news release. "We look forward to joining their team of companies where together we will expand global reach, accelerate innovation, unlock new benefits for customers and strengthen our safety mission.”

Rob Rutledge, managing partner at Genstar Capital, says Clarience’s addition of Safe Fleet products and technologies underscores the company’s commitment to become the premier provider of safety and connectivity solutions for a diverse range of fleet vehicles. “We are proud of the success of Clarience Technologies to date and are excited to support the expansion of the combined businesses through continued investment in new products, technologies and acquisitions," he says.

Clarience says Safe Fleet delivers smart safety solutions that help save lives, prevent injuries and make fleet operators more productive. The Safe Fleet product portfolio includes technology-enabled solutions for fleet video and evidence management, collision prevention, violation detection and trailer temperature control, in addition to advanced cargo storage systems and safety technologies. Safe Fleet currently has over 1.5 million video systems deployed in North America.

According to Clarience, Safe Fleet’s integrated safety platform serves fleets of very type, including school transportation; transit; fire and emergency; law enforcement; work truck; commercial transportation; logistics; construction; agriculture; waste and recycling; industrial; and military. Safe Fleet customers are supported by its network of service centers and affiliates across North America.

The acquisition will increase Clarience's total workforce to more than 4,000 employees across nearly 50 locations worldwide. Safe Fleet joins the Clarience team of companies, including Truck-Lite, Ecco, Code 3, Pressure Systems International, Davco, Road Ready, Fleetilla, LED Autolamps, Rigid Industries and Lumitec. The company adds that its acquisition will allow it to provide customers with an extensive range of visibility and safety solutions, from lighting and telematics to video and evidence management systems, all interconnected through a comprehensive digital backbone for improved performance.

Clarience traces its origins to Truck-Lite, a commercial vehicle lighting brand founded in 1955 in Jamestown, New York. Since becoming Clarience Technologies in 2020, the company has grown organically through a series of acquisitions, including Safe Fleet.

UBS Investment Bank served as exclusive financial advisor to Clarience and Genstar Capital, BMO Capital Markets and KKR Capital Markets served as capital markets advisors and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP served as legal counsel.