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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rick Ashley, OctaneVTM

Phone: 317.920.6105

Email: rashley@octanevtm.com

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Optronics Acquires USA Harness, Becomes Industry’s Newest Integrated Full-Line Lighting and Harness Supplier

With its acquisition of USA Harness, Optronics will disrupt the status quo, taking its place as one of only a handful of industry suppliers offering a comprehensive line of integrated modular power delivery and lighting solutions for commercial vehicles.

TULSA, Okla., USA (Oct. 22, 2019) – Optronics International, a leading manufacturer and supplier of heavy-duty LED vehicle lighting, announced that it has completed its acquisition of Texas-based USA Harness, Inc. A leader in trailer harnesses and electronic control systems, USA Harness serves the global transportation industry with its USA-PLUS Sealed Modular Wiring Harness System and its patented USA-PLUS Modular Connection System. With its unique O-ring-style seal and secondary lock pin design, the USA-PLUS Modular Connection System has been tested and proven to perform at three times the industry standard.

 

The acquisition makes Optronics the newest of only a few manufacturers capable of fully serving the light-, medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle industry with both lighting and harness technologies. The industry will benefit from increased competition and a broader array of advanced, integrated, modular power delivery and lighting solutions.

 

"In less than a decade, Optronics has dramatically changed the competitive landscape in commercial vehicle lighting with its focus on technological innovation, broader options and greater value, and we're about to do the same with harnesses," Brett Johnson, president and CEO of Optronics International, said. "OEMs have become ever more adamant in encouraging us to enter the harness side of the business, because the competition in that segment has remained so limited."

 

Optronics is already a respected harness manufacturer on three continents and is the undisputed leader in Australia. Coupled with its diverse international background and experience, the newly acquired engineering and manufacturing capabilities of USA Harness will position Optronics to hit the ground running in North America, while fully leveraging its synergies as a global lighting and harness supplier.

 

"We have watched Optronics' exponential growth over the years and have engineered more and more harness systems for use exclusively with their lighting," said Debby Thompson, interim president of USA Harness. "Though we'll continue to produce harness systems that interface with all major lighting manufacturers, we're excited to now be able to offer a fully integrated modular power delivery and lighting solution."

 

Optronics is committed to its global manufacturing culture, and according to company officials, the acquisition of a U.S.-based harness manufacturing capability gives the company even greater supply chain latitude. "Just like the OEMs we serve, we're going to manufacture harness and lighting systems wherever it makes the most sense," Johnson said.

 

"Miller Industries is a publicly traded global manufacturer with facilities in the United States, England and France," Will Miller, president and Co-CEO of Miller Industries, said. "Optronics already has lighting and harness systems on some of the world's most respected commercial vehicle brands, and we see this move as a natural progression for a global tier-one supplier."

 

With their blended experience, both companies will begin selling integrated modular lighting and harness systems from day one. Targeted manufacturers include those making heavy-duty dry van, reefer, tank, car haul and flatbed trailers, as well as those making light- to medium-duty trailers. Heavy-duty truck and body manufacturers will also be a focus, as will heavy-duty off-highway vehicles, armored couriers and other specialized vocational equipment manufacturers.

 

"We're excited to see more competition come to the commercial vehicle lighting and harness business," Andy Tanner, president of Talbert Manufacturing, said. "Knowing Optronics, I expect this move to benefit my company, my customers and the industry as a whole."

 

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About USA Harness Founded in 1991 in Winnsboro, Texas, USA Harness manufactures premium, custom electrical wiring harnesses for commercial vehicle applications including: heavy duty dry vans, tank trailers, car haulers, refrigerated trailers, truck body/bed, heavy duty off-highway vehicles, armored couriers, light- to medium-duty trailers and specialized vocational equipment. All USA Harness wiring systems are custom designed to fit specific applications, and meet or exceed all applicable industry standards. The company's patented USA-PLUS system provides the most advanced molded harness connections available in the market, accommodating up to ten separate circuits in one system (US Patents 6,319,039 and 10,014,631). The USA Harness facilities are located in northeast Texas, where the company's product development, manufacturing and engineering support are centered; key capabilities include tool and die making, plastic injection molding, terminal application, ultrasonic splicing, and digital testing. Learn more at http://www.usaharness.com/

 

About OptronicsAs the fastest-growing vehicle lighting manufacturer in the U.S., Optronics International attributes its success to delivering better value, better options and better lighting to its customers. Founded in 1972, Optronics International is a premier worldwide manufacturer and supplier of branded industrial and commercial vehicular safety lighting products. The company specializes in interior and exterior LED and incandescent lighting for the HD, trailer, transit vehicle, RV and marine markets. The Optronics product catalog is among the most extensive in the industry. Optronics is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma and has an IATF 16949 certified manufacturing facility in Annan District, Tainan, Taiwan. The company also has ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing and distribution facilities in Muskogee, Oklahoma and Goshen, Indiana. Learn more at www.optronicsinc.com.

 

USA-PLUS is a trademark of USA Harness, Inc.

 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rick Ashley, OctaneVTM

Phone: 317.920.6105

Email: rashley@octanevtm.com

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

USA Harness Granted New Patent On Its Ultra-High-Performance USA-PLUS Modular Connection System

Proven to perform at three times the industry standard, the patented USA-PLUS Modular Connection System keeps USA Harness at the forefront of vehicle power delivery.

WINNSBORO, Texas, USA – USA Harness, Inc., a leader in trailer harnesses and electronic control systems for the global transportation industry, announced that it has recently been granted a patent for its new USA-PLUS Modular Connection System. The new patent supersedes a previous patent the company held for an earlier iteration of the system, and improves on its O-ring-style seal and secondary lock pin design.

 

The new USA-PLUS Modular Connection System features a design variation that increases the engagement integrity between the system’s integral O-ring and the corresponding groove of its mated connection. A unique lock pin of contrasting color helps inspectors identify complete connection mating. The lock pin assures precision alignment of all components and a firm, complete, watertight union that employs dielectric grease as a sealing agent and a barrier to moisture, dirt and corrosion.

 

The company's USA-PLUS Sealed Modular Wiring Harness Systems are simple for OEMs to assemble, and use the same USA-PLUS Modular Connection System throughout. All of the connectors are constructed using a durable virgin vinyl molding compound. Even novice assembly workers can make flawless connections quickly and repeatedly, because the system’s keyed pin orientation guides a precision interface every time. Harness ends can be constructed to mate with any incandescent or LED lamp from any major manufacturer.

 

"Since its 1996 introduction, the USA-PLUS Sealed Modular Wiring Harness System has been considered the gold standard for its engineered durability, sealing efficacy and operational robustness," said Brett Miller, vice president of engineering for USA Harness. "Laboratory testing of the USA-PLUS Modular Connection System demonstrates that it can stand up to at least three times the cyclical testing standards recommended by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)."

 

Salt spray exposure tests following American Section of the International Association for Testing and Materials (ASTM) B117 standards, showed that the USA-PLUS Modular Connection System was able to remain fully operational and unimpeded after three times the testing exposure period recommended by SAE. The testing was performed by an independent lab and was terminated prior to any indication of system failure.

 

The USA-PLUS Modular Connection System is offered in a variety of styles that will accommodate virtually any modular plug-together application. The USA family of connectors includes 2-way, 4-way, 6-way and 7-way configurations. A 10-way system has also been developed for use in demanding military applications and for electrical systems with auxiliary circuitry. All harness systems with the USA-PLUS Modular Connection System come with an industry-leading five-year warranty.

 

"People say we have the lowest warranty claims rate in the industry," Miller said. "And with the introduction of our new patented USA-PLUS Modular Connection System, those claim rates are about to drop even further."

 

To access high-resolution images of the USA-PLUS Modular Connection System, please visit: /www.optronicsinc.com/usa_harness/Gallery.aspx

 

To view a video of the USA-PLUS Modular Connection System, please visit: https://youtu.be/OUeljQYUTIo

 

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About USA Harness Founded in 1991 in Winnsboro, Texas, USA Harness manufactures premium, custom electrical wiring harnesses for commercial vehicle applications including: heavy duty dry vans, tank trailers, car haulers, refrigerated trailers, truck body/bed, heavy duty off-highway vehicles, armored couriers, light- to medium-duty trailers and specialized vocational equipment. All USA Harness wiring systems are custom designed to fit specific applications, and meet or exceed all applicable industry standards. The company's patented USA-PLUS system provides the most advanced molded harness connections available in the market, accommodating up to ten separate circuits in one system (US Patents 6,319,039 and 10,014,631). The USA Harness facilities are located in northeast Texas, where the company's product development, manufacturing and engineering support are centered; key capabilities include tool and die making, plastic injection molding, terminal application, ultrasonic splicing, and digital testing. Learn more at http://www.usaharness.com/

 

USA-PLUS is a trademark of USA Harness, Inc.