Complexity Races Ahead, Forcing a Focus on Systems Engineering

When the first cars raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909, the average cost of the new car was $1,280 and the transistor was decades away from being invented. Now the average price for a light vehicle in the U.S. is $36,270, which includes dozens of CPUs and what amounts to a rolling computer network tucked among thousands of mechanical parts in an attempt to satisfy our safety, infotainment and - of course - driving needs.
With the history of racing as the backdrop and the unprecedented speed of technical innovation threatening to disrupt the automotive and many other industries in the near future, Aras Corp. hosted its annual ACE Users Conference last week in Indianapolis. The company markets its Aras PLM Platform as an “open, flexible, scalable, and upgradable.” Those four features are key to helping companies capitalize on digital transformation.
The automotive industry certainly isn’t alone in dealing with digital disruption in the face of increased product complexity, but it is facing the perfect storm. Carmakers are already offering increasingly sophisticated driver assistance, which is expected to lead to fully autonomous vehicles - many of which won’t even be owned by customers.

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Comfort Systems USA Announces Acquisition

Business Wire | February 01, 2024

Comfort Systems USA, Inc. today announced that it has closed its previously announced transaction to acquire Summit Industrial Construction, LLC (“Summit”) headquartered in Houston, Texas. As previously disclosed, Summit is a specialty industrial mechanical contractor offering engineering, design-assist and turnkey, direct hire construction services of modular systems serving the advanced technology, power, and industrial sectors. Summit’s capabilities encompass a wide range of modular and site-based construction, including process piping, equipment setting, large pipe rack trestles, and related steel erection and specialty concrete work. Summit is a trusted supplier to some of the world’s largest advanced technology, power and industrial companies and is currently deployed on several major chip fabrication projects. Initially, Summit is expected to contribute annualized revenues of approximately $375 million to $400 million, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of $35 million to $40 million. In light of the amortization expense, Summit is expected to make a neutral to slightly accretive contribution to earnings per share in 2024 and 2025. Brian Lane, Comfort Systems USA’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are delighted to announce the closing of our agreement to acquire Summit, an extremely capable provider of modular and other complex mechanical services. Summit brings a stellar reputation as a modular technology leader in growing end markets, including multiple ongoing and large semiconductor projects. We are happy to welcome Summit’s wonderful leadership team and excellent production and craft workers across many states, and we are confident Summit will continue to innovate and grow as a part of our network of world-class contracting companies. We are grateful that Summit has chosen to become part of Comfort Systems USA.”

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