Descartes Acquires ASD
Strengthens Descartes’ Customs and Regulatory Compliance Footprint
WATERLOO, Ontario and ATLANTA, April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that it has acquired Aerospace Software Developments (“ASD”), a leading provider of customs and regulatory compliance solutions.
Based in Ireland, ASD provides customs declaration software solutions for logistics services providers (“LSPs”) and shippers, as well as RFID solutions that help the air logistics community track assets. The company’s customs filing solutions, operating under the brand Thyme-IT, help importers, exporters, and LSPs comply with Irish regulatory requirements for imports and exports in a secure and efficient manner. In addition, ASD’s RFID solutions help global airlines and ground handlers eliminate manual tasks and comply with various airline regulations more efficiently through the unique identification, tagging, and tracking of assets.
“Descartes’ Global Logistics Network (“GLN”) was built to help shippers, carriers, and LSPs connect and collaborate to manage the complete lifecycle of shipments,” said Ken Wood, EVP Product Management at Descartes. “This combination with ASD is highly complementary to our current product footprint. ASD adds deep Irish customs domain expertise and a modern multi-country customs technology platform. We also see great synergies for the airline community by combining ASD’s RFID-based solutions with Descartes’ CORE BLE real-time tracking platform.”
“As customers increasingly look to cover more business processes with one provider, we continue to add solutions to the GLN for them to do so,” Edward J. Ryan, Descartes’ CEO. “ASD shares a common vision to serve the wider global logistics community of shippers, carriers and LSPs. We’re excited to welcome the ASD employees, customers and partners into the Descartes family.”
ASD is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Descartes arranged to acquire ASD for approximately €57 million ($US 61 million), with €54 million paid at closing from cash on hand and the final arrangements for the transaction expected to occur in Descartes’ fiscal 2025 fourth quarter.
About Descartes Systems Group
Descartes is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security, and sustainability of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, track and help improve the safety, performance and compliance of delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world's largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at , and connect with us on and .
Descartes Investor Contact
Laurie McCauley
(519) 746-6114 x202358
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' acquisition of ASD and its solution offerings; the potential to provide customers with customs filing and RFID-based asset tracking solutions; other potential benefits derived from the acquisition and ASD’s solution offerings; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the expected future performance of the ASD business based on its historical and projected performance as well as the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes most recently filed management's discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
