Red Dot Establishes Sales Team For Military Vehicle Markets

SEATTLE, Wash. (Oct. 23, 2007) -- Red Dot Corporation has announced the formation of a sales group dedicated to developing mobile heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) business among manufacturers of military vehicles.

Red Dot, which produces HVAC systems and components for commercial vehicles and heavy equipment, has supplied mobile air conditioning for the military since 2004, starting with a high-performance unit for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) with field-fitted armor. 

"We entered the military market in response to an urgent need for air conditioning on vehicles already in service," said Randy Grover, military sales manager for Red Dot. "Today, climate control is seen as essential to a soldier's safety and is incorporated into original vehicle designs. By formally dedicating a sales team to this market, we can help manufacturers meet the military's requirements for HVAC performance, cost, and timelines without drawing resources away from our customers in construction, agriculture, and other commercial vehicle markets."

Red Dot is developing HVAC solutions for the next generation of tactical wheeled vehicles, including Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, designed with a raised, V-shaped underbelly that deflects the force of explosive blasts from below.

Red Dot began developing air conditioning units for military vehicles when the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) said it needed to protect soldiers from the effects of high heat inside HMMWVs with field-fitted armor kits. Because of Red Dot's experience with heavy trucks, off-highway equipment, and construction vehicles, it took just one week to create a prototype capable of lowering the temperature inside the HMMWV cab by as much as 30 degrees F. The company entered full production less than 90 days later, and has shipped more than 17,000 units for HMMWVs used by the Army and Marine Corps. 

Red Dot also supplied 5,900 field-fitted and factory-installed air conditioners for other military vehicles, including the M939 5-ton truck, the workhorse of the U.S. Army's transport fleet. Furthermore, the company has provided HVAC technician training to more than 100 Marines and Army contractors.

ABOUT RED DOT:
Red Dot is a worldwide leader in the design and production of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and replacement parts. Its products deliver comfort to operators of commercial trucks, buses, and vehicles used in construction, mining, agriculture, fire and rescue, and military service. The company was founded in Seattle, Wash., in 1965 and has 480 employees at three locations in the United States and Europe. To go to Red Dot's home page, click here: http://www.RedDotCorp.com/ .

Contacts:
Red Dot Corp. - 206-574-6567
The Siefkes Group - 425-392-2611