Daktronics Acquires Adflow Networks

March 15, 2016 by Dave Haynes

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Outdoor LED giant Daktronics has announced its recent acquisition of ADFLOW Networks, which for years been marketing a content management system aimed almost exclusively at retailers.

So what does a South Dakota display manufacturer that is by far most known for building very large LED boards for sports stadiums want with a company outside of Toronto that has focused on driving content to LCD screens in wireless and apparel retailers?

It’s not obvious, at all. But I am quietly told there is is some logic.

If Daktronics isn’t yet offering indoor LED, it almost certainly will have to. And that requires more of a CMS than one that just plays a few JPEGs over and over and over.

Meanwhile, ADFLOW will likely have clients asking about LED OUTSIDE their larger stores.

 

The news releases says ADFLOW will operate as a subsidiary of Daktronics from its Burlington, Ontario headquarters, about 5 mins from 16:9 world HQ. ADFLOW’s workforce of experienced sales, service, and software engineering teams will continue to focus on delivering state-of-the-art digital media solutions to new and existing customers.

Further terms of the agreement were not made available.

Happy for my friends up the street at ADFLOW. They’ve been at it a looooong time, and been one of those companies that chugs along quietly doing its thing and turning quarterly profits. They have a number of senior guys in decision-making roles who came from other businesses, and weren’t struck by the irrational exuberance you often see from start-ups who see great fortune in this business.

I don’t know all that much about Dak, but have seen news documentaries that suggested it was a great, people-oriented company.

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