ITS products manufacturer AGD Systems Limited has bought Radix Traffic, saying this acquisition is part of its ambitious plans for growth.
Radix, which is based in the Southern English county of Hampshire is the largest manufacturer of “rotating cone” tactile equipment to assist visually impaired pedestrians at signalised crossings. Radix designs and manufactures its market-leading products in-house and has a customer base that is complementary to AGD’s.
Pete Hutchinson, managing director of AGD Systems, explains, “As one of the largest manufacturers of nearside signal equipment in the UK market, AGD has been a very satisfied customer of Radix for many years. There’s a natural fit between our product ranges and this acquisition comes at an exciting time for us, allowing us to build on the Radix brand with AGD know-how. Putting it all together makes sense because it means customers can continue to benefit from the Radix best-in-class product but now as part of the bigger AGD portfolio.”
The Radix tactile indicator, when fitted to the familiar nearside signals, allows a blind or partially sighted person to hold a cone which protrudes from the signal. When it is safe to cross, the cone starts rotating as the green man appears. When Radix was evaluating the market in 1988, a survey indicated that some 5,000 tactile units would satisfy UK need. Today it is estimated that more than 200,000 tactiles are operating on Britain’s crossings and junctions.
AGD says the contribution to the traffic industry of Radix founders, Dick Duley and Milan Fuchs, in making life easier for vulnerable pedestrians “cannot be underestimated”. Dick spent more than 50 years in the industry, starting as an apprentice with GEC, holding several key industry positions and directorships during his career. Milan joined Dick at GEC in 1968, where he designed the first microprocessor-based traffic controller. Dick and Milan’s commercial and technical skills enabled them to give support and encouragement to the Radix management team, now headed by traffic industry professional Brian Cherry.
Brian will continue as a director of the Radix division of AGD Systems, maintaining continuity for customers and assisting with the transitioning of the product portfolio.
Customers are welcome to visit AGD’s stand D026 at Traffex, 2-4 April at the NEC, to meet Brian and the AGD traffic and pedestrian control team.
