Trimble Inc. is an American software, hardware, and services technology company. Trimble also does hardware development of

global navigation satellite system A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geopositioning. A satellite navigation system with global coverage is termed global navigation satellite system (GNSS). , four global systems are op ...

(GNSS) receivers, scanners,

total stations A total station or total station theodolite is an electronic/optical instrument used for surveying and Construction, building construction. It is an electronic transit theodolite integrated with Rangefinder, electronic distance measurement (ED ...

, laser rangefinders,

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...

s (UAVs),

inertial navigation system An inertial navigation system (INS; also inertial guidance system, inertial instrument) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors (gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning th ...

s and software processing tools.

History

Trimble Navigation was founded in November 1978 by Charles Trimble and two partners from

Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company. It was founded by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939 in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California ...

. It initially operated above a movie theatre in

Los Altos, California Los Altos (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Heights") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 31,625 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Most of the city's growth ...

In 2002,

Caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

and Trimble formed a joint venture, Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies (CTCT), to develop machine control products for improved customer productivity and lower costs on earthmoving projects. In 2003, Trimble acquired 3D Laser Scanning company MENSI. Trimble acquired the

3D modeling In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based Computer representation of surfaces, representation of a surface of an object (inanimate or living) in Three-dimensional space, three dimensions vi ...

software package

SketchUp SketchUp is a proprietary 3D modeling software that is used to create and manipulate 3D models. It is used in architecture and interior design. SketchUp is owned by Trimble (company), Trimble Inc. The software has a free web-based version, and ...

from Google in 2012 and acquired TMW Systems the same year. In 2016, it acquired Sefaira (sustainability analysis software including energy modeling and daylight visualization). The company changed its name from Trimble Navigation Limited to Trimble Inc.; the name change and change in legal domicile became effective October 1, 2016. On April 23, 2018, Trimble agreed to acquire privately held Viewpoint from investment firm

Bain Capital Bain Capital, LP is an American Investment company, private investment firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, with around $185 billion of assets under management. It specializes in private equity, venture capital, credit, p ...

in an all-cash transaction of US$1.2bn, with an expected completion in Q3 of 2018. On October 30, 2019, Trimble announced that its board of directors unanimously elected Robert G. Painter as president and CEO of Trimble, effective January 4, 2020. Painter joined the Trimble Board of Directors on January 4, 2020 as well. A solution that facilitates collaboration between shippers and carriers to optimize how freight moves throughout the supply chain. In November 2020, the firm signed an agreement with Boston Dynamics to further develop the Spot dog product. On October 6, 2022, Trimble announced its headquarters had relocated to Westminster, Colorado from

Sunnyvale, California Sunnyvale () is a city located in the Santa Clara Valley in northwestern Santa Clara County, California, United States. Sunnyvale lies along the historic El Camino Real (California), El Camino Real and U.S. Route 101 in California, Highway 1 ...

. On September 28, 2023,

AGCO AGCO Corporation is an American agricultural machinery manufacturer headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1990. AGCO designs, produces and sells tractors, combines, foragers, hay tools, self-propelled sprayers, ...

announced that it would acquire an 85% stake in Trimble's agriculture business as a part of a new Joint Venture. In May 2024, Trimble acquired Flashtract, a company specialized in payment, compliance, and documentation exchange.

References

External links

{{authority control 1978 establishments in California Companies based in Colorado Companies listed on the Nasdaq Electronics companies established in 1978 Geographic data and information equipment companies Navigation system companies Radio-frequency identification companies