DTN (company): Difference between revisions
The company website identifies Marc Chesover as company president, not CEO <ref>https://www.dtn.com/about-us/executive-team/</ref> |
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{{Short description|American weather forecasting company}} |
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{{Infobox company |
{{Infobox company |
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| founded = {{Start date and age|1984}} in [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]] |
| founded = {{Start date and age|1984}} in [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]] |
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| founder = Roger Brodersen |
| founder = Roger Brodersen |
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| hq_location_city = [[ |
| hq_location_city = [[Bloomington, Minnesota]] |
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| num_locations = 18 |
| num_locations = 18 |
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| num_locations_year = 2018 |
| num_locations_year = 2018 |
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| area_served = |
| area_served = |
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| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Marc Chesover ([[ |
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Marc Chesover ([[President (corporate title)|President]])}} |
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| products = ''The Progressive Farmer'', MyDTN, ProphetX, WeatherLine, weather stations |
| products = ''The Progressive Farmer'', MyDTN, ProphetX, WeatherLine, weather stations |
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| brands = |
| brands = |
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| num_employees_year = 2018 |
| num_employees_year = 2018 |
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| parent = |
| parent = |
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| divisions = |
| divisions = |
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| subsid = |
| subsid = |
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| website = {{URL|dtn.com}} |
| website = {{URL|dtn.com}} |
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| footnotes = |
| footnotes = |
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}} |
}} |
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'''DTN''', previously known as '''Telvent DTN''', '''Data Transmission Network''' and '''Dataline''', is a [[Privately held company|private company]] based in [[ |
'''DTN''', previously known as '''Telvent DTN''', '''Data Transmission Network''' and '''Dataline''', is a [[Privately held company|private company]] based in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]] that specializes in subscription-based services for the analysis and delivery of real-time [[weather]], [[agriculture|agricultural]], [[oil and gas|energy]], and [[commodity market]] information. As of 2018 the company has approximately 600,000 subscribers, mostly in the [[United States]]. DTN is known for its accurate meteorological forecasting<ref name="ForecastWatchRain">{{cite web | url=https://www.forecastwatch.com/static/Short_Term_POP_Accuracy_2015.pdf | title=Long-Term Analysis of Short-Term Probability of Precipitation Forecasts | website=ForecastWatch | date=11 February 2016| access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref><ref name="ForecastWatchTemp">{{cite web | url=https://www.forecastwatch.com/static/HighTemps2006-2015.pdf | title=Long-Term Analysis of Short-Term High Temperature Forecasts | website=ForecastWatch | date=4 February 2016 | access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref><ref name="CNN2010">{{cite web | url=https://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/globenewswire/203614.htm | title=Telvent DTN Earns Top Ranking in Independent Weather Service Study for Fourth Straight Year | website=CNN Money | date=3 October 2010 | access-date=2018-06-28}}</ref> and large network of weather stations,<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2017/08/29/1101741/0/en/DTN-Hits-New-Agriculture-Weather-Station-Milestone.html | title=DTN Hits New Agriculture Weather Station Milestone | date=29 August 2017 | access-date=2018-05-01}}</ref> its [[market analysis]] services, and its early use of radio and satellite systems to transmit reports to its [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern]] consumers. DTN also operates ''[[The Progressive Farmer]]'' magazine. DTN was previously owned by [[Telvent]] and [[Schneider Electric]], and since 2017 has been owned by [[Zürich]]-based [[TBG AG|TBG]]. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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===Formation (1984–1987)=== |
===Formation (1984–1987)=== |
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In the early 1980s the [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]]-based company [[Scoular|Scoular Grain]] was a growing agribusiness led by Nebraska grain industry executive Marshall Faith. Faith, along with several other investors, had acquired what was then Scoular-Bishop Grain Company in 1967<ref name="Scoular">{{cite web | url=https://www.scoular.com/filesimages/corporate/Docs/Corporate%20Profile%202017.pdf | title=Corporate Profile 2017 | date=2017 | website=Scoular.com | access-date=2018-04-20 | quote=Scoular's roots in agriculture began in 1892 when the company was founded by George Scoular. The company remained under the ownership of the Scoular family until 1967, when it was acquired by a group of grain industry executives led by Marshall Faith. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422062807/https://www.scoular.com/filesimages/corporate/Docs/Corporate%20Profile%202017.pdf | archive-date=2018-04-22 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and expanded its operations from three [[grain elevator]]s to dozens of locations in multiple states, and was beginning to branch out beyond grain warehousing.<ref name="ScoularPR2013">{{cite press release | author=Scoular | title=Marshall Faith Honored as Inductee into Greater Omaha Chamber's Hall of Fame | date= 28 January 2013 | url=https://www.scoular.com/news/marshall-faith-honored-as-inductee-into-greater-omaha-chambers-hall-of-fame}}</ref><ref name="ScoularHistory">{{cite web | url=https://www.scoular.com/about/history | title=Scoular History| date=2017 | website=Scoular.com | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> On 9 April 1984 the company created a new subsidiary incorporated under the name Scoular Information Services with the goal of improving communications with farmers. The project was led by Omaha native Roger Brodersen, Scoular's chief operating officer and the executive who supervised new-project development and corporate acquisitions for the company. The subsidiary soon became known as Dataline.<ref name="SEC1994">{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/790498/0000790498-95-000004.txt | title=Data Transmission Network Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 1994 | date=28 March 1995 | website=Securities and Exchange Commission (sec.gov) | quote=Data Transmission Network Corporation was incorporated on September 17, 1987... The company was originally incorporated in Nebraska on April 9, 1984, as Scoular Information Services, Inc., a subsidiary of a regional grain company, later changing its name to Dataline, Inc.}}</ref> |
In the early 1980s the [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]]-based company [[Scoular|Scoular Grain]] was a growing agribusiness led by Nebraska grain industry executive Marshall Faith. Faith, along with several other investors, had acquired what was then Scoular-Bishop Grain Company in 1967<ref name="Scoular">{{cite web | url=https://www.scoular.com/filesimages/corporate/Docs/Corporate%20Profile%202017.pdf | title=Corporate Profile 2017 | date=2017 | website=Scoular.com | access-date=2018-04-20 | quote=Scoular's roots in agriculture began in 1892 when the company was founded by George Scoular. The company remained under the ownership of the Scoular family until 1967, when it was acquired by a group of grain industry executives led by Marshall Faith. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422062807/https://www.scoular.com/filesimages/corporate/Docs/Corporate%20Profile%202017.pdf | archive-date=2018-04-22 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and expanded its operations from three [[grain elevator]]s to dozens of locations in multiple states, and was beginning to branch out beyond grain warehousing.<ref name="ScoularPR2013">{{cite press release | author=Scoular | title=Marshall Faith Honored as Inductee into Greater Omaha Chamber's Hall of Fame | date= 28 January 2013 | url=https://www.scoular.com/news/marshall-faith-honored-as-inductee-into-greater-omaha-chambers-hall-of-fame | website=Scoular.com}}</ref><ref name="ScoularHistory">{{cite web | url=https://www.scoular.com/about/history | title=Scoular History| date=2017 | website=Scoular.com | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> On 9 April 1984 the company created a new subsidiary incorporated under the name Scoular Information Services with the goal of improving communications with farmers. The project was led by Omaha native Roger Brodersen, Scoular's chief operating officer and the executive who supervised new-project development and corporate acquisitions for the company. The subsidiary soon became known as Dataline.<ref name="SEC1994">{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/790498/0000790498-95-000004.txt | title=Data Transmission Network Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 1994 | date=28 March 1995 | website=Securities and Exchange Commission (sec.gov) | quote=Data Transmission Network Corporation was incorporated on September 17, 1987... The company was originally incorporated in Nebraska on April 9, 1984, as Scoular Information Services, Inc., a subsidiary of a regional grain company, later changing its name to Dataline, Inc.}}</ref> |
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Dataline's chief product was an [[FM radio]] receiver unit that would pick up Dataline broadcasts transmitted via [[sideband]] signals. Farmers and agribusinesses would buy the receivers to get agricultural information and commodities updates. Dataline's customers preferred to lease the receivers rather than buy them, but Scoular was unwilling to finance the equipment, so Brodersen bought Dataline in 1986 and a year later took its stock public in order to raise the capital necessary to acquire the receivers and to develop other information products. Under the new model, subscribers would receive a radio signal receiver and a video terminal at no charge, and then pay a monthly subscription to receive 24-hour-a-day broadcasts of 20+ pages of market information, weather reports, and analysis. In late 1986 the monthly fees were $17.50 and the service was available in Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. [[Public broadcasting]] station [[WILL-TV]] in [[Champaign, Illinois|Champaign]] was one broadcaster that carried the Dataline signal.<ref name="Bloomington1986">{{cite news | last=Anderson | first=Chris | title=Dataline links info, farmers | newspaper=[[The Pantagraph]] | location=[[Bloomington, Illinois]] | page=14 | date=9 September 1986 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/73806012 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> |
Dataline's chief product was an [[FM radio]] receiver unit that would pick up Dataline broadcasts transmitted via [[sideband]] signals. Farmers and agribusinesses would buy the receivers to get agricultural information and commodities updates. Dataline's customers preferred to lease the receivers rather than buy them, but Scoular was unwilling to finance the equipment, so Brodersen bought Dataline in 1986 and a year later took its stock public in order to raise the capital necessary to acquire the receivers and to develop other information products. Under the new model, subscribers would receive a radio signal receiver and a video terminal at no charge, and then pay a monthly subscription to receive 24-hour-a-day broadcasts of 20+ pages of market information, weather reports, and analysis. In late 1986, the monthly fees were $17.50 and the service was available in Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. [[Public broadcasting]] station [[WILL-TV]] in [[Champaign, Illinois|Champaign]] was one broadcaster that carried the Dataline signal.<ref name="Bloomington1986">{{cite news | last=Anderson | first=Chris | title=Dataline links info, farmers | newspaper=[[The Pantagraph]] | location=[[Bloomington, Illinois]] | page=14 | date=9 September 1986 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/73806012 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> |
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At the beginning of 1987 Dataline had 5,300 subscribers; that grew to 10,000 by May<ref name="DesMoines1987">{{cite news | last=Lawless | first=Jim | title=Firm's future merits a buy | newspaper=[[The Des Moines Register]] | location=[[Des Moines, Iowa]] | pages=5S | date=14 May 1987 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/132273207/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref><ref name="Lafayette1987">{{cite news | last=Shipman | first=Kay | title=Farmers tuning in to airwave market | newspaper=[[Journal and Courier]] | location=[[Lafayette, Indiana]] | pages=D1 | date=31 May 1987 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/264918205/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> and 13,500 in ten states by October. In addition to being accessible on terrestrial FM carriers, Dataline was also broadcast from the [[Galaxy 1]] communications satellite. Monthly fees were $19.50 for 65 videotext pages of market quotes, grain and livestock information, commentary, weather, and reports.<ref name="Orangeburg1987">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Dataline provides timely news service | newspaper=[[The Times and Democrat]] | location=[[Orangeburg, South Carolina]] | pages=8D | date=25 October 1987| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/344580328 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> In September Dataline partnered with a subsidiary of ConAgra to add an "electronic catalog" feature to their information feed, allowing subscribers to browse farm supplies, equipment, and other products.<ref name="Marshfield1987">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Electric card catalog service | newspaper=[[The Marshfield News-Herald]] | location=[[Marshfield, Wisconsin]] | page=15 | date=17 September 1987 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/267874506 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> |
At the beginning of 1987 Dataline had 5,300 subscribers; that grew to 10,000 by May<ref name="DesMoines1987">{{cite news | last=Lawless | first=Jim | title=Firm's future merits a buy | newspaper=[[The Des Moines Register]] | location=[[Des Moines, Iowa]] | pages=5S | date=14 May 1987 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/132273207/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref><ref name="Lafayette1987">{{cite news | last=Shipman | first=Kay | title=Farmers tuning in to airwave market | newspaper=[[Journal and Courier]] | location=[[Lafayette, Indiana]] | pages=D1 | date=31 May 1987 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/264918205/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> and 13,500 in ten states by October. In addition to being accessible on terrestrial FM carriers, Dataline was also broadcast from the [[Galaxy 1]] communications satellite. Monthly fees were $19.50 for 65 videotext pages of market quotes, grain and livestock information, commentary, weather, and reports.<ref name="Orangeburg1987">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Dataline provides timely news service | newspaper=[[The Times and Democrat]] | location=[[Orangeburg, South Carolina]] | pages=8D | date=25 October 1987| url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/344580328 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> In September, Dataline partnered with a subsidiary of ConAgra to add an "electronic catalog" feature to their information feed, allowing subscribers to browse farm supplies, equipment, and other products.<ref name="Marshfield1987">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Electric card catalog service | newspaper=[[The Marshfield News-Herald]] | location=[[Marshfield, Wisconsin]] | page=15 | date=17 September 1987 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/267874506 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> |
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On 17 September 1987 the company re-incorporated and was renamed Data Transmission Network.<ref name="SEC1994" /> |
On 17 September 1987 the company re-incorporated and was renamed [[Data Transmission Network]].<ref name="SEC1994" /> |
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===Expansion (1988–1997)=== |
===Expansion (1988–1997)=== |
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The company, commonly identified simply as DTN, expanded rapidly through the late 1980s and early 1990s; its operating cash flow grew roughly 30% each year beginning in 1989 and by 1993 was $12.9M.<ref name="DesMoines1994">{{cite news | last=Elbert | first=David | title=Area firms pioneer new data industry | newspaper=[[The Des Moines Register]] | location=[[Des Moines, Iowa]] | pages=Farm & Country 2 | date=27 November 1994 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/132559752/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> By mid-1994 DTN had roughly 77,000 subscribers, about 60,000 of which were in the agricultural sector; the remainder were mostly in the finance and energy industries.<ref name="Computerworld1994">{{cite magazine | last=LaPlante | first=Alice | title=Soybeans by Satellite | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atdXb3xr3vgC&pg=PA85 |
The company, commonly identified simply as DTN, expanded rapidly through the late 1980s and early 1990s; its operating cash flow grew roughly 30% each year beginning in 1989 and by 1993 was $12.9M.<ref name="DesMoines1994">{{cite news | last=Elbert | first=David | title=Area firms pioneer new data industry | newspaper=[[The Des Moines Register]] | location=[[Des Moines, Iowa]] | pages=Farm & Country 2 | date=27 November 1994 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/132559752/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> By mid-1994 DTN had roughly 77,000 subscribers, about 60,000 of which were in the agricultural sector; the remainder were mostly in the finance and energy industries.<ref name="Computerworld1994">{{cite magazine | last=LaPlante | first=Alice | title=Soybeans by Satellite | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=atdXb3xr3vgC&pg=PA85 | magazine=Computerworld | page=85 | date=18 July 1994 | access-date=2018-04-23 | quote=Currently, DTN services more than 77,000 subscribers through the agriculture, financial markets and energy industries with satellite broadcasts.}}</ref> Subscriptions in 1994 were $26 a month; satellite connection was an extra $7/month and a color monitor an extra $20/month.<ref name="Forbes2005">{{cite magazine | last=Lambert | first=Emily | title=Weathering It All | magazine=Forbes | location=New York City | page=92 | date=28 November 2005 | quote=Long before the Internet reached the heartland, there was the DTN terminal, a modern-day ''[[Farmer's Almanac]]''.}}</ref> By 1997 it had 152,000 customers, 110,000 of which were in agriculture.<ref name="DesMoines1997">{{cite news | last=Ryberg | first=William | title=FarmDayta dishes it out | newspaper=The Des Moines Register | location=Des Moines, Iowa | pages=1B,8B | date=12 May 1997 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/131927497 | access-date=2018-05-19}}</ref> |
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Beginning in the mid-1990s DTN also grew its operations by acquiring other data and meteorology companies. In May 1996 it acquired its chief competitor FarmDayta (formerly Broadcast Partners) of [[Urbandale, Iowa]] for $73M, and adopted its 38,500 subscribers.<ref name="DesMoines1997" /> In 1998 DTN merged its weather services division with Minneapolis-based Kavouras, a company founded in 1977 that specialized in radar-based weather reporting and prediction; DTN also acquired Weather Services Corporation (WSC), a [[Lexington, Massachusetts]]-based forecasting and climate prediction company that developed meteorological databases.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=998961 | title=Company Overview of Weather Services Corp | date=2018 | access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref> The union of the three weather organizations became known as DTN/Meteorlogix. |
Beginning in the mid-1990s DTN also grew its operations by acquiring other data and meteorology companies. In May 1996 it acquired its chief competitor FarmDayta (formerly Broadcast Partners) of [[Urbandale, Iowa]] for $73M, and adopted its 38,500 subscribers.<ref name="DesMoines1997" /> In 1998 DTN merged its weather services division with Minneapolis-based Kavouras, a company founded in 1977 that specialized in radar-based weather reporting and prediction; DTN also acquired Weather Services Corporation (WSC), a [[Lexington, Massachusetts]]-based forecasting and climate prediction company that developed meteorological databases.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=998961 | title=Company Overview of Weather Services Corp | website=[[Bloomberg News]] | date=2018 | access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref> The union of the three weather organizations became known as DTN/Meteorlogix. |
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The company also worked in the '90s to expand into niche markets by offering more specialized service offerings.<ref name="Lincoln1994">{{cite news | last=Kelly | first=Gene | title=Data network firm plugs into profits | newspaper=[[Lincoln Journal-Star|The Lincoln Journal-Star]] | location=[[Lincoln, Nebraska]] | pages=1C,4C | date=6 November 1994 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/312035098 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> |
The company also worked in the '90s to expand into niche markets by offering more specialized service offerings.<ref name="Lincoln1994">{{cite news | last=Kelly | first=Gene | title=Data network firm plugs into profits | newspaper=[[Lincoln Journal-Star|The Lincoln Journal-Star]] | location=[[Lincoln, Nebraska]] | pages=1C,4C | date=6 November 1994 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/312035098 | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> |
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In the late 1990s, DTN entered a period of financial uncertainty, in part due to increasing competition with new free information channels like [[CNBC]], [[the Weather Channel]], and websites run by ''[[Farm Journal]]'' and [[DuPont Pioneer|Pioneer]]. In response, DTN sought to expand its customer base by selling a broader array of services, including inventory-tracking for auto dealers, coupon-printing kiosks for grocery stores, fire-alert information for forestry services, and other ventures. DTN gained 7,600 new subscribers but lost 4,500 from its core group of agricultural customers, and its stock fell 38% in 1999.<ref name="Forbes2005" /> |
In the late 1990s, DTN entered a period of financial uncertainty, in part due to increasing competition with new free information channels like [[CNBC]], [[the Weather Channel]], and websites run by ''[[Farm Journal]]'' and [[DuPont Pioneer|Pioneer]]. In response, DTN sought to expand its customer base by selling a broader array of services, including inventory-tracking for auto dealers, coupon-printing kiosks for grocery stores, fire-alert information for forestry services, and other ventures. DTN gained 7,600 new subscribers but lost 4,500 from its core group of agricultural customers, and its stock fell 38% in 1999.<ref name="Forbes2005" /> |
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Since April 1998, DTN had been seeking an organization to buy the 1300-employee company, but after 11 months had not found anyone willing to pay price that the board felt was appropriate, so in mid-March 1999 founder Roger Brodersen called off the search for a buyer. One week later on 24 March, Brodersen and four other directors resigned and Peter Kamin was named the new chairman. Kamin, the leader of a stockholders group that pressed to sell the company,<ref name="Lincoln1999">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN founder, four others resign | newspaper=[[Lincoln Journal-Star|The Lincoln Journal-Star]] | location=[[Lincoln, Nebraska]] | pages=11A | date=26 March 1999 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/297676636/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> resumed the search for a buyer.<ref>{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | url=https://www.waterstechnology.com/organization-management/alliances-mergers-acquisitions/1619977/dtn-back-on-sales-block-board-members-resign-as-company-changes-tack | title=DTN Back On Sales Block, Board Members Resign As Company Changes Tack | work=WatersTechnology | date=29 March 1999 | access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref> |
Since April 1998, DTN had been seeking an organization to buy the 1300-employee company, but after 11 months had not found anyone willing to pay a price that the board felt was appropriate, so in mid-March 1999 founder Roger Brodersen called off the search for a buyer. One week later on 24 March, Brodersen and four other directors resigned and Peter Kamin was named the new chairman. Kamin, the leader of a stockholders group that pressed to sell the company,<ref name="Lincoln1999">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN founder, four others resign | newspaper=[[Lincoln Journal-Star|The Lincoln Journal-Star]] | location=[[Lincoln, Nebraska]] | pages=11A | date=26 March 1999 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/297676636/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref> resumed the search for a buyer.<ref>{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | url=https://www.waterstechnology.com/organization-management/alliances-mergers-acquisitions/1619977/dtn-back-on-sales-block-board-members-resign-as-company-changes-tack | title=DTN Back On Sales Block, Board Members Resign As Company Changes Tack | work=WatersTechnology | date=29 March 1999 | access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref> |
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In April 2000, the New York City-based private equity firm [[Veronis Suhler Stevenson]] agreed to buy out DTN for $451M, including $91M in debt. DTN at the time had approximately 166,000 clients.<ref name="Forbes2001">{{cite magazine | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Best of the Web: Agriculture | magazine=Forbes| location=New York City | page=36 | date=10 September 2001 | quote=Think Bloomberg for farmers.}}</ref> Veronis implemented a new strategy by splitting DTN into four separate divisions: agriculture, energy, weather, and financial services. Robert Gordon, who would later become DTN CEO, was hired to run the weather division. |
In April 2000, the New York City-based private equity firm [[Veronis Suhler Stevenson]] agreed to buy out DTN for $451M, including $91M in debt. DTN at the time had approximately 166,000 clients.<ref name="Forbes2001">{{cite magazine | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Best of the Web: Agriculture | magazine=Forbes| location=New York City | page=36 | date=10 September 2001 | quote=Think Bloomberg for farmers.}}</ref> Veronis implemented a new strategy by splitting DTN into four separate divisions: agriculture, energy, weather, and financial services. Robert Gordon, who would later become DTN CEO, was hired to run the weather division. |
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Staffing up the four divisions proved slow and costly, and by 2003 sales were lower than in 1998.<ref name="Forbes2005" /> DTN entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2003 and its operation was taken over by a consortium of banks led by [[Wachovia]], DTN's lead creditor.<ref name="Highbeam2003">{{cite web | url=https://business.highbeam.com/435619/article-1G1-112020661/banks-turnaround-specialists-brought-oversee-dtn | title=Banks, turnaround specialists brought in to oversee DTN | date=22 December 2003 | access-date=2018-04-24 | quote=Omaha-based DTN had been run by a representative of private media merchant firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), but the investment group has now turned control over to banks that were owed more than $260 million at the time of bankruptcy filing.}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> DTN emerged from bankruptcy six weeks later. |
Staffing up the four divisions proved slow and costly, and by 2003 sales were lower than in 1998.<ref name="Forbes2005" /> DTN entered [[Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] in late 2003 and its operation was taken over by a consortium of banks led by [[Wachovia]], DTN's lead creditor.<ref name="Highbeam2003">{{cite web | url=https://business.highbeam.com/435619/article-1G1-112020661/banks-turnaround-specialists-brought-oversee-dtn | title=Banks, turnaround specialists brought in to oversee DTN | date=22 December 2003 | access-date=2018-04-24 | quote=Omaha-based DTN had been run by a representative of private media merchant firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), but the investment group has now turned control over to banks that were owed more than $260 million at the time of bankruptcy filing.}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> DTN emerged from bankruptcy six weeks later. |
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===Revival (2004–2007)=== |
===Revival (2004–2007)=== |
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Gordon's strategy proved successful and DTN began to re-expand. In July 2006 DTN acquired [[St. Louis]]-based Surface Systems, Inc. (SSI),<ref name="SpaceDaily">{{cite web | url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/DTN_Acquires_Surface_Systems_To_Inhance_Weather_Forecasting_Services_999.html | title=DTN Acquires Surface Systems To Enhance Weather Forecasting Services | date=16 July 2006}}</ref> a company specializing in weather monitors for roads and airport runways, and integrated its customers and its network of 6000 surface sensors into its Meteorlogix division.<ref name="Minneapolis2006">{{cite news | last=Reilly| first=Mark | title=Meteorlogix parent grows | newspaper=[[Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]] | location=[[Minneapolis]] | date=16 July 2006 | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2006/07/17/newscolumn1.html | access-date=2018-04-20 | quote=The parent of Burnsville-based weather forecaster Meteorlogix has acquired a maker of weather monitors for road and airport runways. Surface Systems Inc. of St. Louis was acquired by Data Transmission Network Corp., the Nebraska company that also owns Meteorlogix. DTN will integrate SSI's weather forecasting customers into its Meteorlogix business.}}</ref> In 2007 it acquired the majority of the [[Edmond, Oklahoma]] company WeatherBank,<ref name="DTNPR2007">{{cite press release | author=DTN | date=9 May 2007 | title=DTN Acquires WeatherBank Incorporated's Weather Forecasting Customers | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20070509006018/en/DTN-Acquires-WeatherBank-Incorporateds-Weather-Forecasting-Customers | location=Minneapolis | publisher=[[Business Wire]] | access-date=2018-04-30 }}</ref> integrating its energy, transportation, public safety, and agriculture weather forecasting customers into Meteorlogix. |
Gordon's strategy proved successful and DTN began to re-expand. In July 2006 DTN acquired [[St. Louis]]-based Surface Systems, Inc. (SSI),<ref name="SpaceDaily">{{cite web | url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/DTN_Acquires_Surface_Systems_To_Inhance_Weather_Forecasting_Services_999.html | title=DTN Acquires Surface Systems To Enhance Weather Forecasting Services | date=16 July 2006}}</ref> a company specializing in weather monitors for roads and airport runways, and integrated its customers and its network of 6000 surface sensors into its Meteorlogix division.<ref name="Minneapolis2006">{{cite news | last=Reilly| first=Mark | title=Meteorlogix parent grows | newspaper=[[Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]] | location=[[Minneapolis]] | date=16 July 2006 | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2006/07/17/newscolumn1.html | access-date=2018-04-20 | quote=The parent of Burnsville-based weather forecaster Meteorlogix has acquired a maker of weather monitors for road and airport runways. Surface Systems Inc. of St. Louis was acquired by Data Transmission Network Corp., the Nebraska company that also owns Meteorlogix. DTN will integrate SSI's weather forecasting customers into its Meteorlogix business.}}</ref> In 2007 it acquired the majority of the [[Edmond, Oklahoma]] company WeatherBank,<ref name="DTNPR2007">{{cite press release | author=DTN | date=9 May 2007 | title=DTN Acquires WeatherBank Incorporated's Weather Forecasting Customers | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20070509006018/en/DTN-Acquires-WeatherBank-Incorporateds-Weather-Forecasting-Customers | location=Minneapolis | publisher=[[Business Wire]] | access-date=2018-04-30 }}</ref> integrating its energy, transportation, public safety, and agriculture weather forecasting customers into Meteorlogix. |
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In 2007 DTN also arranged with publisher [[Time Warner]] to acquire ''[[The Progressive Farmer]]'', an agricultural magazine founded in 1886 and read at the time of acquisition by approximately 600,000 subscribers. The deal for an undisclosed sum supported Time Warner's strategy of shedding smaller publications to focus on its larger magazine properties<ref name="LosAngeles2007">{{cite news | title=Progressive Farmer magazine sold | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | location=[[Los Angeles]] | date=3 January 2007 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/193215490/?terms=DTN+Progressive+Farmer | access-date=2018-05-20}}</ref> and DTN's mission of providing agricultural information. |
In 2007, DTN also arranged with publisher [[Time Warner]] to acquire ''[[The Progressive Farmer]]'', an agricultural magazine founded in 1886 and read at the time of acquisition by approximately 600,000 subscribers. The deal for an undisclosed sum supported Time Warner's strategy of shedding smaller publications to focus on its larger magazine properties<ref name="LosAngeles2007">{{cite news | title=Progressive Farmer magazine sold | newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] | location=[[Los Angeles]] | date=3 January 2007 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/193215490/?terms=DTN+Progressive+Farmer | access-date=2018-05-20}}</ref> and DTN's mission of providing agricultural information. |
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DTN remained structured around four brands: DTN Ag, DTN Energy, DTN Market Access, and DTN Meteorlogix.<ref name="DTNPR2004">{{cite press release | author=DTN | date=29 September 2004 | title=Meteorlogix and Dow Jones Newswires Announce Agreement for Global Weather Coverage | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040929005470/en/Meteorlogix-Dow-Jones-Newswires-Announce-Agreement-Global | location=Minneapolis | publisher=[[Business Wire]] | access-date=2018-04-20 }}</ref> |
DTN remained structured around four brands: DTN Ag, DTN Energy, DTN Market Access, and DTN Meteorlogix.<ref name="DTNPR2004">{{cite press release | author=DTN | date=29 September 2004 | title=Meteorlogix and Dow Jones Newswires Announce Agreement for Global Weather Coverage | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040929005470/en/Meteorlogix-Dow-Jones-Newswires-Announce-Agreement-Global | location=Minneapolis | publisher=[[Business Wire]] | access-date=2018-04-20 }}</ref> |
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===Telvent and Schneider (2008–2016)=== |
===Telvent and Schneider (2008–2016)=== |
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On 28 October 2008 [[Madrid]]-based IT company [[Telvent]] acquired DTN in a $445M all-cash deal. DTN at the time of the acquisition had about 700 employees, 700,000 subscribers, and annual revenues of approximately $180M, with about 90% of its sales derived from its subscription-based services.<ref name="Lincoln2008">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Spanish company Telvent acquires DTN | newspaper=The Lincoln Journal-Star | location=Lincoln, Nebraska | page=7A | date=17 September 2008 | url=http://journalstar.com/business/spanish-company-telvent-acquires-dtn/article_3065ac88-fa7a-558c-9fc1-aaa2602cda20.html | access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref><ref name="SEC2011">{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1257803/000095012311033776/l42227e20vf.htm | title=Telvent Annual Report | date=20 April 2011 | access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref> After its acquisition the company became known as Telvent DTN. |
On 28 October 2008, [[Madrid]]-based IT company [[Telvent]] acquired DTN in a $445M all-cash deal. DTN at the time of the acquisition had about 700 employees, 700,000 subscribers, and annual revenues of approximately $180M, with about 90% of its sales derived from its subscription-based services.<ref name="Lincoln2008">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Spanish company Telvent acquires DTN | newspaper=The Lincoln Journal-Star | location=Lincoln, Nebraska | page=7A | date=17 September 2008 | url=http://journalstar.com/business/spanish-company-telvent-acquires-dtn/article_3065ac88-fa7a-558c-9fc1-aaa2602cda20.html | access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref><ref name="SEC2011">{{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1257803/000095012311033776/l42227e20vf.htm | title=Telvent Annual Report |website=www.sec.gov | date=20 April 2011 | access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref> After its acquisition the company became known as Telvent DTN. |
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Telvent itself was purchased in 2011 by [[Schneider Electric]], a large energy management company based in [[Rueil-Malmaison|Rueil-Malmaison, France]]. Schneider announced in early 2011 that it had reached a deal to acquire Telvent, and in August received regulatory approval to complete the €1.4B acquisition.<ref name="SchneiderPR2011">{{cite press release | author=Schneider Electric | date=6 January 2011 | title=Schneider Electric to acquire leading software firm TELVENT to reinforce its solution capability for the smart grid and mission-critical infrastructure | url=http://www2.schneider-electric.com/corporate/en/press/press-releases/viewer-press-releases.page?c_filepath=/templatedata/Content/Financial_Release/data/en/shared/2011/06/20110601_schneider_electric_to_acquire_leading_software_firm_telvent_to_reinfor.xml | location=[[Rueil-Malmaison]], [[France]] | publisher=Schneider Electric | access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref> |
Telvent itself was purchased in 2011 by [[Schneider Electric]], a large energy management company based in [[Rueil-Malmaison|Rueil-Malmaison, France]]. Schneider announced in early 2011 that it had reached a deal to acquire Telvent, and in August received regulatory approval to complete the €1.4B acquisition.<ref name="SchneiderPR2011">{{cite press release | author=Schneider Electric | date=6 January 2011 | title=Schneider Electric to acquire leading software firm TELVENT to reinforce its solution capability for the smart grid and mission-critical infrastructure | url=http://www2.schneider-electric.com/corporate/en/press/press-releases/viewer-press-releases.page?c_filepath=/templatedata/Content/Financial_Release/data/en/shared/2011/06/20110601_schneider_electric_to_acquire_leading_software_firm_telvent_to_reinfor.xml | location=[[Rueil-Malmaison]], [[France]] | publisher=Schneider Electric | access-date=2018-04-23}}</ref> |
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<ref name="CNET2011">{{cite web | url=https://www.cnet.com/news/schneider-electric-buys-telvent-smart-grid-software/ | title=Schneider Electric buys Telvent smart-grid software | last=Lamonica | first=Martin | date=1 June 2011 | website=CNET | access-date=2018-04-23 | quote=The $2 billion deal is a sign of consolidation among infrastructure equipment suppliers and the growing importance of software in the grid and transportation.}}</ref><ref name="Telvent">{{cite web | url=https://www.schneider-electric.com/en/about-us/company-profile/history/telvent.jsp | title=History: Telvent is now Schneider Electric | date=2017 | website=Schneider-electric.com| access-date=2018-04-20 | quote=2008: Telvent acquires DTN Holding Company. 2011: Schneider Electric finalizes its strategic acquisition of Telvent.}}</ref> Telvent DTN's revenue at the time of the acquisition was approximately $213 million.<ref name="BloombergQuint">{{cite web | |
<ref name="CNET2011">{{cite web | url=https://www.cnet.com/news/schneider-electric-buys-telvent-smart-grid-software/ | title=Schneider Electric buys Telvent smart-grid software | last=Lamonica | first=Martin | date=1 June 2011 | website=CNET | access-date=2018-04-23 | quote=The $2 billion deal is a sign of consolidation among infrastructure equipment suppliers and the growing importance of software in the grid and transportation.}}</ref><ref name="Telvent">{{cite web | url=https://www.schneider-electric.com/en/about-us/company-profile/history/telvent.jsp | title=History: Telvent is now Schneider Electric | date=2017 | website=Schneider-electric.com| access-date=2018-04-20 | quote=2008: Telvent acquires DTN Holding Company. 2011: Schneider Electric finalizes its strategic acquisition of Telvent.}}</ref> Telvent DTN's revenue at the time of the acquisition was approximately $213 million.<ref name="BloombergQuint">{{cite web | last1=Bowker | first1=John | last2=Nussbaum | first2=Ania | title=Schneider Agrees to Sell Telvent DTN to TBG for $900 Million | url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/2017/04/03/schneider-agrees-to-sell-telvent-dtn-to-tbg-for-900-million | date=3 April 2017 | website=[[BloombergQuint]] | access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref> |
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In June 2014 DTN acquired RevCo, a St. Louis-based agricultural data management business.<ref name="RevCo">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN/The Progressive Farmer and Osborn Barr announce licensing agreement | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dtnthe-progressive-farmer-and-osborn-barr-announce-licensing-agreement-264041871.html | location=St. Louis | publisher=Osborn Barr | date=20 June 2014 | access-date=2018-05-19}}</ref> |
In June 2014 DTN acquired RevCo, a St. Louis-based agricultural data management business.<ref name="RevCo">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN/The Progressive Farmer and Osborn Barr announce licensing agreement | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dtnthe-progressive-farmer-and-osborn-barr-announce-licensing-agreement-264041871.html | location=St. Louis | publisher=Osborn Barr | date=20 June 2014 | access-date=2018-05-19}}</ref> |
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===TBG and recent growth (2017–)=== |
===TBG and recent growth (2017–)=== |
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[[File:DTN logo 2013.svg|thumb|right|160px|DTN logo circa 2017.]] |
[[File:DTN logo 2013.svg|thumb|right|160px|DTN logo circa 2017.]] |
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In 2016 Schneider put DTN up for sale after a strategic review found that it wasn't essential to the company.<ref name="BloombergQuint" /> Several firms were interested in purchasing DTN (including London-based [[Euromoney Institutional Investor]]<ref>{{cite news | last1=Monks | first1=Matthew | last2=David | first2=Ruth | last3=Kirchfeld | first3=Aaron | date=23 August 2016 | title=Schnedier said to weigh sale of DTN | work=FarmFutures | url=http://www.farmfutures.com/story-schnedier-said-weigh-sale-dtn-8-145644 | access-date=2018-06-16}}</ref>), but it was [[ |
In 2016 Schneider put DTN up for sale after a strategic review found that it wasn't essential to the company.<ref name="BloombergQuint" /> Several firms were interested in purchasing DTN (including London-based [[Euromoney Institutional Investor]]<ref>{{cite news | last1=Monks | first1=Matthew | last2=David | first2=Ruth | last3=Kirchfeld | first3=Aaron | date=23 August 2016 | title=Schnedier said to weigh sale of DTN | work=FarmFutures | url=http://www.farmfutures.com/story-schnedier-said-weigh-sale-dtn-8-145644 | access-date=2018-06-16}}</ref>), but it was [[Zürich]]-based private investment holding [[TBG AG|TBG]] that ultimately purchased DTN and in April 2017 completed its acquisition of the company for $900M.<ref name="Minneapolis2017">{{cite news | last=Renzetti | first=Jackie | title=Minneapolis-based DTN sold to Swiss firm for $900M | newspaper=[[Star Tribune]] | location=[[Minneapolis]] | date=3 April 2017 | url=http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-based-dtn-sold-to-swiss-firm-for-900m/418031033/ | access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref><ref name="FamilyCapital">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=Massive acquisition by low key family office of high profile family | work=Family Capital | location=[[London]] | date=4 April 2017 | url=http://www.famcap.com/articles/2017/4/4/massive-acquisition-by-low-key-family-office-of-high-profile-family | access-date=2018-04-20 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411013610/http://www.famcap.com/articles/2017/4/4/massive-acquisition-by-low-key-family-office-of-high-profile-family | archive-date=11 April 2018 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg2017">{{cite news | last=Foxman | first=Simone | title=Wealthy Families Are Winning Deals Away From Private Equity | work=[[Bloomberg Markets]] | location=[[New York City]] | date=20 October 2017 | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-20/wealthy-families-are-winning-deals-away-from-private-equity | access-date=2018-04-20 | quote=TBG AG, the investment arm of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family that's based in Zürich, wasn't the only buyer interested in DTN, a unit of Schneider Electric SE and provider of weather, fuel, and agricultural data and analysis. Strategic acquirers and private funds were also knocking on the door when Schneider put the unit up for sale... TBG ultimately came out ahead, acquiring the business this year for $900 million.}}</ref> |
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Since its purchase by TBG, DTN has acquired several smaller corporations or systems: |
Since its purchase by TBG, DTN has acquired several smaller corporations or systems: |
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* PraxSoft (acquired 10 June 2019), previously Praxis Software, a provider of sensor interfaces and communications technology based in [[Orlando, Florida]].<ref name="DTNPR-PraxSoft">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires PraxSoft, Strengthens IoT Offering | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-praxsoft-strengthens-iot-offering/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=10 June 2019 | access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref> |
* PraxSoft (acquired 10 June 2019), previously Praxis Software, a provider of sensor interfaces and communications technology based in [[Orlando, Florida]].<ref name="DTNPR-PraxSoft">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires PraxSoft, Strengthens IoT Offering | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-praxsoft-strengthens-iot-offering/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=10 June 2019 | access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref> |
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* [[Weatherzone]] (acquired 1 October 2019), a weather information provider based in Australia.<ref name="DTNPR-Weatherzone">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires Weatherzone, Australia's Leading Weather Company | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-weatherzone-australias-leading-weather-company/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=30 September 2019 | access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> |
* [[Weatherzone]] (acquired 1 October 2019), a weather information provider based in Australia.<ref name="DTNPR-Weatherzone">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires Weatherzone, Australia's Leading Weather Company | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-weatherzone-australias-leading-weather-company/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=30 September 2019 | access-date=2019-11-21}}</ref> |
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* ClearAg (acquired May 2020 for $12M), a system created by California-based [[Iteris]] for monitoring and predicting agricultural conditions.<ref name="DTNPR-CA">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires ClearAg®, Boosts Agronomic Offerings | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-clearag-boosts-agronomic-offerings/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=6 May 2020 | access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref><ref name="StarTribune2020">{{cite news | last=Kennedy| first=Patrick| title=Burnsville weather-analytics company bolsters agricultural business with $12M acquisition | newspaper=[[Star Tribune]] | location=[[Minneapolis]] | date=6 May 2020 | url=https://www.startribune.com/burnsville-weather-analytics-company-bolsters-agricultural-business-with-12m-acquisition/570248792/ | access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref> |
* ClearAg and ClearPath (acquired May 2020 for $12M), a system created by California-based [[Iteris]] for monitoring and predicting agricultural conditions and Winter Road Maintenance.<ref name="DTNPR-CA">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires ClearAg®, Boosts Agronomic Offerings | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-clearag-boosts-agronomic-offerings/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=6 May 2020 | access-date=2020-05-06}}</ref><ref name="StarTribune2020">{{cite news | last=Kennedy| first=Patrick| title=Burnsville weather-analytics company bolsters agricultural business with $12M acquisition | newspaper=[[Star Tribune]] | location=[[Minneapolis]] | date=6 May 2020 | url=https://www.startribune.com/burnsville-weather-analytics-company-bolsters-agricultural-business-with-12m-acquisition/570248792/ | access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref> |
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* Farm Market iD (acquired February 2021), a provider of aggregated farm and grower data<ref name="DTNPR-FMID">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires Farm Market iD® | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-farm-market-id/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=25 February 2021 | access-date=2021-02-25}}</ref> based in [[Westmont, Illinois]]. |
* Farm Market iD (acquired February 2021), a provider of aggregated farm and grower data<ref name="DTNPR-FMID">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires Farm Market iD® | url=https://www.dtn.com/dtn-acquires-farm-market-id/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=25 February 2021 | access-date=2021-02-25}}</ref> based in [[Westmont, Illinois]]. |
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* Online Fuels (acquired May 2021),<ref name="fuels">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires OnlineFuels | url=https://www.onlinefuels.com/dtn-acquires-onlinefuels/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=26 May 2021 | access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref> a UK-based online trading platform for refined fuels. |
* Online Fuels (acquired May 2021),<ref name="fuels">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=DTN Acquires OnlineFuels | url=https://www.onlinefuels.com/dtn-acquires-onlinefuels/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=26 May 2021 | access-date=2021-05-27}}</ref> a UK-based online trading platform for refined fuels. |
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⚫ | [[MeteoGroup]], a private Europe-based weather organisation acquired by parent TBG in September 2018,<ref>{{cite news|last= Key|first= Alys|date= 24 September 2018|title= Weather forecaster MeteoGroup to be sold to Swiss firm|work= Irish Independent|location= Dublin|url = https://www.independent.ie/world-news/weather-forecaster-meteogroup-to-be-sold-to-swiss-firm-37348042.html|access-date= 2019-02-13}}</ref> has been integrated into DTN.<ref name="DTNPR-MeteoGroup">{{cite press release | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | title=MeteoGroup and DTN Join to Build Largest Private Weather Company | url=https://www.dtn.com/meteogroup-and-dtn-join-to-build-largest-private-weather-company/ | location=Minneapolis | publisher=DTN | date=25 November 2019 | access-date=2019-11-25}}</ref> |
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[[MeteoGroup]], a private Europe-based weather organisation acquired by parent TBG in September 2018,<ref>{{cite news |
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| last = Key |
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| first = Alys |
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| date = 24 September 2018 |
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| title = Weather forecaster MeteoGroup to be sold to Swiss firm |
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| work = Irish Independent |
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| location = Dublin |
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| url = https://www.independent.ie/world-news/weather-forecaster-meteogroup-to-be-sold-to-swiss-firm-37348042.html |
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| access-date = 2019-02-13 |
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⚫ | }}</ref> |
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==Business sectors== |
==Business sectors== |
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===Aviation=== |
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DTN is one of the main suppliers of weather intelligence to the aviation industry. DTN's weather data and patented algorithms for EDR Turbulence, Icing and (Rapid Developing) Thunderstorms flow directly to airlines and airports or via one of DTN's many partners for Electronic Flight Bags(EFB) and Flight Planning. The data helps keeping crew and passengers safe in the air, especially around turbulence and thunderstorms events. DTN is delivering weather intelligence directly or indirectly to over 250 airlines worldwide. DTN has a large team of Aviation meteorologists in-house who support Aviation customers with (risk)consulting and creating e.g. RAMTAFs. |
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===Agriculture=== |
===Agriculture=== |
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The company's forecasts were ranked as the most accurate in the US each year since 2006 for predictions of short-term precipitation<ref name="ForecastWatchRain" /> and high temperatures.<ref name="ForecastWatchTemp" /> WeatherSentry Online is DTN Weather's principal platform. |
The company's forecasts were ranked as the most accurate in the US each year since 2006 for predictions of short-term precipitation<ref name="ForecastWatchRain" /> and high temperatures.<ref name="ForecastWatchTemp" /> WeatherSentry Online is DTN Weather's principal platform. |
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In October 2024 a technical fault affecting the supplying of data to the United Kingdom's [[BBC Weather]] service caused the latter's website and app to incorrectly forecast wind speeds of over {{convert|15000|mph|kph|abbr=on}} and air temperatures exceeding {{convert|400|C|F|sigfig=2}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kjrp2rngzo|work=[[BBC News]]|title=BBC Weather fault forecasts hurricanes across world|first=André|last=Rhoden-Paul|date=October 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/10/bbc-weather-app-glitch-hurricane-force-winds-uk|work=[[The Guardian]]|title='Bit of a glitch': BBC Weather app forecasts 15,759mph winds in UK|first=Alexandra|last=Topping|date=October 10, 2024|access-date=October 10, 2024}}</ref> |
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===Oil and gas=== |
===Oil and gas=== |
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===Trading=== |
===Trading=== |
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Energy trading, and commodity markets are the focus of DTN's trading division. DTN sells streaming market data, tickers, news, historical analysis, stock and option quotes, and other related services. Its principal trading-related product is ProphetX, a software platform built for commodity and equity markets. |
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==Products and services== |
==Products and services== |
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===The Progressive Farmer=== |
===The Progressive Farmer=== |
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{{Main article|The Progressive Farmer}} |
{{Main article|The Progressive Farmer}} |
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Since 2007 DTN has owned and operated ''The Progressive Farmer'', a monthly magazine founded in 1886 that focuses on how to operate a successful farm by covering subjects like marketing, management, crop and livestock production, and equipment. The magazine has a national circulation of about 500,000<ref name="DTNPF">{{cite web | url=https://www.dtn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018_PFIntro.pdf | title=The Progressive Farmer 2018 media kit | date=2018 | publisher=DTN |
Since 2007 DTN has owned and operated ''The Progressive Farmer'', a monthly magazine founded in 1886 that focuses on how to operate a successful farm by covering subjects like marketing, management, crop and livestock production, and equipment. The magazine has a national circulation of about 500,000<ref name="DTNPF">{{cite web | url=https://www.dtn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018_PFIntro.pdf | title=The Progressive Farmer 2018 media kit | date=2018 | publisher=DTN | access-date=2018-04-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616130341/https://www.dtn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018_PFIntro.pdf | archive-date=2018-06-16 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and is based in [[Birmingham, Alabama]]. |
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===Past products=== |
===Past products=== |
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===Locations=== |
===Locations=== |
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DTN is headquartered at offices on |
DTN is headquartered at offices on Lindau Lane in Bloomington, Minnesota. DTN also operates from its original location on West Dodge Road in [[Omaha, Nebraska]]. The company has satellite offices in a number of other US cities: |
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* [[Birmingham, Alabama]] |
* [[Birmingham, Alabama]] – location of ''The Progressive Farmer'' magazine, acquired in 2007.<ref name="LosAngeles2007" /> |
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* [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]] |
* [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]] |
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* [[Springfield, Illinois]] |
* [[Springfield, Illinois]] |
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* |
*[[Urbandale, Iowa]] – location of FarmDayta, acquired in 1996.<ref name="DesMoines1997" /> |
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* [[ |
* [[St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]] – location of RevCo, acquired in 2014.<ref name="RevCo" /> |
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* [[St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]] — location of RevCo, acquired in 2014.<ref name="RevCo" /> |
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* [[Hastings, Nebraska]] |
* [[Hastings, Nebraska]] |
||
* [[New York City|New York, New York]] |
* [[New York City|New York, New York]] – location of Energy Management Institute, acquired in 2018.<ref name="DTNPR-EMI" /> |
||
* [[Plano, Texas]] |
* [[Plano, Texas]] – location of Diamond Control Systems, acquired in 2001.<ref name="CSNews2001">{{cite news | author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> | date=29 November 2001 | title=DTN Acquires Diamond Control Systems | work=Convenience Store News | location=Chicago | url=https://csnews.com/dtn-acquires-diamond-control-systems | access-date=2018-04-26}}</ref> |
||
* [[Houston|Houston, Texas]] |
* [[Houston|Houston, Texas]] – location of Wilkens Weather, acquired in 2017.<ref name="DTNPR-Wilkens" /> |
||
* [[Norman, Oklahoma]] |
* [[Norman, Oklahoma]] – Location of WDT |
||
* [[Grand Forks, North Dakota]] |
* [[Grand Forks, North Dakota]] – Location of the Weather and Agriculture Division of Iteris, acquired in early May 2020 |
||
* [[Sydney, Australia]] |
* [[Sydney, Australia]] – Location of [[Weatherzone]], acquired 1 October 2019 |
||
In Europe, DTN has offices in [[Antwerp]], [[Utrecht]], [[Madrid]], [[Seville]] and [[Appenzell]]. It also operates an Australian office in [[Brisbane]]. |
In Europe, DTN has offices in [[Antwerp]], [[Utrecht]], [[Madrid]], [[Seville]] and [[Appenzell]]. It also operates an Australian office in [[Brisbane]]. |
||
==Corporate governance== |
==Corporate governance== |
||
DTN is organized into |
DTN is organized into three divisions: DTN Weather, DTN Agriculture and DTN Energy. |
||
===Executives=== |
===Executives=== |
||
Since 14 July 2020 the position of President for DTN has been held by Marc Chesover. Other members of DTN's leadership:<ref name="DTNAbout">{{cite web | url=https://www.dtn.com/about/ | title=About DTN | date=2019 | website=DTN.com | access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref> |
Since 14 July 2020 the position of President for DTN has been held by Marc Chesover. Other members of DTN's leadership:<ref name="DTNAbout">{{cite web | url=https://www.dtn.com/about/ | title=About DTN | date=2019 | website=DTN.com | access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref> |
||
* |
*Lars Ewe – [[Chief technology officer|Chief Technology Officer]] |
||
*Doug Bennett – [[Chief strategy officer|Chief Customer and Strategy Officer]] |
|||
* Mike Eilts — Senior Vice President–Weather |
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* |
*Marc Norton – [[Chief information security officer|Chief Information Security Officer]] |
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* John McPherson — Head of Human Resources and Integrations |
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===Previous CEOs=== |
===Previous CEOs=== |
||
Line 222: | Line 218: | ||
* Ron Sznaider (January 2016—September 2017) |
* Ron Sznaider (January 2016—September 2017) |
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===Board of |
===Board of directors=== |
||
* Marc Chesover – [[President (corporate title)|President]] |
|||
* Ron Sznaider — Vice Chairman |
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*Tom Dilworth – [[Chief financial officer]] |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
Latest revision as of 04:55, 28 November 2024
44°47′50″N 93°15′23″W / 44.7973°N 93.2564°W
Formerly | Telvent DTN, Data Transmission Network, Dataline |
---|---|
Company type | Private |
Industry | |
Predecessor | Scoular Grain |
Founded | 1984Omaha, Nebraska | in
Founder | Roger Brodersen |
Headquarters | |
Number of locations | 18 (2018) |
Key people |
|
Products | The Progressive Farmer, MyDTN, ProphetX, WeatherLine, weather stations |
Services | Data analysis, meteorological consulting, weather forecasting |
Owner | TBG AG |
Number of employees | 750 (2018) |
Website | dtn |
DTN, previously known as Telvent DTN, Data Transmission Network and Dataline, is a private company based in Bloomington, Minnesota that specializes in subscription-based services for the analysis and delivery of real-time weather, agricultural, energy, and commodity market information. As of 2018 the company has approximately 600,000 subscribers, mostly in the United States. DTN is known for its accurate meteorological forecasting[1][2][3] and large network of weather stations,[4] its market analysis services, and its early use of radio and satellite systems to transmit reports to its Midwestern consumers. DTN also operates The Progressive Farmer magazine. DTN was previously owned by Telvent and Schneider Electric, and since 2017 has been owned by Zürich-based TBG.
History
[edit]Formation (1984–1987)
[edit]In the early 1980s the Omaha-based company Scoular Grain was a growing agribusiness led by Nebraska grain industry executive Marshall Faith. Faith, along with several other investors, had acquired what was then Scoular-Bishop Grain Company in 1967[5] and expanded its operations from three grain elevators to dozens of locations in multiple states, and was beginning to branch out beyond grain warehousing.[6][7] On 9 April 1984 the company created a new subsidiary incorporated under the name Scoular Information Services with the goal of improving communications with farmers. The project was led by Omaha native Roger Brodersen, Scoular's chief operating officer and the executive who supervised new-project development and corporate acquisitions for the company. The subsidiary soon became known as Dataline.[8]
Dataline's chief product was an FM radio receiver unit that would pick up Dataline broadcasts transmitted via sideband signals. Farmers and agribusinesses would buy the receivers to get agricultural information and commodities updates. Dataline's customers preferred to lease the receivers rather than buy them, but Scoular was unwilling to finance the equipment, so Brodersen bought Dataline in 1986 and a year later took its stock public in order to raise the capital necessary to acquire the receivers and to develop other information products. Under the new model, subscribers would receive a radio signal receiver and a video terminal at no charge, and then pay a monthly subscription to receive 24-hour-a-day broadcasts of 20+ pages of market information, weather reports, and analysis. In late 1986, the monthly fees were $17.50 and the service was available in Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Public broadcasting station WILL-TV in Champaign was one broadcaster that carried the Dataline signal.[9]
At the beginning of 1987 Dataline had 5,300 subscribers; that grew to 10,000 by May[10][11] and 13,500 in ten states by October. In addition to being accessible on terrestrial FM carriers, Dataline was also broadcast from the Galaxy 1 communications satellite. Monthly fees were $19.50 for 65 videotext pages of market quotes, grain and livestock information, commentary, weather, and reports.[12] In September, Dataline partnered with a subsidiary of ConAgra to add an "electronic catalog" feature to their information feed, allowing subscribers to browse farm supplies, equipment, and other products.[13]
On 17 September 1987 the company re-incorporated and was renamed Data Transmission Network.[8]
Expansion (1988–1997)
[edit]The company, commonly identified simply as DTN, expanded rapidly through the late 1980s and early 1990s; its operating cash flow grew roughly 30% each year beginning in 1989 and by 1993 was $12.9M.[14] By mid-1994 DTN had roughly 77,000 subscribers, about 60,000 of which were in the agricultural sector; the remainder were mostly in the finance and energy industries.[15] Subscriptions in 1994 were $26 a month; satellite connection was an extra $7/month and a color monitor an extra $20/month.[16] By 1997 it had 152,000 customers, 110,000 of which were in agriculture.[17]
Beginning in the mid-1990s DTN also grew its operations by acquiring other data and meteorology companies. In May 1996 it acquired its chief competitor FarmDayta (formerly Broadcast Partners) of Urbandale, Iowa for $73M, and adopted its 38,500 subscribers.[17] In 1998 DTN merged its weather services division with Minneapolis-based Kavouras, a company founded in 1977 that specialized in radar-based weather reporting and prediction; DTN also acquired Weather Services Corporation (WSC), a Lexington, Massachusetts-based forecasting and climate prediction company that developed meteorological databases.[18] The union of the three weather organizations became known as DTN/Meteorlogix.
The company also worked in the '90s to expand into niche markets by offering more specialized service offerings.[19]
Sale and bankruptcy (1998–2003)
[edit]In the late 1990s, DTN entered a period of financial uncertainty, in part due to increasing competition with new free information channels like CNBC, the Weather Channel, and websites run by Farm Journal and Pioneer. In response, DTN sought to expand its customer base by selling a broader array of services, including inventory-tracking for auto dealers, coupon-printing kiosks for grocery stores, fire-alert information for forestry services, and other ventures. DTN gained 7,600 new subscribers but lost 4,500 from its core group of agricultural customers, and its stock fell 38% in 1999.[16]
Since April 1998, DTN had been seeking an organization to buy the 1300-employee company, but after 11 months had not found anyone willing to pay a price that the board felt was appropriate, so in mid-March 1999 founder Roger Brodersen called off the search for a buyer. One week later on 24 March, Brodersen and four other directors resigned and Peter Kamin was named the new chairman. Kamin, the leader of a stockholders group that pressed to sell the company,[20] resumed the search for a buyer.[21]
In April 2000, the New York City-based private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson agreed to buy out DTN for $451M, including $91M in debt. DTN at the time had approximately 166,000 clients.[22] Veronis implemented a new strategy by splitting DTN into four separate divisions: agriculture, energy, weather, and financial services. Robert Gordon, who would later become DTN CEO, was hired to run the weather division.
Staffing up the four divisions proved slow and costly, and by 2003 sales were lower than in 1998.[16] DTN entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2003 and its operation was taken over by a consortium of banks led by Wachovia, DTN's lead creditor.[23] DTN emerged from bankruptcy six weeks later.
Revival (2004–2007)
[edit]Robert Gordon became president in January and CEO in July 2004. He gradually reduced staff to 675, eliminated redundancies, and pushed a new strategy of selling proprietary data at a premium price. Customers paid larger subscription fees ($100 a month for many weather customers) to receive customized, hourly webcasts based on more precise computer models; ag customers paid roughly 50% more for analyses of issues like Asian soybean rust and avian influenza; and energy customers gained access to online exchanges with real-time fuel prices.[16]
Gordon's strategy proved successful and DTN began to re-expand. In July 2006 DTN acquired St. Louis-based Surface Systems, Inc. (SSI),[24] a company specializing in weather monitors for roads and airport runways, and integrated its customers and its network of 6000 surface sensors into its Meteorlogix division.[25] In 2007 it acquired the majority of the Edmond, Oklahoma company WeatherBank,[26] integrating its energy, transportation, public safety, and agriculture weather forecasting customers into Meteorlogix.
In 2007, DTN also arranged with publisher Time Warner to acquire The Progressive Farmer, an agricultural magazine founded in 1886 and read at the time of acquisition by approximately 600,000 subscribers. The deal for an undisclosed sum supported Time Warner's strategy of shedding smaller publications to focus on its larger magazine properties[27] and DTN's mission of providing agricultural information.
DTN remained structured around four brands: DTN Ag, DTN Energy, DTN Market Access, and DTN Meteorlogix.[28]
Telvent and Schneider (2008–2016)
[edit]On 28 October 2008, Madrid-based IT company Telvent acquired DTN in a $445M all-cash deal. DTN at the time of the acquisition had about 700 employees, 700,000 subscribers, and annual revenues of approximately $180M, with about 90% of its sales derived from its subscription-based services.[29][30] After its acquisition the company became known as Telvent DTN.
Telvent itself was purchased in 2011 by Schneider Electric, a large energy management company based in Rueil-Malmaison, France. Schneider announced in early 2011 that it had reached a deal to acquire Telvent, and in August received regulatory approval to complete the €1.4B acquisition.[31] [32][33] Telvent DTN's revenue at the time of the acquisition was approximately $213 million.[34]
In June 2014 DTN acquired RevCo, a St. Louis-based agricultural data management business.[35]
TBG and recent growth (2017–)
[edit]In 2016 Schneider put DTN up for sale after a strategic review found that it wasn't essential to the company.[34] Several firms were interested in purchasing DTN (including London-based Euromoney Institutional Investor[36]), but it was Zürich-based private investment holding TBG that ultimately purchased DTN and in April 2017 completed its acquisition of the company for $900M.[37][38][39]
Since its purchase by TBG, DTN has acquired several smaller corporations or systems:
- Wilkens Weather (acquired 29 September 2017), a marine weather forecasting company based in Houston, Texas and previously owned by Rockwell Collins.[40]
- Spensa Technologies (acquired 2 April 2018), a precision agriculture technology company founded in January 2009 and based in the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana.[41]
- Energy Management Institute (acquired 10 April 2018), a provider of training services and marketing analysis based in New York City.[42]
- Weather Decision Technologies (acquired 8 October 2018), a provider of weather decision support solutions based in Norman, Oklahoma.[43]
- PraxSoft (acquired 10 June 2019), previously Praxis Software, a provider of sensor interfaces and communications technology based in Orlando, Florida.[44]
- Weatherzone (acquired 1 October 2019), a weather information provider based in Australia.[45]
- ClearAg and ClearPath (acquired May 2020 for $12M), a system created by California-based Iteris for monitoring and predicting agricultural conditions and Winter Road Maintenance.[46][47]
- Farm Market iD (acquired February 2021), a provider of aggregated farm and grower data[48] based in Westmont, Illinois.
- Online Fuels (acquired May 2021),[49] a UK-based online trading platform for refined fuels.
MeteoGroup, a private Europe-based weather organisation acquired by parent TBG in September 2018,[50] has been integrated into DTN.[51]
Business sectors
[edit]Aviation
[edit]DTN is one of the main suppliers of weather intelligence to the aviation industry. DTN's weather data and patented algorithms for EDR Turbulence, Icing and (Rapid Developing) Thunderstorms flow directly to airlines and airports or via one of DTN's many partners for Electronic Flight Bags(EFB) and Flight Planning. The data helps keeping crew and passengers safe in the air, especially around turbulence and thunderstorms events. DTN is delivering weather intelligence directly or indirectly to over 250 airlines worldwide. DTN has a large team of Aviation meteorologists in-house who support Aviation customers with (risk)consulting and creating e.g. RAMTAFs.
Agriculture
[edit]DTN's agricultural division sells services to farmers and agribusinesses.
- For farmers and other producers, DTN provides ag market information, insights on market prices and strategies, and detailed weather information and forecasts. DTN also creates applications used by growers to determine the best time to work fields or spray for pests, and offers Adapt-N-based field nitrogen analysis and planning.
- For agribusinesses DTN offers market information and analysis, tools to manage grain trading and communications with growers, weather reports, and other services.
Since 2007 DTN has owned and operated The Progressive Farmer, a 600,000-circulation farm and agribusiness magazine founded in 1886. DTN serves about 50,000 growers in North America and most leading agribusinesses.[27][52]
Weather
[edit]DTN generates weather reports, forecasts, and analysis aimed at consumers in seven sectors: aviation, marine, utilities, renewable energy, transportation, sports, and construction/public safety. Forecasts and reports are based on large data sets that combine proprietary information from DTN's network of 6,000 weather stations with other global content sources. One such source is DTN Services and Systems Spain, where D-ATIS and D-VOLMET systems are manufactured for the company. Combining the various data into a single forecast is done in part through the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Dynamic Integrated foreCast (DICast), a technology licensed from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.[53] DTN employs 120+ professional meteorologists in strategic locations globally.
The company's forecasts were ranked as the most accurate in the US each year since 2006 for predictions of short-term precipitation[1] and high temperatures.[2] WeatherSentry Online is DTN Weather's principal platform.
In October 2024 a technical fault affecting the supplying of data to the United Kingdom's BBC Weather service caused the latter's website and app to incorrectly forecast wind speeds of over 15,000 mph (24,000 km/h) and air temperatures exceeding 400 °C (750 °F).[54][55]
Oil and gas
[edit]In the energy sector DTN focuses on the buying, selling, transportation, and storage of fuel. DTN offers real-time fuel market data, tools to monitor how fuel is distributed, and software for managing and automating fuel storage.
Trading
[edit]Energy trading, and commodity markets are the focus of DTN's trading division. DTN sells streaming market data, tickers, news, historical analysis, stock and option quotes, and other related services. Its principal trading-related product is ProphetX, a software platform built for commodity and equity markets.
Products and services
[edit]Applications
[edit]DTN sells subscriptions to software applications which it makes available through web-based and mobile application platforms. For agriculture, DTN's primary application is MyDTN, an "agriculture application suite" that provides a variety of news, weather, and market information, as well as tools for calculating field nitrogen levels and farm profits.[56] Other applications in the agriculture sector are:
- DTN Ag Weather Tools, an iOS and Android app for weather updates, alerts, and information
- DTN Connect, a web-based CRM tool
- DTN Grain Portal, a web-based tool for managing grain transactions
For weather, DTN's principal application is WeatherSentry which it licenses in various editions tailored to specific markets. Other DTN weather applications:
- AviationSentry, which provides aviation-related weather reports on thunderstorms, turbulence, icing risk, etc.
- Flight Route Alerting, with editions for airlines or helicopters
- MetConsole, a web-based software for managing weather sensors and networks, available in versions tailored to AWOS, ATIS, LLWAS, and regional networks
- RoadCast for road conditions
- Total View RWIS Data Management System
For fuel and energy, DTN markets applications mostly to refineries and large fuel suppliers and buyers. Applications include:
- DTN Allocation Tracker for fuel buyers to see where fuel is available
- DTN Allocation Viewer for fuel sellers to monitor their inventory
- DTN FastRacks for giving real-time fuel prices to buyers
- DTN Fuel Admin for managing electronic bills of lading
- DTN Fuel Buyer for monitoring market conditions and prices
- DTN DataConnect Messaging for back-office document management
- DTN TABS (Terminal Authorization and Billing System) for large sellers to manage loading at their terminals
- DTN TIMS (Terminal Inventory Management System) for large sellers to manage supply and inventory
- DTN Exchange for managing and selling fuel supplies
- DTN Guardian3, a terminal automation system
For trading, DTN's principal application is ProphetX, an application for market data and analysis which it sells in customized editions for commodities, energy, or livestock trading. ProphetX is accessible online and via an iOS or Android app. Other DTN trading applications:
- DTN IQFeed, which provides streaming quotes for stocks, options, and futures
- DTN.IQ, similar to IQFeed but with more analytics
Services
[edit]- Meteorological consulting for airlines, airports, helicopter operators, renewable energy companies, utilities, transportation, and sports.
- DTN AgHost, a service that creates branded websites for ag clients to better communicate with their customers.
Hardware
[edit]DTN sells automated weather stations that can be set up at a member's location to collect local meteorological data, which DTN then uses to produce hyper-local reports and forecasts. Roughly 5,500 stations operate from DTN member farms, part of the company's larger 22,500-station North American weather station network.
DTN also has a Weather Systems group based in Spain and the Netherlands that installs airport weather systems.
The Progressive Farmer
[edit]Since 2007 DTN has owned and operated The Progressive Farmer, a monthly magazine founded in 1886 that focuses on how to operate a successful farm by covering subjects like marketing, management, crop and livestock production, and equipment. The magazine has a national circulation of about 500,000[52] and is based in Birmingham, Alabama.
Past products
[edit]The original radio receivers and video display terminals used to receive DTN broadcasts are now obsolete, but older equipment remains in service in some areas. DTN terminals would display information on a page-by-page basis, and supported the optional attachment of a line printer to create hard copy reports. The basic package contained 40 pages of information, including charts, commentary, news, futures quotes, and weather; the subscription price in 1986 was $210/year.[9]
Operations
[edit]Locations
[edit]DTN is headquartered at offices on Lindau Lane in Bloomington, Minnesota. DTN also operates from its original location on West Dodge Road in Omaha, Nebraska. The company has satellite offices in a number of other US cities:
- Birmingham, Alabama – location of The Progressive Farmer magazine, acquired in 2007.[27]
- Chicago, Illinois
- Springfield, Illinois
- Urbandale, Iowa – location of FarmDayta, acquired in 1996.[17]
- St. Louis, Missouri – location of RevCo, acquired in 2014.[35]
- Hastings, Nebraska
- New York, New York – location of Energy Management Institute, acquired in 2018.[42]
- Plano, Texas – location of Diamond Control Systems, acquired in 2001.[57]
- Houston, Texas – location of Wilkens Weather, acquired in 2017.[40]
- Norman, Oklahoma – Location of WDT
- Grand Forks, North Dakota – Location of the Weather and Agriculture Division of Iteris, acquired in early May 2020
- Sydney, Australia – Location of Weatherzone, acquired 1 October 2019
In Europe, DTN has offices in Antwerp, Utrecht, Madrid, Seville and Appenzell. It also operates an Australian office in Brisbane.
Corporate governance
[edit]DTN is organized into three divisions: DTN Weather, DTN Agriculture and DTN Energy.
Executives
[edit]Since 14 July 2020 the position of President for DTN has been held by Marc Chesover. Other members of DTN's leadership:[58]
- Lars Ewe – Chief Technology Officer
- Doug Bennett – Chief Customer and Strategy Officer
- Marc Norton – Chief Information Security Officer
Previous CEOs
[edit]- Steve Matthesen, CEO (June 2019—July 2020)
- Ron Sznaider, acting CEO (November 2018—June 2019)
- Jerre Stead and Sheryl von Blucher, co-CEOs.[59] (January 2018—November 2018)
- Kip Pendleton[60] (October 2017—January 2018)
- Ron Sznaider (January 2016—September 2017)
Board of directors
[edit]- Marc Chesover – President
- Tom Dilworth – Chief financial officer
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Long-Term Analysis of Short-Term Probability of Precipitation Forecasts" (PDF). ForecastWatch. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
- ^ a b "Long-Term Analysis of Short-Term High Temperature Forecasts" (PDF). ForecastWatch. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
- ^ "Telvent DTN Earns Top Ranking in Independent Weather Service Study for Fourth Straight Year". CNN Money. 3 October 2010. Retrieved 2018-06-28.
- ^ "DTN Hits New Agriculture Weather Station Milestone" (Press release). 29 August 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ^ "Corporate Profile 2017" (PDF). Scoular.com. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
Scoular's roots in agriculture began in 1892 when the company was founded by George Scoular. The company remained under the ownership of the Scoular family until 1967, when it was acquired by a group of grain industry executives led by Marshall Faith.
- ^ Scoular (28 January 2013). "Marshall Faith Honored as Inductee into Greater Omaha Chamber's Hall of Fame". Scoular.com (Press release).
- ^ "Scoular History". Scoular.com. 2017. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ a b "Data Transmission Network Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 1994". Securities and Exchange Commission (sec.gov). 28 March 1995.
Data Transmission Network Corporation was incorporated on September 17, 1987... The company was originally incorporated in Nebraska on April 9, 1984, as Scoular Information Services, Inc., a subsidiary of a regional grain company, later changing its name to Dataline, Inc.
- ^ a b Anderson, Chris (9 September 1986). "Dataline links info, farmers". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Illinois. p. 14. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ Lawless, Jim (14 May 1987). "Firm's future merits a buy". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. pp. 5S. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ Shipman, Kay (31 May 1987). "Farmers tuning in to airwave market". Journal and Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. pp. D1. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "Dataline provides timely news service". The Times and Democrat. Orangeburg, South Carolina. 25 October 1987. pp. 8D. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "Electric card catalog service". The Marshfield News-Herald. Marshfield, Wisconsin. 17 September 1987. p. 15. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ Elbert, David (27 November 1994). "Area firms pioneer new data industry". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. pp. Farm & Country 2. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ LaPlante, Alice (18 July 1994). "Soybeans by Satellite". Computerworld. p. 85. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
Currently, DTN services more than 77,000 subscribers through the agriculture, financial markets and energy industries with satellite broadcasts.
- ^ a b c d Lambert, Emily (28 November 2005). "Weathering It All". Forbes. New York City. p. 92.
Long before the Internet reached the heartland, there was the DTN terminal, a modern-day Farmer's Almanac.
- ^ a b c Ryberg, William (12 May 1997). "FarmDayta dishes it out". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, Iowa. pp. 1B, 8B. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
- ^ "Company Overview of Weather Services Corp". Bloomberg News. 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
- ^ Kelly, Gene (6 November 1994). "Data network firm plugs into profits". The Lincoln Journal-Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. pp. 1C, 4C. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "DTN founder, four others resign". The Lincoln Journal-Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. 26 March 1999. pp. 11A. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "DTN Back On Sales Block, Board Members Resign As Company Changes Tack". WatersTechnology. 29 March 1999. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ "Best of the Web: Agriculture". Forbes. New York City. 10 September 2001. p. 36.
Think Bloomberg for farmers.
- ^ "Banks, turnaround specialists brought in to oversee DTN". 22 December 2003. Retrieved 2018-04-24.
Omaha-based DTN had been run by a representative of private media merchant firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), but the investment group has now turned control over to banks that were owed more than $260 million at the time of bankruptcy filing.
[dead link ] - ^ "DTN Acquires Surface Systems To Enhance Weather Forecasting Services". 16 July 2006.
- ^ Reilly, Mark (16 July 2006). "Meteorlogix parent grows". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Minneapolis. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
The parent of Burnsville-based weather forecaster Meteorlogix has acquired a maker of weather monitors for road and airport runways. Surface Systems Inc. of St. Louis was acquired by Data Transmission Network Corp., the Nebraska company that also owns Meteorlogix. DTN will integrate SSI's weather forecasting customers into its Meteorlogix business.
- ^ DTN (9 May 2007). "DTN Acquires WeatherBank Incorporated's Weather Forecasting Customers" (Press release). Minneapolis: Business Wire. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
- ^ a b c "Progressive Farmer magazine sold". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. 3 January 2007. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
- ^ DTN (29 September 2004). "Meteorlogix and Dow Jones Newswires Announce Agreement for Global Weather Coverage" (Press release). Minneapolis: Business Wire. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "Spanish company Telvent acquires DTN". The Lincoln Journal-Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. 17 September 2008. p. 7A. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
- ^ "Telvent Annual Report". www.sec.gov. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ Schneider Electric (6 January 2011). "Schneider Electric to acquire leading software firm TELVENT to reinforce its solution capability for the smart grid and mission-critical infrastructure" (Press release). Rueil-Malmaison, France: Schneider Electric. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ Lamonica, Martin (1 June 2011). "Schneider Electric buys Telvent smart-grid software". CNET. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
The $2 billion deal is a sign of consolidation among infrastructure equipment suppliers and the growing importance of software in the grid and transportation.
- ^ "History: Telvent is now Schneider Electric". Schneider-electric.com. 2017. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
2008: Telvent acquires DTN Holding Company. 2011: Schneider Electric finalizes its strategic acquisition of Telvent.
- ^ a b Bowker, John; Nussbaum, Ania (3 April 2017). "Schneider Agrees to Sell Telvent DTN to TBG for $900 Million". BloombergQuint. Retrieved 2018-04-30.
- ^ a b "DTN/The Progressive Farmer and Osborn Barr announce licensing agreement" (Press release). St. Louis: Osborn Barr. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
- ^ Monks, Matthew; David, Ruth; Kirchfeld, Aaron (23 August 2016). "Schnedier said to weigh sale of DTN". FarmFutures. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
- ^ Renzetti, Jackie (3 April 2017). "Minneapolis-based DTN sold to Swiss firm for $900M". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "Massive acquisition by low key family office of high profile family". Family Capital. London. 4 April 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ Foxman, Simone (20 October 2017). "Wealthy Families Are Winning Deals Away From Private Equity". Bloomberg Markets. New York City. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
TBG AG, the investment arm of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family that's based in Zürich, wasn't the only buyer interested in DTN, a unit of Schneider Electric SE and provider of weather, fuel, and agricultural data and analysis. Strategic acquirers and private funds were also knocking on the door when Schneider put the unit up for sale... TBG ultimately came out ahead, acquiring the business this year for $900 million.
- ^ a b "DTN Acquires Wilkens Weather Technologies from Rockwell Collins" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 29 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
- ^ "DTN Acquires Spensa Technologies" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 4 April 2018. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
- ^ a b "DTN to Acquire Energy Management Institute" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 10 April 2018. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
- ^ "DTN Signs Agreement to Acquire Weather Decision Technologies" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 8 Oct 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ "DTN Acquires PraxSoft, Strengthens IoT Offering" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
- ^ "DTN Acquires Weatherzone, Australia's Leading Weather Company" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
- ^ "DTN Acquires ClearAg®, Boosts Agronomic Offerings" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
- ^ Kennedy, Patrick (6 May 2020). "Burnsville weather-analytics company bolsters agricultural business with $12M acquisition". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
- ^ "DTN Acquires Farm Market iD®" (Press release). Minneapolis: DTN. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
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