The Tugmaster DC5 – 42 from Douglas Equipment is part of the product line Textron is adding to their Specialized Vehicle Group with their latest acquisition.

Textron has acquired Douglas Equipment, a UK-based supplier of ground support equipment to airlines, from Curtiss-Wright Flow Controls. Douglas Equipment will become part of the Textron’s subsidiary Textron Specialized Vehicle Group which manufacturers golf cars, utility vehicles and ground support equipment under brands such as E-Z-GO, Cushman, Bad Boy Buggies and TUG. The subsidiary already sells ground support equipment to airlines under the TUG brand and Douglas Equipment products are expected to complement those products. Douglas Equipment specializes in conventional aircraft tractors and runway friction measuring devices. Textron management expects the acquisition to expand their ground support equipment product line and add customers. Learn more:  Zacks.com

Comment:  Golf car manufacturers are looking for new growth areas with the continued decline of the golf fleet market. They are attempting to do this with new product offerings to boost sales in existing markets or to target new markets. Another method is through complementary acquisitions such as this. What we haven’t seen yet is an acquisition in a completely untapped market, such as an acquisition in the recreational vehicle segment of the STOV market. While golf car manufacturers have made some moves into the off-road UTV segment, it has been primarily been with work vehicles with some light recreational crossover applications but nothing in the purely recreational segment.