Garmin 2002 Annual Report Download - page 16

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In late 2002, Garmin announced a major expansion for our
Olathe, Kansas facility, with completion scheduled for 2004.
This project will include additional space to support the company’s
current and future research and development needs, expansion
of the customer call center, additional warehouse facilities and
other business needs.
Garmin (Europe) Ltd. in Romsey, U.K. expanded its warehouse
capacity by 30 percent last year and is expected to need additional
space for future growth. Increased demand for Garmin’s consumer
products necessitated the installation of two new automated
assembly lines at the Shijr, Taiwan facility. These additions have
helped Garmin increase capacity and obtain even greater precision
and quality in the production of our recreational, marine and
automotive products.
Beyond buildings and equipment, Garmin initiated plans in 2002
for upgrading its MRPII (manufacturing resource planning) system.
Over the next couple of years, Garmin will implement Oracle’s
E-Business suite, a fully integrated enterprise suite of business
applications and supporting technologies. The Oracle ERP
(enterprise resource planning) system will allow for a higher level
of systems integration among Garmin’s major business entities
in Taiwan, Europe and the United States. It will also improve
efficiencies and aid Garmin’s ability to serve customers thanks
to features like advanced call routing and e-mail functions.
Innovative technologies born of the best resources
Garmin is a company that encourages fresh thinking and new
solutions. In 2002, Garmin obtained a total of 33 U.S. patents
for various designs and technologies. That brings our total
patent count to 97 as of March 7, 2003, and we have over 100
additional patents pending. Of the new patents issued in 2002,
among the most significant were those for the Rino two-way
radio with GPS. Rino is the first two-way radio with patented
position reporting, which allows for sending and receiving GPS
location data. Another new patent that will cover a lot of
ground for Garmin is one protecting our TracBack
®
navigation
feature, which lets GPS users automatically retrace their path.
Proof of Garmin’s commitment to research and development
lies in our investment in state-of-the-art facilities and other
resources. Last year, Garmin completed construction of its own
flight test and certification facility near Olathe. This facility sup-
ports the testing, installation and certification of all aviation
products, including Garmin’s integrated cockpit system, which
is currently in development.
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