Dover Completes Acquisition of Soft-Pak Software Solutions

Environmental Solutions Group (ESG) announced that Dover Corporation, ESG's ultimate parent entity, has completed the previously announced acquisition of So. Cal. Soft-Pak, Inc., a leading independent provider of integrated back office, route management and customer relationship management software solutions to the waste and recycling fleet industry. Soft-Pak will now become part of Dover's ESG business unit.

The acquisition of San Diego-based Soft-Pak expands ESG's existing digital solutions with innovative in-cab route management and strong back office solutions that help fleet owners better manage their business.

"With the addition of Soft-Pak, ESG now offers a robust and comprehensive digital solution for any fleet owner looking to make better, smarter operational decisions," said Pat Carroll, president of ESG, in a statement. "Our suite of productivity-oriented offerings is wide-ranging and includes Heil and Curotto-Can equipment, 3rd Eye's vehicle safety and analytics offerings like powertrain and refuse body performance data and now also Soft-Pak's tablet-based route management software and industry-leading back office solutions. We are very excited about what the two teams can deliver to our waste and recycling fleet customers in the near future."

Soft-Pak has a 30-year track record of serving hundreds of waste and recycling fleets nationwide with innovative software solutions tailored to a customer's unique needs. In 2014, Soft-Pak launched the highly innovative and successful Mobile-Pak in-cab cloud-based tablet solution that includes real-time GPS tracking and route management, along with other customer service and billing functions that make digital integration of a hauler's fleet easier.

"We are very pleased to be welcomed into the ESG family and see this development as a win-win for Soft-Pak employees and customers of both Soft-Pak and ESG, many of whom we share," said Brian Porter, president of Soft-Pak, in a statement. "We will deliver superior productivity and value to our customers by combining Soft-Pak's solutions and the breadth of ESG offerings, such as 3rd Eye analytics and Heil refuse bodies."

"When you look at the power of Soft-Pak's Mobile-Pak route management tablet offering, and its customer service and billing software, combined with 3rd Eye's gateway and rich stream of body and chassis data, you have a digital powerhouse of both asset and end customer data," added Carroll. "When these offerings are combined with a Heil Half/Pack Front Loader, you have a system that sends relevant data from the time a hauler leaves its yard until it has finished with its route. This helps fleet owners run more efficient and reliable operations and deliver superior service to their customers. Soft-Pak is an integral part of the overall customer experience, and one that helps differentiate ESG from other offerings."

"Fleet mobile assets are now able to produce rich operational insights and integrated solutions that allow owners to smartly apply those insights to drive down the total cost of collections for the refuse and recycling industry by reducing driver turnover, missed stops, overloaded containers, unnecessary fuel-related cost, repairs and, most importantly, safety incidents on our roads," he added. "Digital technologies are transforming the industry for our drivers, the mechanics, customers and communities, and we are excited to lead the way into the future for our industry."

Soft-Pak will be a part of all ESG tradeshows and will be featured at this year's WasteExpo. In addition, Soft-Pak products and services will be represented at regional ESG Roadshows, starting with the Heil of Texas Roadshow held on March 16 in Austin, Texas.