26 Mar 2004 -- PowerLinx, Inc. Becomes Commercial Member of the Family Motor Coach Association
PowerLinx Vision System(TM) Promotes Safety for RV Communities
TIERRA VERDE, Fla., March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PowerLinx, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: PWLX - News), the leader in power line communication products, has become a Commercial Member (#C10012) of the Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA), www.fmca.com, an international organization for families who own and enjoy the recreational use of motor homes.
FMCA members also include numerous commercial recreational vehicle segments: dealers, manufacturers, and RV component suppliers. FMCA members can be identified by the FMCA "goose egg," or membership emblem, displayed on their motor home. This metal oval plate, embossed with the family's membership number, identifies FMCA members for friendly encounters while traveling. The association consists of over 140,000 members in the U.S. and Canada.
PowerLinx intends to sell and market the Company's innovative PowerLinx Vision System(TM) ("PLVS") through its affiliation with this well-known and respected RV organization to provide a safer RV experience. The PLVS(TM) system is PowerLinx's patented power line on board rear & side vision camera system. The system uses PowerLinx's patented analog power line technology, consisting of small environmentally sealed transmitter and receiver modules, which connect to a vehicle's wiring harness. Video from side or rear-vision cameras is sent to the driver via PLC (power line carrier) for viewing on a flat-panel or green phosphorous video display. Since the PLVS system accepts standard EIA/RS-170 video signals, the technology can be retrofitted to a wide variety of equipment. This functionality is sold in a variety of configurations, from single-camera rear vision systems, to multiple-camera systems with automated switching controls and DC digital video recorders.
The system enhances vehicle safety and provides enhanced loss prevention through reduced accident rates which is expected to lower insurance rates and improve driver working conditions.
Recreational vehicle owners began adopting rear vision systems in Class A motor homes several years ago. However, the greater portions of RVs are towables (over 50%), which present the same challenges for adopting rear- vision systems as tractor-trailer combinations: the difficult task of connecting a coaxial cable between the tow vehicle and the trailer. PowerLinx believes its PLVS(TM) system is the only power line product on the market that provides video transmission through the existing wiring harness, from tow vehicle to trailer, on all makes and models.
There were 320,800 new recreational vehicles manufactured in 2003 in the United States, valued at $12.1B, according to statistics reported by the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association with growth rates estimated to be 2-3% annually. In addition, RVIA reports, there are more than 7.2 million registered RVs already in use in the United States today. Including the number of enthusiasts and renters, the number of RV users exceeds 30 million.
The Company recently engaged the services of a manufacturers' representative group lead by Mr. William Verity to augment the Company's internal sales and marketing efforts. Mr. Verity has nearly twenty-five years of sales and service in the Recreational Vehicle Industry. He and his team are selling and marketing the PLVS(TM) system through his affiliated website: www.rvenjoyment.com. In addition, his group is actively developing PLVS(TM) dealers throughout the United States along with providing installation instructions and service support: http://www.rvenjoyment.com/plvsinstructions/