Quixote Traffic Corp.

Source: Manufacturing Digital

Date :27/07/2007 16:52:35

Quixote Traffic is at the forefront of supplying traffic control products that ensure a safe driving experience for motorists.

Written and produced by Megan Santosus & Patrick Harlow

Like the weather, many people like to complain about traffic, but few are doing anything about it.

That’s not the case with the employees who work at Quixote Traffic Corp., a Palmetto, Fla.,-based company that manufactures traffic control products such as signals, toll collection systems and video vehicle detection systems.

Quixote Traffic has been operating for approximately 10 years and is actually comprised of two companies: Peek Traffic Corp., and U.S. Traffic Corp.

Peek has facilities in three states; one of Peek’s innovative products is AxleLight, a non-intrusive infrared axle sensor. U.S. Traffic, meanwhile, has manufacturing operations in California and Mexico.

Both of U.S. Traffic’s facilities are ISO-9001:2000 certified; every facet of manufacturing, from product design, sales order entry through shipping and service are carried out in accordance with stringent quality standards. In addition, the current ISO certification takes into account totally quality management by monitoring and tracking customer satisfaction.

Quixote Traffic is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quixote Corp., a Chicago-based company with approximately 1,000 employees and $161 million in annual revenue. Quixote Traffic is the Intersection Control Group of the parent company.

In late 2006, Quixote Traffic underwent a restructuring, which resulted in a reduction in non-core product lines that were deemed less critical to the company’s traffic monitoring and intersection control portfolio of products. Quixote Traffic now focuses on traffic controllers and detectors, traffic and pedestrian signals, tolling products, battery back-up systems and software solutions.

Given the limited nature of its primary customer base — federal governments, state governments municipalities and other public sector entities both domestic and international, Quixote Traffic’s prospects are inherently linked to the vagaries of tax revenues, transportation bills and the health of public budgets.

Domestically, the market for highway and traffic control products is directly affected by policies of federal, state and local governments. (Quixote Traffic also sells its various products to contractors, distributors and airports).

With its restructuring complete, Quixote Traffic’s prospects over the next couple of years appear promising. A current federal highway bill enacted in 2005 sets aside more than $286 billion in funds for highway projects; priority will be given to projects that focus on improving safety and relieving congestion. The bill expires in 2009, so Quixote Traffic has a couple of years to capitalize on new business opportunities for its products.

According to the company’s website, Quixote will try to expand its business by focusing on a mix of core and new products. To market and sell its products, Quixote Traffic relies on an extensive network of distributors, many of which have been trusted partners for years. For example, one distributor, NorthEast Signal in Elbridge, N.Y., has worked with Quixote Traffic since it was formed.

Recently, NorthEast Signal was asked by Quixote Traffic to present its AxleLight sensor product at a conference for highway traffic data put on by the New York State Department of Transportation. Potentially, Quixote Traffic working in conjunction with NorthEast Signal can provide New York state with anywhere from 1,000 to 5,000 traffic control systems.

Quixote is focused on research and development, and the AxleLight is an example of how the company takes an old, time-trusted idea and improves upon it.

The AxleLight’s infrared technology replaces the traditional method for collecting traffic data — namely, laying out a rubber tube and nailing it down across a roadway. The rubber tube is connected to a counter; as cars pass over the tube, air is pushed to the counter which then determines the number of axles by dividing the sum by two. This method of traffic data collection requires a technician to manually install the tube on both sides of a roadway.

In contrast, with the AxleLight system, a technician simply installs the system on a guardrail along one side of the road; the infrared beam effectively operates much like the rubber tube, with axles counted once they are hit by a laser beam. AxleLight is a non-intrusive way for transportation departments to collect traffic data so that they can plan any road projects accordingly.

To sell the system, Quixote is promoting the idea of improved safety for both the technicians — who now don’t have to install anything in the roadway — and for drivers whose cars no longer face damage from a rubber tube that becomes unsecured.

Quixote is also positioning the system as a vehicle classification device; when two AxleLight units are used in conjunction with a Quixote Data Recorder, transportation departments can determine what types of vehicles — cars, pick-up trucks, four axle tractor trailers, dump trucks, etc. — are using their roads. Such information is useful for making plans to alleviate congestion or build new roadways.

The battery-powered AxleLight sensor system is backward compatible with existing Quixote Traffic products; the sensor plugs right into Quixote’s Automatic Data Recorder series of products.

The AxleLight sensor has been demonstrated for a number of states and has been favorably received, according to Quixote Traffic. What’s needed to turn the nascent interest into actual sales is secured funding from transportation departments.

In anticipation of future needs in the marketplace, Quixote Traffic and NorthEast Signal are currently teaming up to promote video detection and uninterruptible power supply products.

Considering that traffic congestion is a growing problem, Quixote Traffic is doing everything it can to make the most of its opportunities.