Follow the “People’s Tree” In Real-time Via the Capitol Christmas Tree Website
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 29, 2014 — PeopleNet® (www.peoplenetonline.com), a Trimble company and leading provider of fleet mobility technology, today announced that it is providing real-time tracking of the 2014 Capitol Christmas Tree’s cross-country journey to the Nation’s Capitol in conjunction with its sister company ALK, a global leader in GeoLogistics® solutions and navigation software. Using specialized enterprise solutions for worldwide routing, mileage, mapping and visualization, PeopleNet and ALK will provide real-time tracking of the Capitol Christmas Tree as it travels from the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota to the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. via the website www.capitolchristmastree.com.
"Aiding in the transportation logistics of an 80-foot-tall white spruce on a semi-truck from Minnesota to the Washington DC is an exciting event for PeopleNet and ALK,” said Brian McLaughlin, President of PeopleNet. “We are proud to be a part of a 50-year tradition and are eager to utilize our asset tracking technology in a way that allows everyone to follow along and participate in the delivery of this year’s ‘People’s Tree.’”
“This year’s tour is only possible with the help of strong community partnerships throughout Minnesota and beyond state lines,” said Bruce Ward, founder of Choose Outdoors, the nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service, whose mission is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations “We’re grateful for the time and resources PeopleNet and ALK are providing to make this the best tour to date.”
The tree will be cut during a public ceremony Oct. 29 and will then be moved to Bemidji State University, where it will be prepared for the nearly 2,000-mile cross-country expedition. With great fanfare, the tree – a whopping 80-foot plus white spruce– will leave the Chippewa National Forest followed by a caravan of caretakers for the journey to the U.S. Capitol. More than 30 celebrations are being planned during the tour, culminating with the official tree lighting in early December. Seventy companion trees also will be provided by the Minnesota Christmas Tree Growers Association to decorate the inside of the U.S. Capitol building and other sites throughout Washington, D.C., in addition to 10,000 ornaments created by children and others from Minnesota communities representing the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”
More information about the People’s Tree events and tour, plus a map of the tree’s travel in real-time will be available at www.capitolchristmastree.com.
About ALK
ALK, a Trimble Company and global leader in GeoLogistics solutions and navigation software, is focused on developing innovative solutions for transportation, logistics, mobile workforces and consumers. Product lines include award-winning CoPilot, a leading source of GPS navigation software for fleets, mobile operators, hardware OEMs, systems integrators, professional drivers and consumers. ALK’s PC*MILER is widely recognized as the industry standard for routing, mileage and mapping. ALK Maps is a development platform designed for the transportation industry and provides commercial routing, geocoding and mapping visualization for enterprise applications.
For more information on ALK, visit: www.alk.com or follow us at: www.twitter.com/ALKTech.
About PeopleNet
PeopleNet provides fleet mobility technology for North America’s land transportation industry that enables greater levels of safety, compliance, cost reduction and customer service. The company’s fleet mobility system combines network communications, mobility and analytics to create the next-generation standard in technology-driven fleet performance and decision-making management. Its products are used by more than 2,000 truckload, LTL, private, and energy services fleets in the United States and Canada, including several Fortune 500 companies. Industry recognition of the company’s leadership includes: Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award, Inbound Logistics Top 100 Award; Food Logistics’ 100 Top Technology Solutions and Service Providers; Frost & Sullivan Market Engineering Award; and M2M Value Chain Award. PeopleNet is a Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) Company and part of its international Transportation and Logistics Division. PeopleNet was named as a key factor in Trimble’s top ranking by ABI Research’s 2013 Commercial Fleet Telematics Competitive Assessment. For more information about PeopleNet and its products, call (888) 346-3486, or visit www.peoplenetonline.com.
Media contacts: Adam Curtis at adam@abelcommunications.com or (443) 869- 2197 ext.142