Telvent announced today that it has acquired DTN.
Telvent (NASDAQ: TLVT), the IT company for a sustainable and secure world, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire one hundred percent of U.S.-based business information services provider, DTN Holding Company, Inc. (DTN), headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The acquisition represents an all cash purchase of DTN for a total enterprise value of $445 million U.S. dollars (approx. 310 million Euros), to be financed through a combination of fully funded senior indebtedness and the issuance of common equity. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008 and is subject to customary regulatory and shareholder approvals.
The acquisition of DTN marks another important strategic step in Telvent fulfilling its vision to help build a sustainable world, by adding an important new segment – agriculture – and by strengthening its 
existing energy, transportation and environment segments. DTN has a large list of world class customers in the areas of downstream refined fuels, wind farms, grain producers, agribusinesses, biofuels producers, departments of transportation and aviation companies, among others.
Robert Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of DTN commented, “We are thrilled about the future with Telvent, which will allow us to develop a long-term plan headed to better serve our customers with the information and systems that they need to make day-to-day critical decisions. We see many opportunities to integrate our services and achieve extensive new growth on a global scale, while allowing our professionals to develop their careers in a solid global company”.
It seemed like the ABN Show midday here at the Farm Science Review. The BARN has a nice barn. Here’s Andy and Lindsay just before their big announcement today.
Also on hand to commemorate the announcement was University of Ohio President, Dr. E. Gordon Gee. He said this was an exciting day for him since ABN Radio founder (deceased), Ed Johnson, was his friend and he knows that Ed would be proud of this announcement and to see Andy and Lindsay carry on his legacy.
Well here I am at the 
Another day, off to another farm show. After Cindy and I got in to St. Louis last night we re-grouped and re-packed. She’s going to be attending an event for Agrotain in St. Louis today while I’m on my way to Columbus, OH and the 
I like the way Fran Fischler, President of the IFAJ Congress 2008, started his remarks at the end of the event.
The new President of IFAJ is Mike Wilson, Farm Progress Companies.
Then during our final dinner of the IFAJ Congress in Portoroz Mike took the microphone as the new man in charge. 
The final night’s activities at the IFAJ Congress was a historic event for me. The only IFAJ President I’ve ever known up until this Congress was David Markey and this was when he turned the reins over to a new leader. 
Then David had some time to talk about his opportunity to serve IFAJ as President. If you know David then you know that he’s a professional and a businessman. I think he brought the organization a new outlook that has helped it to grow significantly. He looks at things a little differently than your average person with an insight that comes from years of successful business management. 
Here’s something you just don’t see much any more. Telephone booths. I remember when we used to be able to unscrew the mouthpieces and plug our recorders into them with alligator clips to send audio back home. I also remember moving to Missouri and stopping at one of these in north Illinois during the winter to call home when the wind chill was about 10 below. I like emailing or uploading from the warm comfort of my room now!