Valmont Industries Gains Nationwide Drone Waiver from FAA

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Valmont Industries, Inc. (NYSE: VMI), a global leader that provides vital infrastructure and advances agricultural productivity while driving innovation through technology, is pleased to announce that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the company a nationwide Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver.

The BVLOS waiver gives Valmont the ability to fly their multi-hour capable unmanned drones for commercial inspections of utility lines across the nation at a moment’s notice, eliminating the need to wait for geographic approval from the FAA. In addition to the removal of the geographic restriction, the entire diverse fleet of Valmont’s unmanned aerial systems were included.

“This nationwide waiver goes hand in hand with the primary goal of Valmont providing our customers more efficient and timely service through technology,” says Angi Chamberlain, vice president UAS Technology Services for Valmont. “Using drone technology allows us to reduce costs and provide an improved alternative to manned aviation.”

Using drone technology allows Valmont to collect high-resolution images and infrastructure performance data safely and quickly. It also opens the door to future waivers as the company moves toward a completely autonomous solution.

“To our knowledge, we are one of the first five entities to receive this waiver arrangement,” explains Aaron Schapper, Valmont group president Infrastructure. “We see this as a clear endorsement from the FAA, acknowledging that Valmont has the right people, training, technology and a proven history for continuous advancement of operational innovation.”

About Valmont Industries, Inc.

For over 75 years, Valmont^® has been a global leader in creating vital infrastructure and advancing agricultural productivity. Today, we remain committed to doing more with less by innovating through technology. Learn more about how we’re Conserving Resources. Improving Life.^® at valmont.com.