Technology services company Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), Sunnyvale, CA, has acquired Trade Service Company, LLC, San Diego, CA, from the GF Capital Private Equity Fund, LP and senior management. Trade Service is a provider of standardized product and price information to the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, industrial, automotive and office products industries. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Trade Service suite of content and pricing solutions allows distributors and contractors of all sizes instant access to current product pricing and specification data within a Web-based environment. As a subscription service, contractors can log into the system to search and find products, compare pricing from hundreds of manufacturers and choose the best component(s) for their estimate. 

Also offered as a service through the Trade Service API, the specification and pricing data can be used by third-party software vendors to extend functionality into existing estimating and pricing solutions.

"Real-time specification and pricing information are key elements to the construction bidding process as well as the overall building construction lifecycle," said Bryn Fosburgh, Trimble vice president. "Tightly integrating Trade Service data into Trimble's estimating solutions as well as using the information to extend the value of BIM data to the owner is a strategic goal of connecting key workflows across the design, build and operate continuum."

The Trade Service business will be reported as part of Trimble's Engineering and Construction segment.