Garmin® wins two DAME Design Awards for Force™ and GPSMAP® 86i

OLATHE, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN), the world’s leading marine electronics manufacturer¹, today announced it was honored with wins in two categories in the 2019 DAME Design Awards, an annual competition that celebrates marine equipment design. The Garmin
Force trolling motor
and the
GPSMAP 86i marine handheld
with inReach^® satellite communication capabilities received top DAME accolades in the ‘Machinery, Propulsion, Mechanical and Electrical Systems and Fittings,’ and ‘Marine Electronics and Marine Related Software’ categories, respectively, at the METSTRADE show in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nov. 19-21, 2019.

“It’s an honor to win two of the seven DAME categories as these awards recognize equipment that excel in design, aesthetics, functionality and integration – all qualities and standards that we pride ourselves in delivering with every Garmin product”

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This year’s DAME awards included 118 entries spanning 27 countries. From there, a jury of industry and design experts and media representatives selected 59 “nominee” products before awarding top honors by category.

“It’s an honor to win two of the seven DAME categories as these awards recognize equipment that excel in design, aesthetics, functionality and integration – all qualities and standards that we pride ourselves in delivering with every Garmin product,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales. “Whether it’s in a new product category for us like propulsion, or with an established product line like GPSMAP, we remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver the most innovative products available on the water.”

With 30 percent more power² than the leading competition, Force enables anglers to move from one dock or brush pile to the next quicker, throttle back with ease when they need to fish slow, and stand up better to currents. Force is also the most efficient trolling motor available, so anglers can count on it to fish all day. Its high-efficiency brushless motor operates at either 36V or 24V, and when running at 24V, Force delivers comparable thrust to competitors’ 36V motors. And thanks to that unique brushless motor, Force operates with almost undetectable levels of sonar and motor noise both below and above the water.

Force is the first trolling motor to include built-in industry-leading Garmin CHIRP traditional and Ultra High-Definition ClearVü and SideVü scanning sonars. It wirelessly integrates with Garmin chartplotters and thanks to its built-in heading sensor and GPS, Force offers precise virtual anchor lock to help anglers lock their boat onto their fishing spot quickly and accurately. Force can also be controlled by the convenient wireless foot pedal that provides instant control and responsiveness, or by the included wireless remote that features anchor lock, autopilot functionality and simple point-and-go gesture steering.

Since its debut this summer, the Force trolling motor was also selected as the Best Boating Accessory at the 2019 ICAST tradeshow, then later crowned the overall ICAST Best of Show winner. Force is available now and offered with a 50-inch or 57-inch adjustable shaft for suggested retail prices of $3099.99 and $3199.99.

The GPSMAP 86 series offers Garmin inReach two-way messaging and location tracking technology³, so no matter how far off shore the trip may be, it’s easy to stay in touch. Using the worldwide coverage of the Iridium^® satellite network, the GPSMAP 86i allows users to communicate with any cell phone number, email address or other inReach device while using GPS to track and share progress of the journey. If the user enables LiveTrack, friends and family on shore can follow along by viewing the user’s location. In the event of an emergency, mariners can use the GPSMAP 86i to trigger an interactive SOS for emergency help from a 24/7 GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center. The world leader in emergency response solutions and monitoring, GEOS will alert emergency responders and provide updates to the user’s key contacts, while also continuing to message back and forth with the user, until the situation is resolved.

With a sunlight-readable, 3-inch color display and water-resistant⁴, floating design, the GPSMAP 86 marine handheld series can connect wireless to onboard Garmin chartplotters and instruments to stream real-time boat data. They even double as a remote control for convenient operation of an onboard Garmin autopilot or select FUSION^® marine stereos and speakers. Wireless unit-to-unit connectivity also lets users remotely connect any of the GPSMAP 86 series handhelds to send and receive inReach messages on the chartplotter.

The GPSMAP 86 marine handheld series was introduced at this year’s Newport Boat Show, where it was also named the Best New Electronics Product. It’s available now with suggested retail prices ranging from $399.99 to $649.99.

Garmin was recently named Manufacturer of the Year for the fifth consecutive year by the NMEA (National Marine Electronics Association), an honor given to the most recognized marine electronics company for support of products in the field. Garmin’s portfolio includes some of the industry’s most sophisticated chartplotters and touchscreen multifunction displays, sonar technology, high-definition radar, autopilots, high-resolution mapping, sailing instrumentation, audio, entertainment and other products and services that are known for innovation, reliability, and ease-of-use. Other Garmin marine brands include FUSION Entertainment, Navionics^®—a premier supplier of navigation charts, and EmpirBus™.

For more than 30 years, Garmin has pioneered new GPS navigation and wireless devices and applications that are designed for people who live an active lifestyle. Garmin serves five primary business units, including automotive, aviation, fitness, marine, and outdoor recreation. For more information, visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at garmin.com/newsroom, contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200, or follow us at facebook.com/garmin, twitter.com/garminnews, or youtube.com/garmin.

¹ Based on 2018 reported sales.

² In compliance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) requirements for small craft static thrust.

³ Satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communications devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.

⁴ Rated to IPX7 standards.

About Garmin International, Inc.: Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin, GPSMAP, inReach, FUSION and Navionics are registered trademarks and Force and EmpirBus are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2018, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at http://www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.