Vermeer launches equipment registration program with NER to combat equipment theft

National Equipment Register (NER), a leading source of information about equipment theft risk, announced June 13 a data sharing arrangement with Vermeer Corporation to help Vermeer customers combat equipment theft. NER is a division of the Verisk Crime Analytics unit at Verisk Analytics.

NER operates a national database of equipment theft and ownership reports to help law enforcement identify the owners of equipment suspected to be stolen. Through the database, more than 45 million pieces of stolen equipment have been recovered. By registering all new underground utility installation, tree care, and agricultural equipment, as well as providing a historical download of equipment manufactured during the past 20 years on NER’s HELPtech database, Vermeer is offering a valuable service to its clients. This arrangement will enhance the likelihood that law enforcement can quickly identify the true owner of a Vermeer machine 24 hours a day. HELPtech registration decals further mitigate risk through deterring theft.

“We believe that this relationship is one more way to serve our Vermeer customers better,” stated Lois Slings, product liability risk manager at Vermeer.

“By providing new point-of-sale data and the historical download of equipment sold, Vermeeer has taken a proactive step to help its clients protect their assets,” added Ryan Shepherd, operations manager at NER. “Because of this step, it just became a riskier proposition for criminals to steal or try to sell stolen Vermeer equipment in the used market.”