Las Vegas — Against a backdrop of rapid technological advancement, Trimble’s CEO delivered a powerful keynote at this year’s Trimble Dimensions conference in Las Vegas, presenting a vision for the future of construction and design centered on connection and transformation. Rob Painter set the stage with a compelling metaphor, drawing a parallel between Trimble’s journey and the relentless progression of the Olympic Games, where world records are shattered, new techniques are introduced, and the very definition of excellence is redefined with each passing year.
Painter invited the audience to imagine 1988, the Summer Olympics in Seoul, where American sprinter Carl Lewis took gold in the 100 meters with a time of 9.92 seconds. Fast forward to the most recent games in Paris: the last-place finisher in this year’s 100-meter race crossed the line faster than Lewis’s record-breaking time. This moment, Painter argued, encapsulates the dizzying pace of advancement not only in sports but in the world of construction and design as well. “Even if you’re at the top of your game today, one year—or one moment—might not be enough to keep you there,” he said. In a world moving as fast as ours, companies must keep pace with change or risk falling behind.
This year, Trimble framed its strategy around what it called the “power of connection.” Using the Olympics as a metaphor for continually rising standards, Painter urged attendees to embrace an industry redefined by digital connections, integrated workflows, and artificial intelligence. “The power of connection is the core of this revolution,” he emphasized, outlining Trimble’s plans to link people, data, workflows, and ecosystems into a connected digital fabric that will underpin the construction industry’s future.
