ASSA ABLOY has grown to secure homes and businesses worldwide

The merger between ASSA and Abloy in 1994 brought together people with extensive knowledge of the lock market. At this time there was a fundamental trend toward higher security, driven by the increased material prosperity of people and businesses.

The immediate challenges were to create better profitability and to begin expansion through acquisitions.

IKON, a premium brand in the West German market, had struggled in the wake of the reunification of Germany. Production was inefficient and delivery times devastating for customer confidence. Thanks to a three-year regeneration plan, by 1996 the company had turned its losses into a profit.

With the acquisition of US company ESSEX, the second largest door and lock player in the US, in 1995, ASSA ABLOY became 60 percent larger and turned into one of the largest lock companies in the world – a major milestone.

New decade sees large-scale expansion

The early 2000s were characterized by three large acquisitions. Yale was the market leader in a number of attractive markets where ASSA ABLOY had little or no presence, notably China. With the stroke of a pen, ASSA ABLOY’s sales jumped 45 percent when the agreement was signed in 2000.

In the same year the acquisition of the US company HID was of highly strategic value. Management knew that electronics had revolutionary potential for the industry. This is exactly where HID had its presence, especially in Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID). It was based on contactless identification through cards and readers that did not require the physical possession of keys.

The last of the three major purchases was Swedish company Besam, specializing in automatic technology for swing, sliding, and revolving doors.  

With the company growing rapidly, a new Group-wide brand strategy was developed and launched in 2001 with a corporate identity program. In 2003, four divisions were created: Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), Asia Pacific, and Global Technologies.

Innovating amid rapid changes

Organic growth was also vital to long-term success and demanded a constant flow of new, innovative and sustainable products. Shared Technologies, a Group-wide organization was created 2005 and plays an important role in the innovation processes.

Recent developments have seen the smartphone begin to serve as a key and ID badge. Seos was launched in 2012 and is the world’s first commercial ecosystem for digital keys – where smartphones replace conventional keys and access cards in homes and in workplaces.

Another area subject to rapid change is the Group’s environmental obligations. The first official mention of environmental concerns appeared in the 1996 annual report. The emphasis was on a philosophy about the optimal use of resources from a life cycle perspective. Since then sustainability features have become increasingly important and they are integrated in our products and our manufacturing operations.

We started as a traditional Nordic-based lock company and have now evolved into the global leader in access solutions. This is an accomplishment that we should all take immense pride in.

Our successful journey is the result of our gradual evolution from being focused mainly on the door itself to having a wider perspective on our business and what we offer our customers. We’ve earned our market-leading position through strong growth and innovation in the core areas of our access solutions, such as efficient door openings, trusted identities and entrance automation.

Today there are over 1 billion locks and doors that the Group developed, manufactured, and sold. And each day hundreds of millions of people rattle the ASSA ABLOY keys in their pocket, pull out their cards, and click their way in through doors, while experiencing security for themselves and their families.