Mergers and acquisitions
Acquisitions are important to our growth strategy. They strengthen our offerings, accelerate innovation, and take ASSA ABLOY into new geographic markets – enabling us to meet customer demands more rapidly.
With more than 200 acquisitions during the last 16 years, we have established an efficient process for bringing new companies into the Group. This includes reviewing sustainability related issues, sharing the company’s Code of Conduct and way of doing business with prospective companies, and taking steps to help newly acquired companies raise their standards where necessary.
We prefer to acquire sound companies that share our values and business practices, and the successful integration of acquired companies is an essential part of mitigating risks.
Risk management
We have identified the main areas of potential risks , all of which are covered by Legal and Operational due diligence. Our Group-wide sustainability management program – including targets, semi-annual reporting, supply chain management, and Group-wide policies – manages risk in the following areas:
- Significant environmental pollution (soil, ground water, and air)
- Manufacturing processes that use hazardous substances
- Supplier base in low-cost countries
- Poor business ethics, including possible Code of Conduct breaches (labor rights, human rights, corruption, etc.)
- Proper permissions
- Safety
The acquisition process
Our Group-wide acquisition process is divided into four phases: strategy, assessment, implementation, and integration. Each phase has its own predefined activities, decision processes and documentation requirements. Within these phases there are three main due diligence processes that help us decide whether to pursue the acquisition, and what action would need to be taken if the acquisition is completed:
- Financial and tax
- Legal – including employment contracts, payment processes, wages and insurance
- Operational – including the use of chemicals and compliance
An excessive number of red flags in the Legal and Operational due dilligence processes related to sustainability may mean that the acquisition process is abandoned indefinitely. The supplier base of the potential company is also investigated and aims to identify risks and potential synergies.
Read about our latest acquistions
Related links
Environmental Product Declarations
We are dedicated to constantly evaluate and minimise the ecological effects of our products and services. Through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) we present and communicate the results of our products’ sustainability performance.
Our Code of Conduct shows the way
The Code of Conduct provides the framework for our daily operations and includes guidelines for business ethics, human rights and labor standards, environmental and health and safety.Keep up to date with our sustainability progress
Read our annual reports as we set ambitious five-year programs to be more sustainable than ever.Solutions for the future
How our approach to innovation is unlocking a more sustainable future for us and our customers.Stepping up targets to tackle climate change
How we are stepping up targets and constantly improving ways of working across every part of our business.Sustainability starts with our people
Building empowered, diverse teams in a safer workplace is central to our sustainability plans.Developing a sustainable supply chain
How meeting our obligations to our people, our customers and our planet means managing our supply chain responsibly.Sustainability governance
We are aligned with the objectives of the SDGs, with a focus on six SDGs in particular.
BREEAM | ASSA ABLOY
BREEAM is a green building certification system. It covers areas like management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, pollution, and innovation. Some ASSA ABLOY products that can help with BREEAM certification include door closers, door openers, and door seals.
