business news Assa Abloy acquires three companies Stockholm, Sweden and Dallas, Tx (USA) Assa Abloy has acquired Demoteller, a leading provider of instant issuance solutions for the financial market in North America, Nassau in Denmark, an important European supplier of industrial overhead sectional doors, and Mauer, a leading manufacturer of cylinders and locks and a leading supplier of locking products in Bulgaria. Demoteller was established in 1983 and has some 32 employees. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Sales in the next year are expected to reach USD 10 million with a good EBIT margin. The acquisition will be accretive to EPS from start. ”Demoteller is an exciting technological addition to the Assa Abloy Group. The company complements our current offering within secure issuance solutions. The acquisition of Demoteller considerably enhances the Group´s position within secure issuance and will provide complementary growth opportunities”, says Johan Molin, President and CEO of Assa Abloy. Nassau was established in 1970 and has some 360 employees. The company is headquartered in Ringe, Denmark. Sales for 2016 are expected to reach DKK 440 M. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close during Q3 2016. ”I welcome this addition that further reinforces the Assa Abloy Group’s leadership in entrance automation, where our sales have grown from SEK 3 billion in 2008 to SEK 18 billion in 2015”, says Johan Molin, President and CEO of Assa Abloy. Mauer was established in 1989, with the company’s main production facilities located in Varna and sales offices located in Plovdiv, Sofia and Pleven. The Group has approximately 200 employees. Sales for 2016 are expected to reach EUR 11 million and the acquisition will be accretive to EPS from start. ”Mauer is an innovative business, especially in relation to cylinders, with a strong track record and a leading position in the Bulgarian market”, says Tzachi Wiesenfeld, Executive Vice President of Assa Abloy and Head of the EMEA division. Axis acquires Cognimatics and 2N Lund, Sweden Axis Communications has acquired Cognimatics, a Swedish company offering a suite of video analytics applications and the Czech company 2N, the number one company in IP intercom, according to IHS. Cognimatics is a privately owned Swedish company, headquartered in Lund, with 12 employees. The company offers a suite of video analytics applications that can be used to provide retailers with insightful behavioural intelligence that helps optimise their operations, improve customer experience, and enhance security and safety. Axis Communications and Cognimatics have cooperated for several years on both engineering and sales to provide integrated solutions to a number of mutual customers. Cognimatics serves customers in more than 70 countries via a global distributor and system integrator network. “Cognimatics’ products are well-known with a suc- cessful track record in the retail sector, and complement our solutions in that market. Their commitment to developing innovative and easyto-use products is consistent with Axis’ approach to provide the highest value solution for a range of customer needs. We are excited to be able to offer our partners and end users solutions that act as a natural complement to their existing Axis solutions,” says Ray Mauritsson, CEO at Axis Communications. Axis has also acquired 2N from Czech Republic. 2N is the number one player in the field of IP intercom, and also operates in other areas, for example IP audio and IP lift intercom. The company has about 200 employees. ”There is an increased customer demand for integrated solutions with open standards that deliver enhanced security. Together with 2N we can meet that demand”, says Peter Lindström, Vice President New Business at Peter Lindström, Vice President New Business at Axis Communications. Axis Communications. Axis believes 2N will benefit from Axis’ strong market positon and R&D resources. The 2N brand will remain, and the company will operate as a subsidiary within the Axis group. The joint operations will concern knowledge sharing and assisting each other in R&D and market access. An important joint task is to accelerate the convergence from analogue systems towards IP intercom and develop new opportunities.