ASSA ABLOY celebrates 20 years as innovative global leader

ASSA ABLOY is today the global leader in total door opening solutions and opens
more doors than any other company in the world. Since the Group was formed in
1994 ASSA ABLOY has successfully expanded through a combination of organic
growth and over 200 acquisitions. At the same time, the company has transformed
from a traditional lock company into an innovative multinational security
company.
When ASSA ABLOY was founded in 1994, the business was concentrated to the Nordic
countries and had sales of SEK 3,6 billion with 4,700 employees. Since then the
Group has grown 1,300 percent to sales of over SEK 48 billion, with 43,000
employees in more than 70 countries and sales all over the world.

One important explanation for ASSA ABLOY’s strong growth is the Group’s focused
strategy on an increased market presence, a high rate of innovation and cost
efficiency in all processes. All in all, profits have increased by over 5,000
percent since 1994 as a result of these activities.

“We are rapidly growing with good profitability and cutting edge technologies.
Rising prosperity, extensive urbanization, and increasing security awareness all
boost sales. Two important emerging fields are secure identities and biometric
solutions, as well as new services in electromechanical solutions. Sustainable
products and emerging markets are other key factors,” says Johan Molin, CEO and
President of ASSA ABLOY.

Investments in R&D have increased substantially. ASSA ABLOY currently has about
1,400 developmental engineers and more than 27 percent of sales come from
products launched over the past three years. Rapidly growing areas are mainly
electromechanical and digital door solutions, which currently account for almost
half of sales.

“To meet the demand for increasingly advanced security solutions we will
increase the already high rate of innovation over the next five years. Our aim
moving forward is to continue to be the industry’s most innovative supplier of
door opening solutions,” says Johan Molin.

Read about important milestones in the company’s history:
http://www.assaabloy.com/en/com/About-ASSA-ABLOY/Timeline/

Watch the video 20 years of innovation and growth at ASSA ABLOY:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjgURn3T6Zw

About ASSA ABLOY
ASSA ABLOY is the global leader in door opening solutions, dedicated to
satisfying end-user needs for security, safety and convenience. Since it was
founded in 1994, ASSA ABLOY has grown from a regional company into an
international group with about 43,000 employees, operations in more than 70
countries and sales of about SEK 48 billion. ASSA ABLOY offers a more complete
range of door opening solutions than any other company on the market. In the
fast-growing electromechanical security segment, the Group has a leading
position in areas such as access control, identification technology, door
automation and hotel security.

ASSA ABLOY was formed on November 8, 1994, when Securitas in Sweden and Metra in
Finland merged their lock businesses.

More information
Johan Molin, President and Chief Executive Officer +46 (0)8-506 485 42
Carolina Dybeck Happe, CFO tel: +46 (0)8-506 485 72