Gunnebo acquires the French company CS Security and strengthens its position within electronic and integrated security s

Gunnebo acquires the French company CS Security and strengthens its position within electronic and integrated security solutions Gunnebo has acquired CS Security, a part of the Paris listed French company CS Communications & Systems. The purchase price for the shares amounts to MFRF 25 (MSEK 35 ). CS Security has a turnover of MFRF 330 (MSEK 460) with 425 employees located in France, Germany and Portugal. Cs Security is market leader within access control systems in France and holds the well-known brands Ritzenthaler and Haffner. CS Security is focusing on the following areas of competence: · Electronic security systems (49 %) Access control, high risks alarm panels systems, CCTV · Integrated security solutions (38 %) Passage control systems, barricades, security gates and bullet-proof glass environments · Physical security products (13 %) Burglar-resistant doors and safes, fire-resistant safes. CS Security has its main operations in France, but has also subsidiaries in Germany, Portugal and a 45% ownership in a sales company in England, in additional to sizeable export sales, via agents, to Belgium, Algeria, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Tunisia and Italy. "We have established a long-term strategy for the security Group Gunnebo which aims at 20 % growth per year within electronic and integrated security. Today our base within this segment is mainly electronic security systems, alarms, monitoring, safety entrances and passage control systems together with installation and service. By the acquisition of CS Security, Gunnebo's market position is strengthened on several important south European markets and, furthermore, we now have new product groups complementing Gunnebo Integrated Security products", comments Gunnebo's President and Group CEO, Bjarne Holmqvist. CS Security has recently introduced a series of new and interesting products onto the market: · Electronic access control products e.g. "contactless proximity smart cards". · A new electronic alarm system named "site master" for industrial and banking multi sites security · A new, robotised bank box system, complementing Gunnebo's existing bank box robots. CS Security's main office is located in Palaiseau, 20 km south of Paris, in the vicinity of the head office of Gunnebo Integrated Security, in Velizy. In addition, CS Security has two modern factories in eastern France, Baldenheim and Sarreguemines, where entrance security doors and fire and burglar resistant safes are manufactured. CS Security develops, manufactures and sells security solutions primarily to banks, public authorities (military units, ministries etc.), public transportation companies, airports and museums. The acquisition of CS Security is expected to have a positive impact on earnings per share already this year. Total impact on the result will be achieved in one to two years when the integration is fully completed. "We see this as an exceedingly important step, as we now hold an even stronger market position in integrated and electronic security solutions. This will also at some time benefit our expansion in the growing Asian market. Through the acquisition of CS Security, we will have access to new market segments and furthermore, we see a lot of opportunities for synergies within development, manufacture, sales and administration", said Bjarne Holmqvist. GUNNEBO AB Information For further information please contact: Bjarne Holmqvist, President and Group CEO Gunnebo AB Telephone: +46 31-83 68 00, mobile +46 708-40 03 70 Or Christian Selosse, President Gunnebo Integrated Security Telephone: +33-134 656 503, mobile +33-686 089 311 Or Janerik Dimming, Director of Information Gunnebo AB Telephone: +46 31-83 68 00, mobile +46 705-83 68 03 Email: janerik.dimming@gunnebo.se www.gunnebo.se ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/04/27/20010427BIT00590/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/04/27/20010427BIT00590/bit0001.pdf