Earlier this year, ASSA ABLOY announced that it would be unifying two of its most popular access control hardware companies, HES and Securitron, under the single brand of ASSA ABLOY Electronic Security Hardware. According to ASSA ABLOY, the move was designed to simplify the operations of both companies and to enhance their individual strengths.
Both HES and Securitron have been a part of the ASSA ABLOY Group for over 15 years and have grown together selling through the same channels and to the same customers. Merging the companies’ operations will enable them to streamline these efforts while also helping them develop a more robust product portfolio beyond electric strikes and magnetic locks, which had previously been the primary focus of HES and Securitron respectively.
SecurityInfoWatch.com (SIW) recently caught up with Stacy Deveraux, Vice President of Marketing and Product Management for ASSA ABLOY’s Electromechanical Specialties and High Security Group, to discuss the thought process behind merging the two brands and how they plan to leverage their combined strengths in the marketplace moving forward.
SIW: What was the primary goal of bringing these two companies and their respective products together under a single brand?
Deveraux: Uniting HES and Securitron is all about making sure that our dealers and customers receive the high-quality products and exceptional customer experience that our industry demands. As the security industry transforms from product based sales to complete solution sales, this merge reflects ASSA ABLOY’s customer-facing strategy to deliver continuity and simplicity to customers. ASSA ABLOY is continually evaluating its brands, products and services — looking for ways to make it easy for customers to do business with us and deploy world-class solutions.
SIW: Did you have any concerns about losing some of the brand cache that both HES and Securitron had built over the years in combining the two businesses?
Deveraux: With more than 40 years of experience shaping the access control industry, it’s critical that we carry forward the legacy of the two brands that our customers know and trust. Legacy products retain the HES and Securitron names as product identifiers such as the HES 1006 Electric Strike and Securitron M62 Magnalock. In addition, we focused on the finest of each brand’s customer experience to bring forward the best of both brands, for example, the consistency and color navigation of HES packaging and Securitron’s no-fault, no-questions asked warranty, which now applies to all Securitron and HES products.
SIW: What kinds of existing synergies between the businesses have you leveraged as you’ve worked to integrate the companies together?
Deveraux: All of the HES and Securitron products that customers know and trust remain available with the same sales, customer service and tech support teams in place. This has been a careful, step-by-step process to make sure the transition is smooth with no interruption to sales, service or support for our customers. We strive to simplify the model and make it as easy to do business with us as possible. The brand consolidation of HES and Securitron into ASSA ABLOY Electronic Security Hardware is the next step to make sure we are working at the leading edge of simplifying our business.
SIW: How does bringing the companies together help you better serve your dealers and partners in the marketplace?
Deveraux: During the past four decades, HES and Securitron have built global reputations for innovative electric strikes and durable magnetic locks. However, we have much more to offer. From power supplies to advanced, IP-enabled wireless cabinet locks, we're helping customers secure not only doors, but any opening, from gates and fences to drawers and cabinets.
Both HES and Securitron started as component product manufacturers. The component-based market is still a very large and important part of what we offer. But with the increased complexity of access control and security systems, integrators within the industry need more flexibility and options to meet customer demands.
SIW: What kinds of challenges are involved with launching a new brand like this in the market and how do you plan to address them?
Deveraux: The challenges of launching a new brand also allow for new opportunities to connect with customers and our channel partners. Our team communicated early and often with partners to inform them of coming changes and to garner feedback in order to make adjustments and improvements throughout the process.
SIW: Will combining the companies help you to better streamline your product offerings and how you bring them to market? How so?
Deveraux: Bringing together these two legacy brands allows ASSA ABLOY Electronic Security Hardware to provide a solution that is more comprehensive than either brand could provide alone. The resulting portfolio of products and solutions allow ASSA ABLOY Electronic Security Hardware to deliver whatever the customer needs, in any format or method the customer requires.
Some integrators prefer installing a complete solution from a single manufacturer while others like to select their own best-in-class individual components to build a solution. ASSA ABLOY Electronic Security Hardware makes sure to offer products in ways that satisfy both of those approaches. From helping specify and design systems, to generating wiring diagrams, to providing in-depth product and systems training, ASSA ABLOY Electronic Security Hardware works to meet the needs of individual integrators and help advance their business.
SIW: Has there been any misconceptions about this combination that you think need to be cleared up? Has it created any confusion among your dealer/partner base?
Deveraux: Response to the HES and Securitron unification has been positive. By communicating up front and with transparency throughout the process, listening to and valuing stakeholder feedback, and holding true to the qualities that built our legacy brands, we have been able to provide our partners will a clear vision of what’s to come and how it will help benefit their businesses.
SIW: What kind of impact has this merger had on the respective employees of each organization? How will they be working together moving forward?
Deveraux: HES and Securitron have worked alongside each other for many years. The two brands have had a combined sales force for around 15 years, and over time, they moved into the same building and share the same internal systems. Now that the brands are officially united, we're able to highlight and accentuate the best offerings of each brand and elevate those strengths within the market.
About the Author:
Joel Griffin is the Editor-in-Chief of SecurityInfoWatch.com and a veteran security journalist. You can reach him at [email protected].
