Gulf Construction Online - Dorma+kaba to serve GCC ‘even better’

UAE Focus

Cadonau ... excellent strategic fit.

Dorma+kaba to serve GCC ‘even better’

01 April 2016

Dorma+kaba says it will be able to serve the GCC markets “even better” following the merger of the German and Swiss businesses.

As a result of last year’s merger of Dorma and Kaba, the group is now one of the top three in the world for security and access solutions, with total sales of more than €2 billion ($2.24 billion) and more than 16,000 employees in around 50 countries, according to Riet Cadonau, CEO and president of dorma+kaba Holding.

“Customers and partners will benefit from a complementary product portfolio, geographical presence, combined strength across the entire value chain, and a global service organisation,” said Cadonau, adding that dorma+kaba will be able to offer leading products, solutions and services for access to and within buildings from a single source.

He continued: “Dorma and Kaba are an excellent strategic fit, also because the two companies complement each other very well with regards to the value chain. Dorma has a strong position in the early stages of the construction process and the service business. In contrast, Kaba is strong in the replacement and retrofitting business, thanks to its large installation base.

“By combining the distribution and partner networks, Kaba products can be factored into the selection process by architects, planners or general contractors, at an earlier stage, while Dorma products will in turn benefit from the strong position of Kaba in the later stages of building development. So together, we offer good coverage of the value chain.”

Cadonau said dorma+kaba’s goal is to reach an organic growth of six to seven per cent in the fourth year after the merger, “provided there is a healthy global economic environment”.

“In the GCC, we have new growth opportunities that would not present themselves to us as individual companies, and therefore we will be able to address market and client needs even better. We are convinced that we will meet our client’s needs even better by providing leading access solutions from a single source,” he added.

The company also has plans to introduce new products.

“One of our recent innovations is exivo, a completely Cloud-based solution, which functions on a central Kaba platform and provides access control as a service in a holistic approach to distribution partners and end-users. They subscribe to the desired functionality as a service (software as a service). Pilot installations are running and market feedback is positive,” he added.

Meanwhile, dorma+kaba has launched a new multifunctional manual sliding door system called Muto.

The system is perfectly designed with a slim, elegant body and its compact and clear sharp edges are implemented to represent dorma+kaba’s design and new style.

The Muto line includes the Muto Basic and Muto Comfort systems. It is available in aluminium finishes, white, silver and similar satin stainless steel and can be matched virtually to any architectural interior.

Noushath Ahamed, product marketing manager of dorma+kaba, said: “We are delighted to launch Muto, our new multi-functional manual sliding door system with self-closing action and concealed electromechanical lock.

“Muto Basic is designed for wooden doors, but clamps can be fitted to accommodate glass. The optional Dormotion damping feature softens the door’s final movement upon opening or closing. Muto is a versatile system with an appearance to complement and enhance any architectural design. With easy installation and hassle-free retrofit, Muto is very user-friendly and will be well accepted in the GCC region.”