Austrian Traffic Technology group 129 Swarco has acquired the APT group of companies, creating one of the largest traffic and parking management systems businesses in Europe.
In a deal signed by Swarco founder and owner Manfred Swarovski on 7 May 2014, Swarco purchased 100 per cent of the shares of the APT Group based in Harrow/Middlesex, comprising7182 APT Security Systems, 1774 APT Skidata, 7763 APT Street Services, 1936 APT Technologies, 7637 Signpost Solutions and 7760 ParkingPal. The parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Swarco is particularly strong in the adaptive control of urban and interurban traffic including public transport solutions and parking management systems – everything from LED-based signage and parking guidance solutions to efficient parking information and communications technologies. APT similarly has strength and depth in its range of solutions that are centred on the safe movement and management of vehicles and people for the future urban environment.
Swarco CEO Cees de Wijs acknowledges the natural fit between the two groups, their products, and their current and prospective target markets: “We have complementary rather than competing products and solutions, and strong synergies in terms of business ethics, culture and corporate dynamics,” he said.
Swarco Group CFO Daniel Sieberer, who managed the transaction, is convinced that the acquisition of APT Group will significantly upgrade Swarco‘s position on the UK Traffic Management market. “In particular we will strengthen our parking and electromobility business, which strategically is one of our most important investment focuses.“
Dermot Murphy, chief executive of the APT Group of Companies, describes the merger as a ‘win-win’ for customers: “Customers will benefit from having an even broader range of products, services and indeed people with whom to work,” he said. “But more than this, the combined resources of both businesses can be focused on researching and developing new products, and bringing those products to market in a more timely fashion in line with customer demands. The two companies will be able to share product development, service, sales and marketing resource. There will be a significantly increased number of field-based resources on hand to support the two companies’ customers nationwide.”
Swarco and APT have previously worked successfully together on a number of projects and proven the concept and advantages of a combined offer to the market, such as the parking guidance management of major UK shopping centres. In Scandinavia Swarco is the exclusive partner for Skidata parking systems.
In the UK Swarco now has operations including its subsidiary Swarco Traffic and a manufacturing presence in Richmond, Yorkshire and sales and service centre in Milton Keynes, as well as the APT facilities in Harrow and Tipton.
In a deal signed by Swarco founder and owner Manfred Swarovski on 7 May 2014, Swarco purchased 100 per cent of the shares of the APT Group based in Harrow/Middlesex, comprising
Swarco is particularly strong in the adaptive control of urban and interurban traffic including public transport solutions and parking management systems – everything from LED-based signage and parking guidance solutions to efficient parking information and communications technologies. APT similarly has strength and depth in its range of solutions that are centred on the safe movement and management of vehicles and people for the future urban environment.
Swarco CEO Cees de Wijs acknowledges the natural fit between the two groups, their products, and their current and prospective target markets: “We have complementary rather than competing products and solutions, and strong synergies in terms of business ethics, culture and corporate dynamics,” he said.
Swarco Group CFO Daniel Sieberer, who managed the transaction, is convinced that the acquisition of APT Group will significantly upgrade Swarco‘s position on the UK Traffic Management market. “In particular we will strengthen our parking and electromobility business, which strategically is one of our most important investment focuses.“
Dermot Murphy, chief executive of the APT Group of Companies, describes the merger as a ‘win-win’ for customers: “Customers will benefit from having an even broader range of products, services and indeed people with whom to work,” he said. “But more than this, the combined resources of both businesses can be focused on researching and developing new products, and bringing those products to market in a more timely fashion in line with customer demands. The two companies will be able to share product development, service, sales and marketing resource. There will be a significantly increased number of field-based resources on hand to support the two companies’ customers nationwide.”
Swarco and APT have previously worked successfully together on a number of projects and proven the concept and advantages of a combined offer to the market, such as the parking guidance management of major UK shopping centres. In Scandinavia Swarco is the exclusive partner for Skidata parking systems.
In the UK Swarco now has operations including its subsidiary Swarco Traffic and a manufacturing presence in Richmond, Yorkshire and sales and service centre in Milton Keynes, as well as the APT facilities in Harrow and Tipton.
