The multi-national security contractor Securitas has hailed its organic sales growth as ‘exceptionally strong’ in the second quarter of 2016. The company reported organic sales growth of 8 percent for the second quarter, and the first half overall, of 2016. Its operating margin was 4.9 percent for the first half of 2016, compared with 4.7pc for the first half of 2015.
Alf Göransson, pictured, Securitas President and Chief Executive Officer said: “Most of these extra needs of security are short term in its nature, and are expected to reduce during the second half of 2016. Securitas is well positioned to manage the higher levels of security needs and also the increasing concerns for operational disruptions at our customers’ sites by optimally combining on-site, mobile and remote guarding with electronic security, fire and safety, and corporate risk management. As a result we are presently growing faster than the security markets in the US and Europe as well as in many of the Ibero-American countries.”
That the greater margins and long-term growth lies in monitored security rather than pure guarding has been a theme of Securitas for some years. For example at a recent investor day, Göransson spoke of the Swedish firm ‘leading the transformation of the security industry, from traditional guarding to protective services combining on-site, mobile and remote guarding with electronic security, fire and safety, and corporate risk management’.
The firm, which has some 330,000 employees worldwide, also pointed to continued strong sales growth of security solutions and electronic security. Göransson said: “Sales of security solutions and electronic security were strong in the first six months and in line with our expectations. We believe that we can continue to increase our sales of security solutions and electronic security at a high pace in the coming years and make this a substantial part of the Group’s total sales. The completed acquisition of Diebold’s North American Electronic Security business on February 1, 2016 also makes an important contribution in accelerating our transformation and we have also recently been able to agree on two medium sized electronic security acquisitions in Europe.”
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