Bosch Building Technologies plans to acquire British fire detection and security technology specialist Protec Fire and Security Group Ltd.

• Protec is one of the largest system integrators for fire detection and security technology in the UK, with around 1,100 employees and expected sales in fiscal 2021 of GBP 125 million.
• Expansion of Bosch Building Technologies business in Europe.
• Acquisition offers great growth potential through Protec’s strong brand, highly competent team with deep understanding of the industry, innovative portfolio, strong market position as well as broad customer base.

Grasbrunn, Germany – Bosch Building Technologies plans to acquire Protec Fire and Security Group Ltd., headquartered in Nelson, UK – one of the leading system integrators for security and fire detection technology with an innovative product portfolio. Corresponding agreements were signed by Bosch and Protec on October 22, 2021. Protec employs around 1,100 employees at its nine European locations in the UK and the Netherlands and generated sales of GBP 125 million (around 142 million Euro) in the fiscal year 2021 according to preliminary figures. “With the acquisition of Protec, Bosch Building Technologies aims to expand its business and grow further in the European market,” says Thomas Quante, president of Bosch Building Technologies. It has been agreed that the purchase price will not be disclosed. The acquisition is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust authorities.

Protec is one of the leading system integrators for security and fire detection technology in the UK – the largest market in Europe besides Germany. Bosch Building Technologies currently has the focus of its European system integrator business in Germany and the Netherlands. In addition, the Bosch division is also active as a system integrator in the USA and Asia.

“With its market presence in the UK, Protec is an ideal complement for Bosch Building Technologies. Together, we want to continue to expand the business, building on Protec’s strong brand with an innovative product and service offering, the highly experienced management that is committed to the company, and the employees who have in-depth industry knowledge and a high level of customer service”, explains Quante.

Protec Fire and Security Group Ltd. was founded in 1968 and looks back on a successful company history of over 50 years. “With Bosch, we found a great partner who values our history, brand and our extraordinary team. I believe this cooperation will open up great opportunities for our company as well as our employees and lead into a successful future,” says Barrie Russell, founder and chairman of Protec Fire and Security Group Ltd. The company’s services and products are used in numerous sectors, for example in industry, airports and railway stations.

Alongside the UK, the Netherlands is another important market for Protec, accounting for the largest share of its overseas sales. Here, the company is mainly active under the brand Hacousto Protec. “In the Dutch market, Protec and its complementary customer and competence structure is an excellent expansion of Bosch Building Technologies’ current business. The acquisition will significantly strengthen our joint market position in the security and fire detection technology sector, create a broader service offering for our customers and expand the product portfolio in the Security & Life Safety area,” adds Quante.

Protec maintains five sales locations in the UK in addition to its corporate headquarters with an affiliated development and manufacturing centre in Nelson, Lancashire. Further, the company has three locations in the Netherlands.

James Bolton
Phone: +44 1895 87-8049
James.Bolton@uk.bosch.com

The Bosch division Building Technologies is a leading global supplier of security, safety, and communications products and systems. In selected countries Bosch offers solutions and services for building security, energy efficiency and building automation. About 8,800 associates generated sales of 1.9 billion euros in 2020. Protecting lives, buildings and assets is the major aim. The product portfolio includes video security, intrusion detection, fire detection and voice evacuation systems as well as access control and management systems. Professional audio and conference systems for communication of voice, sound and music complete the range. Building Technologies develops and manufactures in its own plants in Europe, Americas and Asia.

Additional information is available online at https://www.boschbuildingtechnologies.com

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 395,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2020). The company generated sales of 71.5 billion euros in 2020. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology.

As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. With its more than 400 locations worldwide, the Bosch Group has been carbon neutral since the first quarter of 2020. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 129 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 73,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 34,000 are software engineers.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, LinkedIn : @BoschUK