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Skidata Acquires Majority Interest in Sentry Control Systems

February, 2015

Skidata AG has acquired a majority stake in its main U.S. distributor Sentry Control Systems, based in Van Nuys, CA. With its participation in the company, Skidata strengthens its U.S. business and highlights its international growth strategy.

The majority shareholder has been working with Sentry since 2000, and intensifies their successful cooperation with this investment. The current Sentry management remains on board, and together with Skidata executives will jointly continue to develop the U.S. business.

“By investing in Sentry,” said CEO Hugo Rohner, “we are taking the next step in the growing American parking industry. We are strengthening our U.S. business, and from now on can directly serve even more customers who, in turn, benefit from years of know-how and a strong single-source solution – from complete parking management systems, software and hardware, to third party systems and the associated service.”

Skidata, founded in Austria in 1977, now operates in more than 90 countries with 10,000 installations, 21 subsidiaries and 3 joint ventures. Its U.S. car-access branch was established in March 2002. An additional U.S. subsidiary for people access was opened in2008.

Sentry, an independent, family-owned company, acted as distributor of Skidata parking solutions in California, Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. Sentry has made some 40% of Skidata installations in the U.S. Sentry offers a successful installation and service business, and has introduced many interesting products into the U.S. market, such as Frogparking, the only solar-powered parking space occupancy sensor.

[Sources: Skidata, Sentry Control Systems]



 


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