ASSA ABLOY has agreed to acquire Gunnebo Entrance Control, expanding its portfolio of pedestrian security and automated entrance technologies.
Announced on 3 August, the agreement covers Gunnebo Entrance Control’s portfolio of speed gates, mass-transit gates and security revolving doors. The company employs approximately 670 people and is headquartered in Maresfield in the UK, with manufacturing operations across Europe, the United States and Asia.
Subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to complete during the fourth quarter of 2026.
Once completed, Gunnebo Entrance Control will become part of the Pedestrian business segment within ASSA ABLOY’s Entrance Systems division.
Pedestrian security portfolio expands
Gunnebo Entrance Control provides physical access systems used to manage and secure the movement of people through corporate buildings, transport infrastructure, government facilities and other controlled environments.
The acquisition will therefore extend ASSA ABLOY’s position beyond conventional door hardware and electronic access control into a broader range of automated pedestrian security systems.
Gunnebo Entrance Control generated sales of approximately €151 million during 2025. ASSA ABLOY President and CEO Nico Delvaux said the acquisition supports the group’s strategy of strengthening its position in mature markets by adding complementary technologies to its existing business.
Massimo Grassi, Executive Vice President of ASSA ABLOY and Head of the Entrance Systems division, said Gunnebo’s portfolio would complement the group’s existing pedestrian access offering.
Entrance systems become more integrated
The transaction also reflects a wider shift within access control procurement.
Increasingly, organisations are looking beyond the credential reader or access control software and considering the complete physical passage through a secured entrance. A credential may successfully authenticate an employee or visitor, but the physical barrier must still control how individuals move into the protected area.
Speed gates and security revolving doors can help address issues including tailgating and unauthorised entry while supporting higher throughput in busy environments.
Integrating those elements more closely with identity and access management platforms can provide security teams with a clearer view of both authentication and physical movement.
For buyers, this means entrance security is increasingly being treated as part of the wider access control ecosystem rather than a separate architectural product category.
The acquisition also provides ASSA ABLOY with additional manufacturing and technical capability across several regions, potentially strengthening its ability to address large international projects involving both electronic credentials and physical entrance systems.
While the transaction remains subject to approval, it represents another example of consolidation across the physical security sector as major manufacturers broaden their portfolios to cover more of the complete access journey.
