The Austrian company Loxone describes the reasons for taking over the German company quadral GmbH & Co. KG at the beginning of 2021, with the aim of bundling the competencies of both companies in the audio sector. However, the corporate structure of the German loudspeaker specialist is not expected to change too much – location, staff and distribution will remain unchanged.
For some time now, it has been apparent that the consumer electronics market is increasingly concerned with networked solutions, and the rapid development, especially in the smart home sector, is reinforcing this trend. This development is now once again having a very concrete impact on corporate structures, because it has now been announced that the Austrian specialist for smart home solutions, the company Loxone, will be taking over the German loudspeaker specialist quadral GmbH & Co. KG at the beginning of 2021.
Loxone, founded by Thomas Moser and Martin Öller in 2008, sees itself as a technology pioneer in the field of smart home solutions, whereby one speaks of intelligent automation solutions for every application, whether in the commercial sector such as gastronomy, hotels and commercial properties, or in the private environment.
The solutions of Loxone are characterised by their modular design, which means that the systems can be used for completely new installations as well as for the adaptation of existing systems. The spectrum ranges from lighting control, the control of heating and cooling systems, through security systems to the integration of multimedia services. Over the years, the company has not only built up a wide range of products, but also a dense network of partners to realise a wide variety of projects according to the customer’s wishes.
The fact that the company is now even taking on a proven loudspeaker expert is extraordinary, but once again consistent. In the last few months, Loxone has focused on the integration of multimedia services and presented its own Loxone audio server as the basis of a multi-room audio system.
quadral GmbH & Co. KG, on the other hand, has been a supplier of high-quality hi-fi components for 48 years now. The company is best known for its loudspeaker systems, but also has its own electronics line. quadral GmbH & Co. KG sees itself as one of the last German manufacturers with production in Germany. For example, the company states that quadral Aurum ribbon tweeters are developed and manufactured in Hanover, and thus directly at the company’s headquarters.
“With the acquisition of quadral, we are bundling the expertise of both companies in the audio sector. Loxone has a strong standing in the market for intelligent building automation, and quadral has decades of experience in the development, production and sale of hi-fi loudspeakers for up-and-coming and high-end users. In future, we will be able to offer sophisticated, intelligent building automation with the best sound from a single source.”
Thomas Moser, founder of Loxone
It must be emphasised that the takeover of quadral GmbH & Co. KG by Loxone should not change much in the current structure of the Hanover-based company, at least not to a large extent. Thus the previous shareholders of quadral GmbH & Co. KG are focusing first and foremost on the future prospects that they see arising from the takeovers.
“In Loxone we have found a strongly positioned company that appreciates quadral’s traditional strengths. We know that our company and the quadral brand are in good hands and we are delighted that our high-end technology will now also find its way into other innovative areas of application.”
Edmond Semmelhaack and Jürgen Brinkmann, current shareholders of quadral GmbH & Co. KG
And Loxone also emphasises that it wants to benefit first and foremost from the synergies that the takeover offers but will not shake the existing structure.
“Of course the quadral brand will continue to exist under the new owner. In addition, we will develop joint products here in future.”
Thomas Moser, founder of Loxone
quadral GmbH & Co. KG will thus continue to be run as an independent company in Hanover. Nothing is likely to change in terms of employees either, as Loxone will continue to manufacture in Hanover. Even for the specialist trade partners of quadral GmbH & Co. KG, who will continue to be looked after from Hanover by the proven existing team, above all Volker Schwerdtfeger as Managing Director), Stefan Eisenhardt for Sales Germany, and Sascha Reckert, quadral’s acoustic architect.
Getting to the point
Even though Loxone now owns the German company Quadrat GmbH & Co. KG, nothing should change for the specialised trade partners and customers. On the one hand, the location in Hanover will be retained and the staff will be taken over unchanged, up to the present management, which will continue to lead the agendas in the future. The focus is solely on the use of synergies, especially in the field of smart home solutions, the core competence of the new owner Loxone.
| Manufacturer: | quadral GmbH & Co. KG |
| Distribution: | quadral GmbH & Co. KG |
