Securitas AG
Encyclopedia
Securitas AG is a Swiss
family company providing security services with head office in Zollikofen
, regional offices in Basel
, Bern, Geneva
, Lausanne
, Lugano
, Lucerne
, Neuchâtel, Olten
, St. Gallen
, Thun
and Zürich
as well as 25 other branches all over Switzerland.
Securitas AG is part of the Swiss Securitas Group and not to be confused with the Swedish
company Securitas AB
, which owns the Swiss competitor Protectas AG.
and Colonel
Jakob Spreng founds Securitas AG in 1907. At first struggling with resistance on the part of the police fearing a potential threat to its sovereign territory, Securitas gains trust through good performance. First major customer are the Swiss Federal Railways
with a considerable guarding contract for railway stations in major Swiss cities, followed by public occasions like the "Eidgenössisches
Schützenfest
", a Federal shooting match, in Bern in 1910, where Securitas forms a detachment
with the local fire-brigade and police forces.
With the Schweizerische Landesausstellung, the Swiss National Exhibition in 1914 in Bern, the company awards its most considerable contract at the time: 200 guards guarantee for area surveillance and access control. Despite the outbreak of World War I
with its respective loss of manpower due to general conscripion, Securitas AG is now established throughout Switzerland. In the years 1917 and 1919, contracts with the organisers of the Swiss trade fair in Basel and the Comptoir in Lausanne follow. These institutions count to the company’s regular customers until today. On. November 27, 1917, Jakob Spreng dies age 54, and his successor Alfred Geiser enters upon the office as General Manager.
It is at this time, when the authorities first notice the services of Securitas AG. In 1919 then, the company is assigned for security duty on Swiss food deliveries to war-damaged eastern states.
Even on the sector of social welfare, the company proves itself as a public-minded employer. In 1907 already, eleven years before the foundation of the Swiss public sector insurer Suva
, an accident insurance is introduced. From 1918, health insurance as well as widow’s and orphan’s pension follow. 1925, a staff pension fund is established, and in 1934 all employees enter the unemployment insurance.
, ignited by the Wall Street Crash in 1929 doesn’t leave Securitas AG unscathed. The company puts in great efforts not to lose private or corporate contracts due to austerity measures. It is in these times though, that Securitas gains reputation: The newly founded League of Nations
employs Securitas AG as security service in its headquarters, the Palais des Nations
in Geneva, where the guards protect delegate
s, show visitors around, monitor entrances and inspect journalists.
demanded flexibility: due to the rising counts of break-ins and thefts during the black-out, patrol areas see a rise in staff and patrol frequencies are heightened. To bypass staff shortages due to general conscription, the guards' wives took over their husbands' nightly rounds. During the so-called "Anbauschlacht" or "cultivation battle" to insure the nation's food supplies, the company was assigned a plot of land above Cademario
in Ticino
, where potatoes were cultivated.
In 1943, the first collective labour agreement was conceived between the trade-union VHTL and Securitas AG. That same year, an internal compensation fund was established, which pays child benefits until they are established by law.
In 1948, the affiliate Securiton AG was founded. The company produces alarm systems of the same name for windows, doors, safes and "specially prepared window and display case panes".
During the soccer World Championships in 1954, Securitas was present in large numbers along with military and police forces. Even at the so-called "Miracle of Bern", where Germany became world champion against its adversary Hungary
, Securitas guards were on duty at the press center and other special access points.
On November 18, 1958, Jakob Spreng junior died at age 65 and his son Manuel Spreng became General Manager.
For service efficiency reasons in the constantly growing patrol areas, Securitas acquired appropriate means of transportation. In 1959, the first actual service car, a Citroen
, was purchased. During the 1950s, the nationwide distribution of security systems demanded more and more on-site interventions.
In the 1960s, Swiss Federal councillor Moritz Leuenberger
temporarily worked as a Securitas guard.
In addition to a busy Bee Gees
concert in February 1968, the Interessengemeinschaft Telekommunikation und Systeme TUS was founded; a project of Securitas and the Cerberus company with the business objective of realizing a reliable telecommunications system for alarm and status signals.
Based on the telecommunications system TUS35, Securitas established the first control center in Basel "as nerve center of the new alarm network" in 1969. This control center allows numerous signals to be received differentiated and to be forwarded to the appropriate stations.
Early in the 1970s, Securitas launched a nationwide poster campaign to call attention to itself. At the Rolling Stones concert in Bern in 1972, Securitas guards around the stage and at the emergency exits were wearing specially-made T-shirts, because the organisers wished no uniformed guards inside the concert hall. That same year, the business division money and valuables transports were sold to the internationally established MAT Transport AG. Although Securitas still offers escort duties, the company has ceased doing money and valuables transports.
For security and efficiency reasons, the management decided to create a private radio network in 1977. Two years later, Securitas owned the largest private radio network in Europe at the time.
The 1980s were characterized by official visits like the Queen Elizabeth II of Britain or the Pope John Paul II. Further, personal and object security specialists became responsible for all security measures concerning the Swiss embassy in the Lebanese capital Beirut
. In 1989, one of the guard’s main tools, the control watch, was replaced by an electronic reading device, which allowed for much easier data analysis.
In 1991, the Securitas uniform was refurbished: Along with new colours and cuts for uniform jacket and service pant or service skirt, the kepi
was replaced by beret
and combination cap.
During the 1990s, quality management and improvement faced important changes. Securitas AG was certified by quality management norm ISO 9001 and introduced an intern diploma in 1993, which acted as a model for the Federal diploma for security specialists.
In 1996, Samuel Spreng was appointed as General Manager by the board of directors and took over the operational leadership of the Securitas Group on January 1, 1997. His brother Manuel presided the board of directors until his demise on February 9, 1999.
in 2002, Securitas not only took part by means of services, but as an official partner and sponsor. In that year the uniforms as well as the corporate identity
of the company were refurbished and modernized.
In 2003, according to the Swiss television TSR1, Securitas sent an agent to spy on the activist organization ATTAC. It lasted more than one year and was probably done for one of the largest multinational in Switzerland, Nestlé.
In 2007, Securitas AG celebrated its centenary.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
family company providing security services with head office in Zollikofen
Zollikofen
Zollikofen is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is a suburb of the capital of Bern....
, regional offices in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Bern, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
, Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
, Neuchâtel, Olten
Olten
Olten is a town in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland and capital of the district of the same name.Olten's railway station is within 30 minutes of Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lucerne by train, and is a rail hub of Switzerland.-History:...
, St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
, Thun
Thun
Thun is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 42,136 inhabitants , as of 1 January 2006....
and Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
as well as 25 other branches all over Switzerland.
Securitas AG is part of the Swiss Securitas Group and not to be confused with the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
company Securitas AB
Securitas AB
Securitas AB is a security services , monitoring, consulting and investigation group, based in Stockholm, Sweden. The group has approximately 300,000 employees in 50 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Securitas AB is listed at Nasdaq OMX Stockholm,...
, which owns the Swiss competitor Protectas AG.
Services
- Individual patrols
- Area patrols
- Building-site guarding
- Holiday guarding
- Event security
- Traffic services
- Intervention and control center services
- Law enforcement
- Object and valuables protection
- BodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
s - PrisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
er transports
From Foundation to World War I
Based on the insolvent company of the same name, Bernese AdvocateAdvocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
and Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Jakob Spreng founds Securitas AG in 1907. At first struggling with resistance on the part of the police fearing a potential threat to its sovereign territory, Securitas gains trust through good performance. First major customer are the Swiss Federal Railways
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
with a considerable guarding contract for railway stations in major Swiss cities, followed by public occasions like the "Eidgenössisches
Eidgenossenschaft
Eidgenossenschaft is a German word meaning confederation. The term literally translates as "oath fellowship". An Eidgenossenschaft is a confederacy of equal partners, which can be individuals or groups such as states, formed by a pact sealed by a solemn oath. Such an alliance could be either...
Schützenfest
Schützenfest
A Schützenfest is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland....
", a Federal shooting match, in Bern in 1910, where Securitas forms a detachment
Detachment
Detachment, also expressed as non-attachment, is a state in which a person overcomes his or her attachment to desire for things, people or concepts of the world and thus attains a heightened perspective.-Importance of the term:...
with the local fire-brigade and police forces.
With the Schweizerische Landesausstellung, the Swiss National Exhibition in 1914 in Bern, the company awards its most considerable contract at the time: 200 guards guarantee for area surveillance and access control. Despite the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with its respective loss of manpower due to general conscripion, Securitas AG is now established throughout Switzerland. In the years 1917 and 1919, contracts with the organisers of the Swiss trade fair in Basel and the Comptoir in Lausanne follow. These institutions count to the company’s regular customers until today. On. November 27, 1917, Jakob Spreng dies age 54, and his successor Alfred Geiser enters upon the office as General Manager.
It is at this time, when the authorities first notice the services of Securitas AG. In 1919 then, the company is assigned for security duty on Swiss food deliveries to war-damaged eastern states.
Even on the sector of social welfare, the company proves itself as a public-minded employer. In 1907 already, eleven years before the foundation of the Swiss public sector insurer Suva
Suva (insurer)
The Suva, headquartered in Lucerne, is a public sector insurer and leading provider of health care coverage for employees in case of accidents in Switzerland....
, an accident insurance is introduced. From 1918, health insurance as well as widow’s and orphan’s pension follow. 1925, a staff pension fund is established, and in 1934 all employees enter the unemployment insurance.
The "horrible Thirties"
After the untimely death of General Manager Alfred Geiser in 1928, Jakob Spreng junior takes over the leadership of the Securitas AG. The Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, ignited by the Wall Street Crash in 1929 doesn’t leave Securitas AG unscathed. The company puts in great efforts not to lose private or corporate contracts due to austerity measures. It is in these times though, that Securitas gains reputation: The newly founded League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
employs Securitas AG as security service in its headquarters, the Palais des Nations
Palais des Nations
The Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, was built between 1929 and 1936 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations. It has served as the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva since 1946 when the Secretary General of the UN signed a Headquarters Agreement with the Swiss...
in Geneva, where the guards protect delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
s, show visitors around, monitor entrances and inspect journalists.
From World War II to the 1950s
In 1939, guarding contracts follow at the ice hockey world championships in Zürich and Basel as well as the National Exhibition in Zürich. The outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
demanded flexibility: due to the rising counts of break-ins and thefts during the black-out, patrol areas see a rise in staff and patrol frequencies are heightened. To bypass staff shortages due to general conscription, the guards' wives took over their husbands' nightly rounds. During the so-called "Anbauschlacht" or "cultivation battle" to insure the nation's food supplies, the company was assigned a plot of land above Cademario
Cademario
Cademario is a municipality located in the district of Lugano in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Bordering municipalities are Aranno, Bioggio and Iseo, in the Alto Malcantone area.-History:Cademario is first mentioned in 1163 as Cademerio...
in Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
, where potatoes were cultivated.
In 1943, the first collective labour agreement was conceived between the trade-union VHTL and Securitas AG. That same year, an internal compensation fund was established, which pays child benefits until they are established by law.
In 1948, the affiliate Securiton AG was founded. The company produces alarm systems of the same name for windows, doors, safes and "specially prepared window and display case panes".
During the soccer World Championships in 1954, Securitas was present in large numbers along with military and police forces. Even at the so-called "Miracle of Bern", where Germany became world champion against its adversary Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Securitas guards were on duty at the press center and other special access points.
On November 18, 1958, Jakob Spreng junior died at age 65 and his son Manuel Spreng became General Manager.
For service efficiency reasons in the constantly growing patrol areas, Securitas acquired appropriate means of transportation. In 1959, the first actual service car, a Citroen
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
, was purchased. During the 1950s, the nationwide distribution of security systems demanded more and more on-site interventions.
From the "wild Sixties" to the new millennium
In 1963, Securitas Express AG was founded, which specialized in money and valuables transports. In 1964, the National Exhibition EXPO in Lausanne took place, where 300 male and as a milestone in company history also female employees provided security services in brand new uniforms. It is because of these new uniforms that the Securitas hostesses are called "Les anges bleus" – the "blue angels".In the 1960s, Swiss Federal councillor Moritz Leuenberger
Moritz Leuenberger
Moritz Leuenberger is a Swiss politician, lawyer, was a member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1995 to 2010 and President of the Confederation in 2001 and in 2006....
temporarily worked as a Securitas guard.
In addition to a busy Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
concert in February 1968, the Interessengemeinschaft Telekommunikation und Systeme TUS was founded; a project of Securitas and the Cerberus company with the business objective of realizing a reliable telecommunications system for alarm and status signals.
Based on the telecommunications system TUS35, Securitas established the first control center in Basel "as nerve center of the new alarm network" in 1969. This control center allows numerous signals to be received differentiated and to be forwarded to the appropriate stations.
Early in the 1970s, Securitas launched a nationwide poster campaign to call attention to itself. At the Rolling Stones concert in Bern in 1972, Securitas guards around the stage and at the emergency exits were wearing specially-made T-shirts, because the organisers wished no uniformed guards inside the concert hall. That same year, the business division money and valuables transports were sold to the internationally established MAT Transport AG. Although Securitas still offers escort duties, the company has ceased doing money and valuables transports.
For security and efficiency reasons, the management decided to create a private radio network in 1977. Two years later, Securitas owned the largest private radio network in Europe at the time.
The 1980s were characterized by official visits like the Queen Elizabeth II of Britain or the Pope John Paul II. Further, personal and object security specialists became responsible for all security measures concerning the Swiss embassy in the Lebanese capital Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. In 1989, one of the guard’s main tools, the control watch, was replaced by an electronic reading device, which allowed for much easier data analysis.
In 1991, the Securitas uniform was refurbished: Along with new colours and cuts for uniform jacket and service pant or service skirt, the kepi
Kepi
The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a visor or peak . Etymologically, the word is a borrowing of the French képi, itself a respelling of the Alemannic Käppi: a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap"....
was replaced by beret
Beret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
and combination cap.
During the 1990s, quality management and improvement faced important changes. Securitas AG was certified by quality management norm ISO 9001 and introduced an intern diploma in 1993, which acted as a model for the Federal diploma for security specialists.
In 1996, Samuel Spreng was appointed as General Manager by the board of directors and took over the operational leadership of the Securitas Group on January 1, 1997. His brother Manuel presided the board of directors until his demise on February 9, 1999.
The 21st century
At the 6th Swiss National Exhibition Expo.02Expo.02
Expo.02 was the 6th Swiss national exposition, which was held from 15 May to 20 October 2002. The exposition took place around the lakes of Neuchâtel, Bienne/Biel and Morat/Murten. It was divided into five sites, which were called Arteplages, due to the proximity of the water...
in 2002, Securitas not only took part by means of services, but as an official partner and sponsor. In that year the uniforms as well as the corporate identity
Corporate identity
In Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives...
of the company were refurbished and modernized.
In 2003, according to the Swiss television TSR1, Securitas sent an agent to spy on the activist organization ATTAC. It lasted more than one year and was probably done for one of the largest multinational in Switzerland, Nestlé.
In 2007, Securitas AG celebrated its centenary.
External links
- http://www.securitas.ch
- Securitas.(In) Securitas Blog. News and Information about Securitas Group