CE Pro February 2022 - 24

Networking+Home Control
Nortek Group already
has in its own portfolio into
some of the current Nice
offerings.
" By doing so, we can offer
a fully integrated solution to
our commercial and industrial
partners. There are significant
offerings and product
quality in each of these
segments, but the next step
is to integrate and be the
single source for integrators, "
he says. " Part of the reason
for this acquisition is to bring
into the Nice Group the
connectivity developed at
IN BRIEF
Investment Firm Acquires
Controlling Interest
in Hunter Douglas
HUNTER DOUGLAS, A GLOBAL MANUFACTURER OF
window coverings and a major manufacturer of architectural
products, and 3G Capital, a global investment firm and private
partnership, announced in January that Ralph Sonnenberg, the
controlling shareholder of Hunter Douglas Group, has entered
into a definitive agreement to transfer a controlling interest in
the company to 3G Capital. The transaction is based on a value
of €175 ($198.66 U.S. dollars) per Ordinary Share, to imply an
enterprise value of approximately $7.1 billion.
The Sonnenberg Family will continue to hold a 25% interest
in Hunter Douglas, pro forma for the new capital structure. The
board of directors of Hunter Douglas, represented only by its
independent directors, unanimously supports the transaction,
whose completion is subject to limited closing conditions,
including approval by the general meeting of Hunter Douglas.
" 3G Capital has deep respect for Hunter Douglas, its diverse
portfolio of brands and the steadfast leadership of the
Sonnenberg family over three generations. We are honored to
be partnering with the Sonnenberg family and to work with
Hunter Douglas' management team on the company's next
phase of global expansion, " says co-managing partner, Daniel
Schwartz, and Alex Behring, co-founder and co-managing
partner of 3G Capital.
Current Hunter Douglas Group co-president and co-CEO,
David Sonnenberg, will transition to executive chairman of
24 | CE Pro February 2022
Headline
INTRO COPY copy
copy.
the board of directors of the Hunter Douglas Group after the
closing of the transaction. According to 3G Capital, he will
continue to be highly involved in the day-to-day business and
business strategy.
Z-Wave 800 SoCs &
Modules Now Available
SILICON LABS HAS ANNOUNCED THAT Z-WAVE 800
system-on-chips (SoCs) and modules are now available for
the Z-Wave smart home and automation ecosystem. Expanding
the company's Series 2 platform, the EFR32ZG23 (ZG23)
system-on-chips and ZGM230S modules are ideal for residential
smart home, multi-dwelling units (MDU), hospitality
and lighting applications, supporting both end devices and
gateways. The modules also provide developers with sub-GHz
connectivity for Z-Wave Mesh and Z-Wave Long Range.
According to the company, the Z-Wave 800 Series family
is a secure, ultra-low-power wireless solution for advanced,
high-performance battery-powered Internet of Things (IoT)
devices, also touting over 50% improvement in battery life
compared to the Z-Wave 700 series. Both solutions also support
Z-Wave 800 standard S2 security capabilities.
" This new evolution of Silicon Labs' Series 2 Platform provides
industry leading security, ultra-low power consumption
with fast wakeup times, and an integrated power amplifier to
enable the next generation of high-performing and secure connectivity
for IoT devices, " says Jake Alamat, vice president and
general manager, IoT Home & Life.
cepro.com
Nortek Control and leverage
those technologies across
the entire Nice portfolio
... that is in addition to the
history of Nortek and the
strong brand equity of its
existing commercial brands. "
Malfè cited Nortek's decision
a few years ago to spin
off most of its China-based
manufacturing and focus on
developing technology as
a strong part of the value
proposition Nice saw in the
acquisition.
The previous Nortek management
made the decision
to focus 100% on technology
development. So today,
there is only one factory
based in Michigan that is
still in the family and makes
a very specific product set
within the Linear brand.
" An industrial footprint in
the U.S. is a valuable asset, "
says Malfè. " The Chinese
manufacturing was 100%
spun off from the group
and passed to our partner
in manufacturing services.
We have relocated into
three factories: one is in
Fuyong, China, about 20
minutes from Shenzhen;
another is in Penang, Malaysia;
and the third one is in
Guadalajara, Mexico. "
This new position allows
Nortek Control to focus
more on its technology.
" This acquisition allows
us to gain a greater foothold
in our North American
business particularly with
the distribution that Nortek
Control already has, but
that is not the full story.
The story is really the competence
of the integration, "
he says. -Jason Knott
http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro February 2022
