Javier Bernal (ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems Spain, Country Coordinator): "We're delighted to be part of the pepinero family, we felt right at home from the first minute"

Javier Bernal, Country Coordinator and Director of the División Peatonal of ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems Spain, took time to pay a visit to the Estadio Municipal Butarque to share a little about their enterprise, launch the C.D. Leganés Business Club and bring ASSA ABLOY into the pepinero family.

Define ASSA ABLOY:

ASSA ABLOY is the global leader in providing access solutions. We're a Swedish multinational composed of distinct divisions, with each operating on independent missions: from locks, identity security and, of course, automatic doors. Our División Peatonal of ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems Spain deals with this in particular, centred on the design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance of automatic pedestrian-scale doors. Through our services and products, we hope to open up the world, making movement accessible and secure for millions around the globe.

•  In these first few months of partnership, how would you characterise the relationship between ASSA ABLOY and C.D. Leganés?

We felt right at home from the first minute. We've received such care and attention from all the people working at the club that it's been incredible. The partnership has also given us the opportunity to meet the other C.D. Leganés sponsors and develop our links with them for future collaboration. To be brief: we're delighted to be part of the pepinero family.

•  People's first impression of a place is often based on the entrance. How do you work to make entrances aesthetic, comfortable and safe?

The first thing to address is the client's needs, and that's something dear to us at ASSA ABLOY. For us, all our work orbits around the client. Furthermore, our more than 50 years of experience in this sector give us the awareness to identify what we think could benefit the client. We try to combine security and convenience with their existing brand, while ensuring the answers we propose are sustainable solutions. Of course, we have to be sensitive to the type of doors they need, whether they're sliding, hinged or rotating, it's purpose on their premises, the installation site and the sealing requirements... There are a lot of factors to account for to make an access zone attractive, convenient and safe, but most of all efficient.

• On your diverse product catalogue, you cover everything from automatic doors in buildings to the doors to operating theatres. What new ventures are you undertaking? Where is there space to innovate?

We work in distinct areas, as you said, and with clients unique to each one. Our catalogue includes automatic  gated for residential communities, hermetically sealed doors for medical purposes and entrances for hotels, small businesses, public buildings, airports and commercial centres among others. The projects we're working on are numerous and encompass both commercial institutions and the tourism industry, as well as public transport facilities and medical centres.

Innovation is born from research and the developments we implement according to the necessary adjustments we have to make, as much for the client's sake as the circumstances which surround them. As I said before, we always prioritise the client and that brings us to improve our products however it suits them best. More sustainable products, better connection to the IoT... In reality, a door is much more than a door and often the most important thing is for whoever uses it to not even realise it's there.

• ASSA ABLOY is a multinational company that operates in over 70 countries. Is your product the same in each country? How does your business model adapt to different cultures and customs?

ASSA ABLOY's products are innumerable, ranging from automatic doors, manual locks, smart identity systems, access control and even our role here, concerning stadium entrances. But we always focus our technical expertise in every area. Each of the independent Divisions handles their business, but with the same goal across all of the nations with an ASSA ABLOY presence. It's true some products and services are more accepted in some countries than others, but you could say what we offer is almost exactly the same. 

• In the pandemic era, how have you adapted your products to social distancing, "no touching",  etc. in terms of access and beyond?

To be honest our services were already geared toward a “no touching” environment, not in vain either, since automatic doors are precisely doors that do not require touch to operate. That said, in this time of pandemic we have also introduced relevant products, as well as improving existing services. I would highlight the automatic gates for residential communities, where more hygienic strategies have combined with the need to improve access for those with reduced mobility. We've also developed access systems for buildings to protects business forums. One of our latest innovations has been Cov-ID passport readers, where the system reads the code of medical certificates to ensure the user meets vaccination requirements, has already been infected or produced a negative PCR test result. Lastly, I'd say the biggest area of growth has been in automated doors for offices, businesses and accomodation in terms of installation, alongside no-touch activators which let different doors open without physical contact. 

• Despite the last two years of pandemic, what positives at the business level have there been for ASSA ABLOY?

Our biggest source of pride right now is that during the darkest days of the pandemic, we stayed on the front line to provide services where they were most needed. Our technical team continued maintaining and resolving malfunctions in hospitals, ICUs, firefighting and police stations. Contributing to society is something that we'll always remember as time goes on.

The pandemic has also allowed us to evolve how we work. Without forgetting the client at the centre of it all, we've learned how to combine employee security with the best possible delivery our of services. So from the first instance of government guidelines through to the restrictions they've adjusted, we've had our personnel working from home. Now, telecommunications provide an excellent method to guarantee the health of every employee as well as protecting a good work-life balance.

For more informaiton on ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems, you can visit their official website by clicking here: https://www.assaabloyentrance.es/es/