Since 1920, Barcelona-based Calmell Group has evolved from a graphic printing workshop into a leading manufacturer of transit credentials. The family-owned business now concentrates on smart cards, paper passes with embedded chips and traditional magnetic-stripe tickets.
HID, headquartered in Austin, Texas, revealed a signed agreement under which it will acquire Calmell Group. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The acquisition adds smart paper tickets and magnetic-stripe media to HID’s smart ticketing portfolio and gives the company a firmer presence in Spain, the European Union, North Africa and Latin America, the firms said in a joint statement. Its existing client base includes public transit agencies and urban transport operators across Europe and Latin America.
“Calmell Group is a fantastic addition to our growing public transportation ecosystem, and we are excited to welcome them to the HID family,” says Björn Lidefelt, executive vice president and head of HID, in the announcement. “Calmell’s offering and expertise enable people to get where they need to go, aligning well with our desire to help the world travel more freely.”
With its headquarters in Barcelona, Calmell will integrate into HID’s identification technologies division and join the events and mobility solutions unit under Cesare Paciello, drawing on HID’s worldwide sales and operational support.
“We look forward to incorporating Calmell into our growing smart ticketing offering,” says Marc Bielmann, senior vice presiden and head of identification technologies for HID, in the joint announcement. “This addition helps increase our relevance in the public transportation space, as well as better serve users in an increasing number of geographies around the world.”
“We are proud of our long history of creating innovative and reliable solutions that help people travel on their terms,” says Carles Marti Santiago, CEO of Calmell Group, in the joint announcement. “By joining HID, we now have a great opportunity to drive our impact well into the future by leveraging HID’s expertise in digital credentials to serve our partners.”
The deal, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to finalize later this year.
