Celebrating 40 years of CEDES AG
Early years
In 1986, Beat and Brigitte De Coi founded CEDES at their kitchen table. To finance the development of their own ideas, they initially sold computers while investing every spare moment in innovation. Early prototypes, including a pioneering 3D camera developed in 1989, were assembled by hand in their home. This technology later laid the foundation for our time-of-flight sensors, which would go on to receive the prestigious IST Grand Prize in 2003.
The breakthrough came in 1991, when the first batch of elevator light curtains was delivered to Schindler. The technology quickly set new standards in elevator safety and would shape our direction for decades to come. Just two years later, CEDES launched cegard/Lift, a specialized light curtain for elevators without cabin doors, which remains one of our best-sellers until today.
As demand for light curtains continued to grow, CEDES moved into a new production facility in 1994. With a team of 45 employees, we began automating our manufacturing processes to support higher production volumes. One milestone was the arrival of the first automatic SMD assembly machine, affectionately nicknamed "Steel Erna" after an employee known for her remarkable working speed.
Turn of the century
The year 2000 marked the birth of the CEDES Group. CEDES Corporation of America was established in Minneapolis and CEDES Asia Pacific opened its doors in Singapore. A year later, CEDES China was founded in Shanghai, followed by a production facility in Changshu. In 2006, CEDES AG celebrated its 20th anniversary by moving into the newly built Science Park in Landquart, which remains our global headquarters today.
The years that followed were characterized by strong growth, continuous innovation, and organizational development. CEDES introduced numerous successful products, including the best-selling cegard/Mini light curtain, the contactless absolute positioning system APS, the iDiscovery safety supervisor unit, and the TOF/Start sensor for escalators. During this period, we also entered the field of entrance automation, opening new opportunities beyond the elevator industry.
In 2016, CEDES became part of a multinational group before returning to independent leadership through a successful management buyout several years later. The decisions that followed accelerated our growth. Strategic acquisitions, including the VITECTOR business from Fraba and the Elevate business from relayr, broadened the portfolio and strengthened our market position. The establishment of production in Romania and the creation of CEDES Germany, an R&D hub in Berlin's Kreuzberg district, further boosted our global capabilities.
New era
Today, CEDES is beginning a new chapter. Building on four decades of innovation in sensing and safety, we are accelerating our digital transformation. Internally, modern business processes and a new ERP landscape are strengthening efficiency and collaboration. Externally, connected solutions, remote monitoring technologies, and data-driven services are expanding our value proposition beyond hardware. While our sensors continue to enhance safety and reliability across various applications, data and actionable insights derived from those sensors are opening new opportunities for customers and partners alike.
As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we are still guided by the same entrepreneurial spirit that started at a kitchen table in 1986, based on exploration, collaboration, and reliability. The first 40 years have been remarkable, and we look forward to the next 40. Thank you for accompanying us on this journey.
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