- William Demant
Infobox_Company
company_name = William Demant Holding
company_
company_type = Public (OMX|CSE3247|WDH)
foundation = 1904
location =Smørum ,Denmark
key_people = Lars Nørby Johansen (Chairman of the board), Niels Jacobsen (President and CEO)
industry =Health care
products =Hearing aid s, audiometric equipment
revenue = DKK 5,488 million (2007)cite web |url=http://www.wdh.dk/eprise/main/Demant/_Announcements/General/08-03-06_UK1.pdf |title=Annual Report 2007 |publisher=William Demant |accessdate=2008-05-07]
net_income = profit DKK 895 million (2007)
num_employees = 5,070 (2007)
subsid =Oticon
homepage = [http://www.wdh.dk/ www.wdh.dk]
intl = yesThe William Demant Holding Group (OMX|CSE3247|WDH) is a leading international hearinghealth care company withinhearing aid s, audiometric equipment, and personal communication.Beginning
The William Demant Holding Group was founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, under the name
Oticon . After his death in 1910, his son William Demant took over.Already before
World War I , Oticon increased its sales volume to coverScandinavia andSaint Petersburg . In the twenties and thirties, a network of agents was established inEurope .During
World War II , Oticon started its own production due to the scarcity of goods from other countries.In 1957, William and his wife Ida Emilie donated the Demant family's shares in the company to the Oticon Foundation. The Oticon Foundation's general aim is charity with particular emphasis on helping people with a hearing impairment and today the Oticon Foundation is the main
shareholder in William Demant Holding A/S with a holding of app. 61%.International expansion
During the 1990s the company expanded further, buying the
Swiss hearing aid manufacturer Bernafon, Phonic Ear, the headset manufacturer DanaCom and Interacoustics.In 1995 the company was listed at the
Copenhagen Stock Exchange .In 1997 it was it was decided to change the name of the parent company from Oticon Holding A/S to William Demant Holding A/S, due to the fact that it was considered disadvantageous to use the same name, both for the Group, and for one of its businesses.
Today the company is led by President &
CEO , Niels Jacobsen and boardchairman Lars Nørby Johansen.Today the company focuses on 3 separate business units
Hearing Aids:
Oticon , Bernafon, MaicoDiagnostic Instruments:Maico Diagnostics, Interacoustics
Personal Communication:Phonic Ear, Sennheiser Communications
References
External links
* [http://www.wdh.dk/eprise/main/demant/com/_index William Demant website]
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