Johnson Controls to Combine with Tyco in Tax-Inversion Deal

Johnson Controls to Combine with Tyco in Tax-Inversion Deal

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Jan 25, 2016

Johnson Controls Inc. and Tyco International PLC agreed to merge in an inversion deal that will place the combined company’s headquarters in Ireland.

Under terms of the agreement, Johnson Controls will own about 56 percent of the merged company. The new firm will be renamed Johnson Controls PLC and maintain Tyco’s Irish legal domicile.

So-called inversion deals, in which U.S.-based companies acquire foreign-based businesses to take advantage of the more favorable tax status, have become more popular – and controversial – in recent years.

The companies said the merged entity would save at least $150 million a year on taxes and at least $500 million in costs over the first three years after the completion of the deal.

Johnson Controls Chief Executive Alex Molinaroli will lead the combined firm for 18 months after the tie-up is complete. After that term, Tyco CEO George Oliver will become CEO and Mr. Molinaroli will become executive chairman for a year, after which Mr. Oliver will become chairman and CEO.

Molinaroli called the deal the next step in Johnson Controls’ transformation. Baird analyst David Leiker said in a note that the additions of Tyco’s fire-safety and security products and services are attractive with meaningful customer and geography overlap, coupled with significant revenue and cost synergies.

Johnson Controls, based in Milwaukee, produces auto seating and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment, and replacement batteries for cars, among other things. Tyco focuses on fire, security and video surveillance for commercial buildings through brands such as American Dynamics, Chemguard and Sensormatic.

With Tyco’s security and fire suppression business lines, Johnson Controls would expand its equipment and services for commercial buildings where developers and building managers often look for suppliers with broad product lines. The company already provides heating and air conditioning gear under the York brand and climate-control systems.

The deal is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.