50 years of BDS: 1976 - 2026 «BDS through the ages»
Cold War, oil crisis, RAF terror - and in the midst of these uncertain times, three visionaries founded a company for independent security planning. 50 years later, BDS Security Design AG is an established name in the Swiss security and fire protection industry.
1976 - Foundation of BDS AG: Visionary foresight
When the visionary founders Berz - Droux - Scherler decided to set up their company for independent security planning in 1976, the Cold War was raging, the Vietnam War was in full swing and Europe was held hostage by RAF terrorism and the Brigate Rosse. The oil crisis of 1973 seemed to have been overcome, but the unbridled belief of the 1960s in continuous technical and economic growth was not to return. Desktops and PCs did not yet exist back then and Bill Gates was working on the first operating system for small computers in his legendary garage.
Thanks to the good networking of its founders, BDS soon found diverse and challenging tasks in the field of security planning and the planning of data centers for the IBM mainframe computers in use at the time. Clients included banks, insurance companies, industrial companies and the public sector, including the military. In addition to the increasing demand for product-independent security planning, the still young discipline of fire protection planning was added in the 1980s. BDS's already broad field of activity was expanded at the end of the 1990s with the development of training software for PC security in the workplace.
As early as 1980, BDS - also with visionary foresight - co-founded the SSI «Swiss Association of Independent Safety Engineers and Consultants»; a specialist association that still proves its raison d'être today through its diverse activities in the area of information exchange among its members and the organization of specialist conferences.
2002 - Foundation of BDS Security Design AG: Focus and continuity - independent security and fire protection planning
At the end of 2002, Robert Droux and Peter Graf founded BDS Security Design AG in order to focus on core activities and lay the foundations for continuous and sustained development. BDS Security Design AG was known for its risk-related, innovative and customized solutions in line with the needs of its clients. Large and exciting orders as well as permanent contracts from industry, the service sector and not least the public sector were the result and the basis for successful and sustainable development.
BDS's entry into the development and application of computer-aided fire and smoke simulation as an efficient means of solving complex fire protection tasks at the beginning of the 2000s was visionary. Initially viewed with skepticism by the cantonal building insurers, the method of numerical fire simulation was soon to become established throughout Switzerland.
In the interests of continuity and succession, Peter Graf, Michael Glenck and Matthias Grimm took over the majority shareholding from Robert Droux in 2007. The expertise and competence in the central disciplines of security planning, fire protection planning and data center planning was further improved and broadened thanks to the targeted development and expansion of the BDS team. Since BDS was founded, its long-standing and experienced employees have been a key factor in its professional and commercial success.
National and international networking via various recognized professional associations such as SSI, VIB, VBSF, SFPE, FGST, etc. strengthened BDS's position in the professional environment as well as the valuable exchange of knowledge and information with external experts. Active participation, giving presentations and organizing specialist conferences made a significant contribution to deepening our specialist knowledge and expanding our business relationships.
In view of Peter Graf's retirement, Michael Glenck and Matthias Grimm became new majority shareholders of BDS in 2017. In 2020, Andreas Seematter, another long-standing employee, joined the management team as a partner.
2026 - 50 years of BDS: We are driven by high standards
Thanks to satisfied clients, long-standing and experienced employees and an understanding of and consideration for the changing environment, BDS Security Design AG will continue to operate successfully in the security and fire protection planning market in the coming years. Constantly changing threat scenarios - drones, cybercrime, hybrid threats - as well as new fire protection regulations and the associated necessary adjustments to once successful solution concepts will continue to represent a permanent challenge and success for our activities in the future.
Passion, commitment and dedication to our clients will continue to form the basis for constructive and successful work in the increasingly specialized field of safety and fire protection planning. BDS in changing times - high standards are what drive us.
