The William Demant Holding Group is a leading international hearing

Hearing impairment

-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...

 health care

Health care

Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...

 company within hearing aid

Hearing aid

A hearing aid is an electroacoustic device which typically fits in or behind the wearer's ear, and is designed to amplify and modulate sound for the wearer. Earlier devices, known as "ear trumpets" or "ear horns", were passive funnel-like amplification cones designed to gather sound energy and...

s, audiometric

Audiometry

Audiometry is the testing of hearing ability, involving thresholds and differing frequencies. Typically, audiometric tests determine a subject's hearing levels with the help of an audiometer, but may also measure ability to discriminate between different sound intensities, recognize pitch, or...

 equipment, and personal communication.

Beginning

The William Demant Holding Group was founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, under the name Oticon

Oticon

Oticon is the worlds second largest hearing aid manufacturer. It is situated in Denmark outside the capital Copenhagen. It was founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, whose wife was hearing impaired. Oticon is particularly well known for their loose management style referred to as "Spaghetti Organization"...

. After his death in 1910, his son William Demant took over.

Already before World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, Oticon increased its sales volume to cover Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

 and Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

. In the twenties and thirties, a network of agents was established in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

.

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, 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

Foundation (charity)

A foundation is a legal categorization of nonprofit organizations that will typically either donate funds and support to other organizations, or provide the source of funding for its own charitable purposes....

. 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

Shareholder

A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....

 in William Demant Holding

Holding company

A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...

 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

Copenhagen Stock Exchange

The Copenhagen Stock Exchange or CSE is an international marketplace for Danish securities, including shares, bonds, treasury bills and notes, and financial futures and options...

.

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 because 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 board chairman Lars Nørby Johansen.

Today the company focuses on three separate business units:

Hearing Aids:
Oticon

Oticon

Oticon is the worlds second largest hearing aid manufacturer. It is situated in Denmark outside the capital Copenhagen. It was founded in 1904 by Hans Demant, whose wife was hearing impaired. Oticon is particularly well known for their loose management style referred to as "Spaghetti Organization"...

, Bernafon, Sonic Innovations

Diagnostic Instruments:
Maico Diagnostics, Interacoustics, Amplivox and Grason-Stadler

Personal Communication:
Phonic Ear, Sennheiser Communications

Instrument Dealers:
Gordon Stowe & Associates Inc., Northeastern Technologies Group Inc.,
Midlantic Technologies Group Inc.