SFS Group
Company for mechanical fastening systems headquartered in Switzerland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The SFS Group AG is a worldwide leading supplier of application-critical precision components and assemblies, mechanical fastening systems, quality tools, and procurement solutions.[1]
 | |
| Company type | Limited company |
|---|---|
| SIX: SFSN | |
| ISIN | CH0239229302 |
| Industry | Fastening systems and precision components |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Headquarters | Heerbrugg, St. Gallen, Switzerland |
Key people | |
| Revenue | SFr 3.04 billion (2024) |
Number of employees | 13,689 (2024) |
| Website | sfs |
The headquarters are located in Heerbrugg in Switzerland. The SFS Group has 150 sales and production locations in 35 countries in Asia, Europe, and North America. In the 2024 financial year, it generated sales of CHF 3,039 million with approximately 13,700 employees (FTE).[2]
Based on its core technologies cold working (or cold forming), deep drawing (or deep drawing technology) injection moulding (or injection molding technology), riveting, secondary operations, and fastening technology, the SFS Group supplies various end markets. These include the automotive, construction, electrical and electronics, and aviation industries, as well as medical devices technology and industrial manufacturing.[3]
History
The history of SFS began in 1928 with a hardware store in Altstätten (Switzerland). In 1949, a branch was opened in nearby Heerbrugg (Switzerland). Motivated by supply shortages, Josef Stadler and Hans Huber decided to set up their own screw manufacturing business and jointly founded SFS Presswerk AG in 1960. The foundation for the development of industrial activities was laid in 1960 with the establishment of an own screw manufacturing facility in Heerbrugg.[4]
Both trading and manufacturing activities were continuously expanded in the following decades. Starting in 1971, the company built up an international network of marketing organizations. In 1993, the activities were consolidated under the umbrella of SFS Holding AG, and in 2014, the name was changed to SFS Group AG and the company went public.[5]
According to a report in the Handelszeitung newspaper, SFS operated more than 100 sales, logistics, and manufacturing sites worldwide in 2008. Through various acquisitions, SFS has expanded its portfolio of expertise to include plastic injection molding technology and deep drawing technology.[6]
On September 1, 2012, SFS acquired Unisteel Technology Group, a Singapore-based company operating in the field of miniature fasteners (e.g., for smartphones, lifestyle electronics, and hard disk drives). The company is headquartered in Singapore and has additional production facilities in Malaysia and China.[7]
Since 7 May 2014 SFS is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: SFSN).[8]
With the 2016 acquisitions of Stamm (Switzerland) and Tegra Medical (USA), SFS has expanded its position in the growing medical technology industry. This gives SFS access to a large, largely complementary portfolio of customers.[9]
In 2021, the SFS Group acquired its long-standing partner Hoffmann SE headquartered in Germany. This enabled the company to internationalize its trading business and establish a leading position in the field of quality tools.[10]
Company structure
The SFS Group comprises three segments: Engineered Components, Fastening Systems, and Distribution & Logistics, which represent the corresponding business models:
- Engineered Components: Development and manufacturing partner for customer-specific precision molded parts, assemblies and fastening solutions for the automotive, electronics and medical & industrial specials end markets under the SFS, UNISTEEL, Tegra Medical and GESIPA® brands
- Fastening Systems: Application-optimized mechanical fastening systems, including the SFS, TFC and HECO® brands
- Distribution & Logistics: Quality tools, fasteners and other C-parts as well as management solutions for customers in industrial manufacturing with the strong proprietary brands SFS, Hoffmann, GARANT and HOLEX as well as with leading manufacturer brands[11]
Facts and figures
| 2024 (Swiss GAAP FER) | 2023 (Swiss GAAP FER) | 2022 (Swiss GAAP FER) | 2021 (Swiss GAAP FER) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales SFS | CHF 3’039.0 million | CHF 3'090.8 million | CHF 2'746.1 million | CHF 1'893.1 million |
| EBITDA | CHF 479.8 million | CHF 486.0 million | CHF 448.1 million | CHF 407.1 million |
| Operating profit (EBIT) | CHF 350.2 million | CHF 358.6 million | CHF 330.3 million | CHF 301.7 million |
| Net income | CHF 242.7 million | CHF 268.5 million | CHF 270.6 million | CHF 248.0 million |
| Employees (FTE) | 13,689 | 13,198 | 13,282 | 10,509 |
Source: SFS Group[12]