History

History

1934-1986

1934 Foundation

Mr Johann Stüdeli founds FRAISA SA and starts with the production of milling cutters for the watch industry. This constitutes the foundation stone for the present FRAISA Group.

1950

Mr Hans Stüdeli, son of the company founder, takes over the majority shareholding in FRAISA SA. He manages the company successfully into the 1990s. During this period, he steers it towards international markets by expanding the sales structure.

1984

FRAISA Sarl. becomes the first service company to be founded abroad. Following the successful positioning of FRAISA in Switzerland, direct customer service is now provided in France as well.

1986

The first "ToolChampions" competition seeks the most talented young Swiss trainees in high-precision metalworking.

1934-1984 FRAISA Sarl. – The first service company outside Switzerland.

1988-1997

1934-1988 FRAISA GmbH – founded in 1988

1988

Foundation of FRAISA GmbH in Willich, Germany. With the acquisition and renaming of a factory for special tools and reconditioning of cutting tools, the foundation stone is laid for today’s successful combination of standard tools and service. Today, FRAISA GmbH is FRAISA’s service centre for the European market and also the main sales office in Germany.

In the same year, Schäublin AG (ESO) is acquired. ESO is a leading manufacturer of tapping tools and gauges. This marks the first step on the path to becoming a full service provider in the field of metal cutting tools. ESO merges with FRAISA in 1997. Thereafter FRAISA pursues a successful one-brand strategy in the market.

1992

FRAISA Italia s.r.l. is founded in Milan. With this step, the foundation stone is laid for the systematic development of the important Italian market.

1997

Mr Hans Stüdeli’s two daughters, Susanne Schibli and Charlotte Froelicher, acquire the majority shareholding in the FRAISA Group. This completes the generation change in the family company.

1999-2001

1999

Entry into the Hungarian market with the foundation of FRAISA Hungária Kft. From now on, Hungarian customers are looked after by FRAISA Hungária Kft.

2000

Entry into the servicing business in the Swiss market with the acquisition of Emil Weber AG in Langnau. E. Weber AG is Switzerland’s largest and leading company in tool reconditioning. The products from E. Weber AG form the perfect complement to FRAISA’s own range. In 2003, production is relocated to new premises erected in 2002 at Bärau near Langnau. Servicing continues to expand under the FRAISA brand. Today, every location in Switzerland is served by the company’s own collection service.

2001

In 2001, FRAISA USA, Inc. is founded in New Brighton near Minneapolis. FRAISA USA, Inc. is today a sales and service base with its own modern production facilities for manufacturing inch size tools, reconditioning of tools and the production of special tools. The extensive standard programme of carbide and HSS milling tools in American inch sizes was the basis for the successful expansion into the North American market.

1999-2001 FRAISA Hungária Kft. – founded in 1999

2002-2007

2002-2007 Joseph Maushart, since 1995 CEO of the FRAISA Group (until 2023)

2002

Acquisition of Serczam Kösörü Zentrum in Sarospatak (SKCZ). SKCZ is a Hungarian company specialising in the manufacture of special tools and reconditioning. At the time of the takeover, it has a workforce of twenty highly qualified employees. FRAISA steadily expands the company in the years that follow. Today, FRAISA Hungary is an ultra-modern production site for the manufacture of cutting tools.

2005

Josef Maushart, CEO of the Fraisa Group since 1995, acquires the majority shareholding in the FRAISA Group. The former owners Susanne Schibli and Charlotte Froelicher transfer the majority shareholding to Josef Maushart with the objective of safeguarding the group’s long-term future as an independent family company.

2007

Foundation of FRAISA Concept AG. Largely independent from the operative business of the FRAISA Group, FRAISA Concept AG’s purpose is to conduct research into long-term trends and developments in the metal cutting industry. This is intended to provide the FRAISA Group with fresh options for future products and services.

In the same year the FRAISA USA, Inc. starts production services.

2011-2015

2011

FRAISA USA, Inc. expands its production facility and begins manufacturing standard tools in inch sizes.

2012

Extension of the production area of FRAISA GmbH in Willich to 1,500 m2 with the acquisition of the adjacent building. This widens operational possibilities, aiding growth and gradual expansion.

In the same year, FRAISA Hungária Kft. expands its production capacity by commencing construction of a new building with a floor area of 2,000 m2.

2015

FRAISA is opening a new coating center in Hungary and introducing diamond coating for carbide tools, making it the first manufacturer of milling tools in Europe capable of implementing high-precision diamond coating in its own coating center.

2011-2015 In the same year, a new structure 2,000 m² in size will be opened for additional space in Hungary.

2015-2018

2015-2018 FRAISA is honored as winner of the Family Business Award.

2015

The first employees complete their adult training courses. In collaboration with the canton of Solothurn, FRAISA has developed a concept that enables employees who never learned a trade to qualify for a career-integrated apprenticeship certificate for mature-aged adults.

The idea is very well received in Switzerland and seen as a model for the further training of employees that takes account of technological change.

2016

FRAISA is honored as winner of the Family Business Award. This year, the Family Business Award is presented for the fifth time. It is sponsored by AMAG and organized by the team of the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF).

A flexible daily working time model replaces the shift model deployed for production in Switzerland. Investments in production automation now enable machinery to run for longer periods without personnel than previously, when a shift system was used. The employees were prepared for their new upgraded tasks in order to help shape the technological change.

2018

FRAISA founds the sales company FRAISA (Shanghai) Co., Ltd in Shanghai. After building up its long-term position with its own consultants in a representative office solution, FRAISA now intends to bolster its presence on the Chinese market.

Important services are concentrated at two sites: In the Hungarian town of Sárospatak, FRAISA ConcepTool now produces all custom tools within the FRAISA Group. Meanwhile, the tool reconditioning processes of FRAISA ReTool® are concentrated in Willich/Germany for all other sites. This specialization facilitates an increase in performance, an improvement in key figures, and an increase in customer demand.

2019-2021

2019

In June, construction work starts on a new production hall at the FRAISA headquarters in Bellach. After the new building has been completed, various adjustment work are carried out on the existing production building. This represents a total investment of CHF 17 million, ensuring FRAISA sound and structured ongoing development in Switzerland.

2020

In August, after 14 months of intensive planning and construction work, we accept and move into the new production building with its workspaces and extensive catering area.

In partnership with the University of Applied Science Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), a comprehensive life cycle assessment is prepared for the entire FRAISA Group. This makes it possible to compare various environmentally relevant factors and draw conclusions regarding future developments. The balance sheets will accordingly be updated on a regular basis over the coming years.

2021

The new FRAISA ReToolGreen service is a sustainable and resource-saving option for tools that have already been used. It is launched on the French market for the first time. Extensive interest and acceptance in France encourage us to expand the service to more markets in future.

In the field of milling technology, FRAISA has already had very good experience with autonomous manufacturing processes. The production of threading tools now also follows this successful example. The working time model is changed from two-shift to daytime operation. The majority of production hours at nights and weekends are now realized in autonomous operation.

2019-2021 Completion of the new construction project in Bellach

2022-2023

2022-2023 Thomas Nägelin, CMO of the FRAISA Group and CEO since 2023

2022

Our company in the USA is now focusing on sales and support for our customers in North America.

2023

The major IT and harmonization project SAP S/4HANA is launched across the entire group in order to standardize the ERP landscape. The rollout is implemented in the branches in Germany, France and Italy. In Switzerland, Hungary, the USA and China, a conversion from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA is taking place. The changeover allows processes to be simplified, data to be evaluated more efficiently and user interfaces to be better adapted to requirements. The planned duration of the project is approximately four years.

As CEO, Josef Maushart has made groundbreaking contributions to the FRAISA Group over the past 28 years. Thomas Nägelin, who has been CMO for the FRAISA Group for many years, now takes over the position of CEO. Josef Maushart will continue to perform his duties as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

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