Schwob AG celebrates 150th anniversary

The oldest fully maintained linen weaving company in Switzerland, Schwob AG, is turning 150 years old. It has been producing bed and table linen in Burgdorf, based in the Emmental valley located in the Swiss canton of Bern, since 1872. The company specializes in the services sector of full linen hire for the hotel industry, gastronomy, and healthcare.

As CEO Stephan Hirt states in a press release, sustainability is a key philosophy of the company, including short travel distances: “We buy the yarn in Europe, develop, design and weave the textiles in house, even refinement takes place in Switzerland in Zofingen, sewing takes place at our workshop in Burgdorf, then we wash the textiles at our five Swiss laundries. This is pure Swissness – 100 percent.”

Hirt adds that he doesn’t know any other companies “that seamlessly cover both areas of weaving/textile production and laundry at the same time.” He adds: “This means that we have access to the entire value chain without any friction losses.” Modern trucks “do not take clients’ laundry hundreds of kilometers through half of Switzerland or even abroad just because it is cheaper to wash it there”. Because of this, sustainability is already woven into the company’s DNA.

Over the years to come, Schwob AG plans to further develop its national market-leading position. Hirt comments: “I am convinced that quality awareness will continue to grow strongly in the textile sector as well, not least as a result of coronavirus and supply bottlenecks with imported products.”

According to Hirt, there are “many clients in this country who do not buy huge quantities and value the high level of flexibility of the last weaving company in Switzerland. This means that hotels and restaurants can position themselves accordingly with the environment and the quality of their overall product.”