«When it comes to the quality and durability of our machines, we know no compromise. Swissness is not just a buzzword; it is our honest promise.»
In the company since: 1993
For decades, we have specialized in machines for the graphic industry. Today, we are a market leader in vacuum technology for the medical and bakery industry.
Our experience and innovative spirit are valuable in developing all kinds of distinct machines.
All our developments have two things in common: increased efficiency and performance for our customers. Our solutions are precisely tailored to customer requirements. Investments in Durrer machines also pay off in the long-run – guaranteed.
Our milestones are what make us so proud. Here is the complete history of our traditional and innovative company.
Unique special machines.
Every one of our special machines is unique.
We develop them just for you and your exact requirements. From conception to commissioning and beyond, plus special machines for highly individual tasks.
Whatever your requirements, we find the solution.
We love the challenge.
Do you have a particular idea in mind? A task for which no machine exists yet? Then challenge us. As soon as it becomes complex, our engineers and specialists are in top form. They then tinker until the perfect solution is found.
Their experience, extensive know-how, and the joy of technological sophistication help them to do so.
Everything from one source.
e analyse your situation and your needs. We develop, design, and deliver. We are also there for you afterwards: maintenance, support, and upgrades. This makes us efficient, our solutions well-thought-out, and your investment valuable in the long-term – these are demands that have shaped our family business since its foundation in 1949.
They guarantee reliable high quality, and they are passed on from generation to generation.
Company foundation: 1949
Employees: 60
Apprenticeship positions: 6 to 8
Plant area: 4600 m²
CAD drawings made annually: approx. 3300
Electric cables laid annually: 4560 meters
Machines serviced by us worldwide: 750
Raw materials processed per year: 25.5 tons of steel, 14 tons of aluminum
Yes, we are a family-run organisation.
Sister and brother in the management: yes, we're a real family business. Decisions are made democratically throughout the Executive Board, with the Board of Directors and divisional management according to our values and mutual respect.
With Samuel Durrer, Ludwig Durrer's son, the next generation is already part of the company. As a mechanical engineer, he has the training and the skills to be a suitable successor.
Bernadette Reichlin-Durrer and Ludwig Durrer absorbed the entrepreneurial spirit at the family table from an early age.
The company has always been a topic of discussion when sitting together. However, the siblings initially went their own ways. Gender played no part in this: they were both encouraged in their abilities and interests. And yet, it soon became clear that their professional future lays in their own family business.
Bernadette joined the company in 1982. Ludwig followed in 1993. Since 2021, Ludwig Durrer is the sole shareholder of Durrer Spezialmaschinen AG. He has taken over the company shares of his sister Bernadette Reichlin-Durrer and long-time co-shareholder Norbert Ott. Both have also left the Administrative Board. The changes were resolved by mutual agreement and in the sense of an optimal succession plan.
The joint takeover of the business in 1995 was apparent. The division of tasks, too, due to her training path: Bernadette Reichlin-Durrer is responsible for commercial, organizational and financial matters, and Ludwig Durrer for the technical area.
It was also clear that someone from outside the family would complete the management, added by a Board of Directors with a wealth of experience and specialist know-how.
Today, decisions are made democratically - entirely in the interests of the company and far-sighted planning. And indeed, disagreement rarely occurs.
A unique feature of our company is that we work together closely, and distances are short.
This makes us efficient, as we can combine know-how and experience. It also makes our tailor-made solutions and prompt service possible.
New, special machines and optimised spare parts for existing machines are produced here: we always find a solution according to our customer’s ideas and requirements. We design, draw and test different variants and new technologies using our great experience in mechanical and electronic development, where the right software makes the machines work.
In the production department, we turn, mill and drill - all machining processes are carried out in-house. The surface treatments that we can order from our long-term partners from the surrounding area are also part of this.
The individual manufactured parts are put together in the assembly department to form new machines or assemblies for existing machines. At Durrer Spezialmaschinen, we practically do everything ourselves: from manufacturing the smallest individual part to the moment when the machine is on the ramp ready to be signed off.
Initial contacts are made via our customer service. But even after that, we always stay in touch with our customers, usually for years or decades, and are always there for them. Our customer advisors forward enquiries to the appropriate department or offer advice themselves - they also have a technical background. It is important that customer service always keeps an overview and ensures that the customer is helped in an uncomplicated manner. To achieve this, we organise service, the right spare parts, delivery, and everything in between quickly and efficiently.
In sales, close cooperation with the development department is particularly important. This is because feasibility and cost framework, as well as possible implementation, must be analysed in detail at a very early stage of a new project. This is the only way we can advise customers professionally from the very beginning without raising false expectations.
We have been developing and manufacturing vacuum cooling systems for third-party suppliers for a number of years. Our vacuum cooler showcases our experience and concentrated know-how as a specialist for vacuum technology.
The continuous collaboration between all departments makes our company special. Even in administration, the exchange is permanent and intensive. After all, satisfied customers and long-term business relationships are just as important to us.
«Curiosity and openness to new technological developments are in our DNA. In this way, we ensure that, as a company with a long history, we also have a successful future ahead of us.»
Ludwig Durrer, Sven Spitznagel and Matthias Weibel
This is what our partners say about Durrer and our cooperation:
As a proud family business, we take responsibility beyond our own organisation. We are happy to contribute to society, and we are committed to values that are important to us.
Our commitment is multifaceted. It starts with the conscious promotion of a positive working atmosphere and in training apprentices, through which we want to contribute to the professional and social integration of young people.
We support organisations that promote a balance between family and career, as well as cultural institutions that are close to our hearts.
We do all this with joy and out of conviction, corresponding to our self-image as a successful, regionally based company.
We are a company with strong roots in Central Switzerland. Classic Swiss values, such as reliability and quality, are close to our heart - we live them every day, as shown by our Swiss Label membership.
It stands for the promotion of these values and of companies that represent them. In this way, we stand up for Switzerland as a business location and workplace. The crossbow - the symbol of Swiss Label - embodies Swissness.
As a company located right next to the Hohle Gasse, it is a perfect fit: according to the legend of William Tell, it was here that the bailiff Gessler was shot dead with a crossbow.
We are members of various local, regional, and national associations and organisations.
Here, we maintain valuable contacts, support each other, and work for an innovative economy. As a company from the heart of Switzerland with strong local roots, Swissness and associated quality requirements and expectations are important to us.
We also value partnership-based connections within the regional economy and our industry.