What Zahner Electronic AG does

Zahner Electronic AG is a privately held Swiss full-service provider of industrial automation, switchgear construction (Schaltanlagenbau), and electrical engineering, headquartered in Kaltbrunn, Canton St. Gallen. Founded in 1981 and operating for over 30 years, the company serves machine builders, plant engineers, mobile machine manufacturers, and building automation operators across Switzerland with a vertically integrated offering that spans engineering, switchgear manufacturing, cable assembly, PLC programming, retrofit, safety analysis, and on-site commissioning. Its technology stack is built on industry-standard platforms — EPLAN Electric P8 for circuit design, Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT 3/TwinSAFE, CODESYS 2.3/3.5, and SIGMATEK Lasal for automation, and SISTEMA Safety for functional-safety risk analysis — supported by in-house laser marking and cable assembly at the Kaltbrunn facility. The customer base spans marquee Swiss and international enterprises including ABB, Swiss Re, SBB CFF FFS (Swiss Federal Railways), Sonova, Empa, Climeworks, Swissmill, Packsys Global, and KVA Linth Energie und Recycling, distributed across rail, insurance, MedTech, energy/recycling, food, research, and packaging verticals.

The company operates a project-based, direct-sales model: customers engage via phone, email, or contact form for quote-based pricing denominated in CHF, with 30-day payment terms and provisions for cost pass-through above 10% of the original offer. Revenue is generated through two streams — professional services (engineering, safety analysis, retrofit, commissioning) and hardware sales (custom control cabinets, switchgear assemblies, cable assemblies) — delivered either as turnkey projects or as individual partial services such as standalone circuit-diagram creation. ISO 9001-certified and led since January 2024 by CEO Jörg Krautter (formerly VP Automation and Power at Murrelektronik), the company maintains long-standing partnerships with Murrelektronik and Murrplastik for components, and pursues an organic growth motion anchored on Swiss domestic proximity, an internal apprenticeship pipeline, and an affiliated mobile-machine venture (Data Panel GmbH). Geographic scope is domestic Switzerland only; there is no evidence of external investors, public listing, M&A activity, or international expansion.

Name

Zahner Electronic AG

Legal name

Zahner Electronic AG

Website

https://zahner-electronic.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zahner Electronic AG is a privately held Swiss full-service provider of industrial automation, switchgear construction, cable assembly, engineering, retrofit, and safety solutions, serving machine builders, plant engineers, mobile machine manufacturers, and building automation operators across domestic Switzerland from its Kaltbrunn facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Automation Engineering Services

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353), Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332)

SIC

Switchgear & Switchboard Apparatus (3613), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620)

akta.pro primary industry

Control System Integration & Engineering Services (Design, Commissioning, Retrofits) (IMAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Control Panels & Enclosures (Panel Building, MCCs, Integration) (IMAGABAJ), Industrial Control Cabinets & Power Distribution (Panels, Switchgear for Automation) (IMAHAHAK)

Keywords

• Industrial automation
• Switchgear construction
• Control cabinet manufacturing
• Cable assembly services
• Building automation engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Kaltbrunn

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering & Project Services: Full project engineering including risk analysis, safety concepts, circuit diagrams, hardware/software integration, and on-site commissioning. Billed as project work or time-and-materials depending on scope. Services include individual partial services (e.g., circuit diagram creation) as well as complete turnkey solutions.
2. Switchgear Construction (Schaltanlagenbau / Schaltschrankbau): Custom-built control cabinets and switchgear assemblies, from individual units to large-scale switchgear systems. Manufacturing is done in-house at the Kaltbrunn facility. Includes cable assemblies, energy chains, and cable trees.
3. Cable Assembly (Kabelkonfektion): Custom cable assemblies, cable trees, cable sets, and pre-assembled energy chains. Available as individual partial services or as part of complete switchgear solutions.
4. Retrofit & Modernization: Cost-effective modernization of existing machines, plants, and building automation systems. Extends machine lifecycle, reduces investment costs, and ensures compliance with current safety standards. Billed per project.
5. Safety Solutions: Safety concepts, risk analysis, and compliance with ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 for machines and plants. Includes emergency stop systems, protective covers, and sensor technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zahner Electronic AG designs, engineers, manufactures, and commissions industrial automation solutions, including control cabinets (Schaltanlagenbau), cable assemblies, building-automation systems, functional-safety solutions, and retrofit projects for machinery, plant, mobile machines, and buildings. Each project typically combines engineering services with in-house manufacturing of physical control cabinets and pre-assembled cabling, delivered as a complete contracted scope.

Product overview

Zahner Electronic AG offers a comprehensive portfolio of electrical engineering and automation services for industrial applications. The core offerings include Automation, Building Automation, Engineering, Switchgear Construction (Schaltanlagenbau), Cable Assembly (Kabelkonfektion), Retrofit, and Safety Solutions. The company provides both complete system solutions and individual services such as schematic creation using EPLAN P8. They utilize platforms including Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT, CODESYS, and SIGMATEK for software engineering and SPS programming. Services span from initial risk analysis and planning through manufacturing, installation, and on-site commissioning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Automation Design, programming, and commissioning of industrial automation systems for machine builders, plant operators, and mobile-machine manufacturers, executed with EPLAN Electric P8, Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT, CODESYS, and SIGMATEK Lasal.
• Building Automation (Gebäudeautomation) Centralized building-automation solutions covering HVAC, lighting, shading, and energy management, delivered together with the associated switchgear and cabling infrastructure for commercial and institutional buildings in Switzerland.
• Electrical Engineering Project-level electrical engineering services, including circuit and schematic design, hardware specification, documentation, and technical consulting for industrial and building automation projects.
• Switchgear Construction (Schaltanlagenbau) In-house design, assembly, wiring, and testing of industrial control cabinets and switchgear built to customer specifications, with permanent laser-marked component identification for traceability.
• Cable Assembly (Kabelkonfektion) Custom pre-assembly of cables and wiring harnesses engineered to project requirements, complementing switchgear construction for industrial and building automation customers.
• Retrofit and Modernization Engineering, manufacturing, and on-site implementation of retrofits and modernization projects that replace or upgrade existing automation and electrical systems in operational plants and machinery.
• Functional Safety Solutions (Sicherheitstechnik) Safety engineering, SISTEMA-based safety verification, and implementation of safety functions for machinery, process plants, and building-automation applications to meet applicable functional-safety standards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Extended machine lifecycle through retrofit — avoiding costly new acquisitions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Data Panel GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Data Panel GmbH was founded by Jörg Krautter (CEO of Zahner Electronic AG) in 2020, focusing on decentralized installation technology for mobile machines. This represents a strategic connection between the CEO's entrepreneurial activity and Zahner Electronic's operations in mobile machine automation.
• MurrelektronikcoreTechnology or IntegrationZahner Electronic AG maintains a long-standing strategic partnership with Murrelektronik, leveraging their automation and power distribution products in custom solutions for customers. Murrelektronik is a leading manufacturer of electronic components for automation. The partnership enables Zahner Electronic to integrate Murrelektronik's products into its switchgear, building automation, and machine automation solutions, providing customers with quality components and pricing advantages.
• MurrplastikcoreTechnology or IntegrationZahner Electronic AG maintains a long-standing strategic partnership with Murrplastik, a manufacturer of automation components and cable management systems. Murrplastik products are integrated into Zahner Electronic's switchgear and machine automation solutions, providing customers with high-quality cable routing, connection technology, and system solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Phoenix Contact: Large German-headquartered manufacturer of industrial electrical engineering, automation, and connection technology. Comparable to Zahner in serving the same PLC/control and switchgear ecosystem, but operates as a broad component incumbent rather than a regional system integrator.
• Siemens: Global industrial automation incumbent whose TIA Portal and SIMATIC platforms Zahner uses daily. A broad incumbent peer in PLC, drives, building automation and switchgear, providing both the technology stack Zahner competes against and on.
• ABB: Swiss-headquartered industrial automation and electrification incumbent, and also a Zahner customer. Relevant as a broad incumbent in control panels, drives, and building automation that competes for the same Swiss Mittelstand wallet.
• Bühler Group: Swiss industrial solutions provider active in food, feed, and mobility sectors — adjacent to Zahner's customer base (e.g., Swissmill). A relevant broad-incumbent reference for scale of Swiss industrial engineering and plant automation.

Emerging players

• Murrelektronik: Specialist in decentralized automation, power distribution and connection technology — and an existing strategic partner of Zahner. Included as a peer because it is both a supplier and a partial competitor for the same automation integration scope.

Direct peers

• Pilz: Specialist in safe automation, machine safety (ISO 13849 / IEC 62061), and risk analysis — directly competing with Zahner's Safety Solutions practice while sharing the same regulatory and standards-driven value proposition.
• Rittal: Global manufacturer of enclosures and control cabinets (switchgear housings, MCCs) and a key infrastructure supplier for panel builders. Directly comparable to Zahner's Schaltanlagenbau and cable assembly offerings, though Rittal operates at much larger scale and primarily as a component OEM rather than integrator.
• Beckhoff Automation: Provider of PC-based control technology (TwinCAT, TwinSAFE) and automation systems that Zahner explicitly programs and integrates. Highly relevant peer given that Beckhoff is both a technology platform Zahner delivers on and a competing automation solutions provider.
• Stäubli: Provider of industrial automation, robotics, and connectors with strong presence in machine building. Comparable to Zahner in serving machine and mobile-machine OEMs with automation, safety, and connection technology.
• Schmersal: Manufacturer of safety switchgear, sensors, and machine safety solutions. Comparable to Zahner's safety/automation portfolio, particularly around emergency stop, protective devices, and safety control integration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zahner-electronic-ag

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zahner Electronic AG