Bretscher Sons

What Bretscher Sons does

Bretscher Söhne AG is a fifth-generation, family-owned Swiss electrical engineering company headquartered in Basel with a secondary branch in Buchrain (Lucerne region). Founded in 1896 by Johann Bretscher-Meyer as a manufacturer of galvanic battery elements for door-opener systems, it positions itself as the oldest continuously operating electrotechnical company in Basel. The firm operates three integrated service lines: Elektroinstallation (electrical installations for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, including maintenance and service), Elektroplanung (electrical planning for new builds and renovations across all building types), and Automation (building and industrial automation including SPS/PLC programming using Siemens S7-1500, KNX, DALI, visualization/touchpanel systems, and SCADA/Leitsystem integration). Remote maintenance and a self-serve online booking portal for small consumer jobs (lamp mounting, repairs, consultations) round out the offering. The company holds ISO9001 certification since 1997 and discloses operational scale metrics such as 142 km of cable laid and 5,600 programmed I/Os in 2025.

Its revenue model is project-based professional services, with three named revenue streams (Elektroinstallation, Elektroplanung, Automation), all classified as professional services. Pricing is quote-based for larger B2B projects and pay-as-you-go for small consumer services booked through the online portal. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct field service delivery from the Basel and Lucerne offices with a self-serve booking channel; project work is acquired through direct relationships with property managers, architects, industrial facilities, HVAC planners, utilities, and public institutions, supplemented by recurring private household work. Customer segments span B2B (property managers and housing cooperatives, builders and architects, HVAC engineers, industrial plants, hotels and hospitality) and B2C (private households), with primary verticals identified as property managers/cooperatives, builders/architects, and households.

The company is a privately held Swiss stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) controlled by the Bretscher family across five generations, with Thomas Bretscher as Managing Director and owner and Dieter Bretscher as Chairman. It employs approximately 30–50 staff across installation, planning, and automation departments, supported by roughly 10 apprentices, and has no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, M&A activity, or public listing. Operating geography is restricted to Switzerland (Basel and central Switzerland regions).

Name

Bretscher Sons

Legal name

Bretscher Söhne AG

Website

https://b-s-b.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bretscher Söhne AG is a fifth-generation, family-owned Swiss electrical engineering firm providing electrical installation, planning, and building/industrial automation services for residential, commercial, and industrial clients in the Basel and Lucerne regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Contracting Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrical Contracting (Commercial/Industrial) (IMAIABAC)

Keywords

• Electrical installation services
• Electrical planning
• Building automation
• Industrial automation
• PLC programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Elektroinstallation: Electrical installation services for buildings, industry, and infrastructure projects including new installations, renovations, and maintenance.
2. Elektroplanung: Electrical planning and engineering services for construction projects.
3. Automation: Building and industrial automation including SPS programming, control system design, and commissioning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bretscher Söhne AG is a Swiss electrical engineering firm founded in 1896, providing electrical installation (Elektroinstallation), electrical planning (Elektroplanung), and automation services. The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers across two office locations in Basel and Buchrain/Lucerne, delivering end-to-end electrical contracting from design through commissioning.

Product overview

Bretscher Söhne AG is an electrical engineering company offering three core services: Elektroinstallationen (Electrical Installations), Elektroplanung (Electrical Planning), and Automation. The company operates as a unified service provider rather than a software product platform. Their services span building installations, industrial installations, electrical planning, and building/industrial automation. Additional offerings include online booking for customer service requests and remote maintenance capabilities. The company serves diverse customer segments including building owners, architects, HVAC planners, property managers, private households, industrial plants, and hotels/restaurants across Basel and Lucerne locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elektroinstallation (Electrical Installation)

Quantifiable outcome

• 142 km of cable installed in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Rasenplan AGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Collaborated on the world's first groundwater-powered turf heating/cooling system for SK Rapid Wien's Körner Training Centre. Joint execution of the heating system project.
• Swietelsky AGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Partnered on the world's first groundwater-powered turf heating/cooling system for SK Rapid Wien's Körner Training Centre. Joint construction execution.
• Kinderspitex SchweizminorOthers · 9 January 2023Five-year sponsorship of a wheelchair-accessible family vehicle for the Spitex-Mobile program serving families and groups with disabled children in the Lucerne region.
• BCO Alemannia BaselminorOthers · 27 September 2022Sponsorship of junior football team uniforms to support youth sports development in the local community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hälg Group: Hälg Group is a Swiss building services and HVAC/automation specialist with strong regional presence in northern Switzerland. Its MSRL/automation portfolio closely overlaps Bretscher's building and industrial automation offerings.
• Bouygues E&S Enertech AG: Bouygues E&S Enertech (formerly Alpiq) is a Swiss building-technology and electrical-services provider active in building automation and energy infrastructure — overlapping directly with Bretscher's HLKS/MSRL customer base.
• Burkhalter Holding AG: Burkhalter Holding is the leading publicly listed Swiss electrical engineering contractor, offering installation, planning, and automation services across Switzerland. It is the most directly comparable scaled Swiss peer in Bretscher's exact service categories.
• Erne AG Bauunternehmung: Erne AG is a long-established Swiss construction group with an electrical-installation and automation division. Its regional Swiss footprint, mixed residential/industrial customer base, and longevity mirror Bretscher's heritage positioning.

Broad incumbents

• ENGIE Services AG (Switzerland): ENGIE Services AG operates a multi-disciplinary Swiss facility services and electrical-installation business serving industrial and commercial customers. It competes with Bretscher on enterprise automation tenders while offering a much broader portfolio.
• SPIE ICS AG: SPIE ICS AG is the Swiss arm of SPIE, providing electrical installation, automation, and facility services across multiple cantons. It overlaps Bretscher in industrial automation and large-scale commercial installations.
• ABB Schweiz AG: ABB Switzerland is a global automation and electrification incumbent with major Swiss operations delivering industrial and building automation. It competes with Bretscher on industrial automation projects while also supplying control equipment.
• Siemens Schweiz AG (Smart Infrastructure / Automation): Siemens Schweiz supplies S7-1500 SPS platforms, KNX/DALI ecosystems, and SCADA tooling that Bretscher programs and integrates. It is an indirect incumbent — both a technology partner to Bretscher and a competitor for larger automation contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bretscher-soehne-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Bretscher Sons