HPV Rorschach

What HPV Rorschach does

HPV Rorschach is a Swiss non-profit organization founded in 1952 and headquartered in Rorschach (St. Gallen canton) that delivers integrated disability services across four pillars: Living (Leben), Learning (Lernen), Working (Arbeiten), and Customer Orders (Auftragskunden). The Living pillar provides supported housing in shared apartments (Wohngemeinschaften), semi-independent living groups (Aussenwohngruppen), and independent-living coaching. The Learning pillar spans special-needs schooling from kindergarten through vocational orientation, plus adult education and counseling for mainstream-class pupils; the Sonder-\u00adschule Wiggenhof in Rorschacherberg is the dedicated school site. The Working pillar offers supported workplaces, vocational training, day-structure ateliers, integration measures, and job coaching. The Customer Orders pillar operates as the commercial arm, manufacturing handcrafted products (T\u00e4tzli soft leather baby shoes, F\u00fcnk beeswax fire starters, wooden toys, household items, and the 3D Kreativbox game) and reselling Swiss partner brands such as Br\u00e4ndi games, Stockmar art supplies, and Victorinox accessories.

The organization operates from five physical sites \u2014 the Spl\u00fcgenstrasse administration and production center in Rorschach, the Atelier am G\u00e4rtnerweg in Goldach, the residential community Wohngemeinschaften im D\u00f6rfli on Franklinstrasse, the Sonder-\u00adschule Wiggenhof in Rorschacherberg, and the HPV-Laden retail store and bistro on Rorschach\u2019s Hauptstrasse \u2014 staffed by 501\u20131,000 employees. Underlying technology is conventional: a German-language corporate website (hpv.ch) with accessibility features (Leichte Sprache, ReadSpeaker), an integrated e-commerce platform (shop.hpv.ch) serving Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. No proprietary AI, APIs, or advanced technology stack is evidenced.

Revenue mechanics blend four streams: state contributions (cantonal IV/Sozialamt funding) for funded residential, educational, and vocational services; donations, memberships, and legacy bequests for mission support; B2B order work producing goods for industrial, trade, and private customers; and direct-to-consumer product sales via the HPV-Laden and online shop, where unit prices range from CHF 9.50 (door stops) to CHF 269 (larger wooden items), with TWINT, card, invoice, and pickup-payment options and shipping via Swiss Post. Marco D\u00f6rig serves as Gesch\u00e4ftsf\u00fchrer (Managing Director) and Konrad Nussbaumer as Leiter Berufliche Massnahmen (Head of Professional Measures).

Name

HPV Rorschach

Legal name

HPV Rorschach

Website

https://hpv.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

HPV Rorschach is a Swiss non-profit, founded in 1952 and based in Rorschach, that supports people with disabilities through integrated residential, special-education, vocational, and supported-employment services, operating from five regional sites with 501\u20131,000 staff and a commercial workshop selling handcrafted products online and via its HPV-Laden retail store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Social Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAG

Disability Services & Independent Living Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Social services
• Vocational training
• Special education
• Handcrafted products

Headquarters

HQ city

Sankt Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling handcrafted products including toys (puzzles, rattles, wooden toys), household items (cutting boards, lanterns, door stops), and children's items (soft leather baby shoes called Tätzli) through their physical store and e-commerce platform.
2. Government Funding: State contributions and government subsidies form a key part of the financial framework for operating social services for people with disabilities.
3. Donations and Legacies: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations, gift donations in lieu of presents, memorial donations, and legacy bequests support the organization's mission and enable equipment purchases and leisure activities.
4. B2B Order Work: Production contracts with external companies where people with disabilities working at HPV produce quality products and services for industrial, trade, and private customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HPV Rorschach delivers integrated social services and supported employment for people with disabilities across four pillars: Living (residential and independent living support), Learning (special education, vocational orientation, adult education), Working (supported workplaces, vocational training, day-structure atelier, integration measures, job coaching), and Customer Orders (contract production and catering for businesses plus the HPV-Laden retail and online shop selling handcrafted items such as Tätźli baby shoes, Fünk fire starters, wooden toys, and household goods). Revenue is funded by a combination of state contributions, donations, product sales, and B2B production contracts.

Product overview

HPV Rorschach operates as a comprehensive disability services organization offering a unified portfolio of integrated service offerings across four core areas: Living (Leben), Learning (Lernen), Working (Arbeiten), and Customer Orders (Auftragskunden). The Living services provide housing support in shared apartments and independent living arrangements. Learning services encompass special education from kindergarten through vocational training plus adult education. Working services include supported employment, vocational training, day structure programs (Atelier), integration measures, and job coaching. The Customer Orders division produces handmade products including the signature Tätzli (soft leather baby shoes) and Fünk (beeswax fire starters), along with wooden toys, household items, and games. Products are sold through the HPV-Laden physical and online store (shop.hpv.ch). The organization also resells complementary products including Brändi games, Stockmar art supplies, and items from Swiss manufacturers like Atelier Fischer, Atelier Passage, and Weizenkorn.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leben (Living Services) Residential and independent living support for people with disabilities, including shared apartments (Wohngemeinschaften), semi-independent living groups (Aussenwohngruppen), and supported living in own apartments, with community activities and independence training.
• Lernen (Learning Services) Educational support services from kindergarten through vocational orientation for children and adults with disabilities, including special school (Sonderschule Wiggenhof), vocational orientation (Berufsfindung), adult education (Erwachsenenbildung), and counseling for mainstream classes.
• Arbeiten (Work Services) Vocational and employment services including supported workplaces, vocational training (Ausbildung), day-structure atelier programs, integration measures, and job coaching for adults with disabilities.
• Auftragskunden (Customer Orders / Contract Production) B2B contract production, gastronomy and catering, and sales consulting for industry, trade, and private customers, where products and services are produced by people with disabilities at HPV Rorschach.
• HPV-Laden Retail Store and Online Shop Physical retail store at Hauptstrasse 83, Rorschach, paired with online shop at shop.hpv.ch, selling handcrafted toys, household items, children's articles, games, and art supplies to consumers across Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
• Sonderschule Wiggenhof (Special Needs School) Special education school at Klostergutstrasse 10, 9404 Rorschacherberg, serving children and adolescents with disabilities from kindergarten through vocational orientation, with associated residential group.
• Tagesstruktur Atelier (Day-Structure Workshop) Day-structure atelier programs at Atelier am Gärtnerweg, Goldach, providing structured daytime activities and supported work for adults with disabilities.
• Tätźli – das Original (Soft Leather Baby Shoes) Signature soft leather baby shoes with sewn-in elastic band, designed for crawling babies and first walking attempts, available in sizes 17-28 with decorative designs including animals, vehicles, and nature themes; priced 40-50 CHF.
• Fünk Fire Starters Eco-friendly fire starters made from wood scraps and recycled paper rolls dipped in 60% beeswax, sold in packs of 20 for 9.60 CHF, used as an alternative fire-starting aid for grills, fire bowls, and fireplaces.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Schwendener (Töpferei Schwendener)minorOthersSchwendener is a pottery studio in Buchs, Switzerland that produces ceramic items sold through HPV Rorschach's shop. Their products include plates, cups, and bowls featuring Swiss character designs like Barry (St. Bernard), Heidi, Kuh (cow), Schellenursli, and Froschkönig (Frog King).
• Atelier FischerminorOthersSwiss toy manufacturer producing wooden puzzles and games sold through HPV Rorschach's shop. Products include Klötzlipuzzle wooden block puzzles in various configurations.
• Atelier PassageminorOthersSwiss toy manufacturer producing hand-painted wooden toys including Nachziehtiere (pull toys), puzzles, and vehicles made from Swiss solid wood (Ahorn, Buche, Esche).
• WeizenkornminorOthersToy manufacturer producing wooden educational toys including Nachziehtiere (pull toys), puzzles, Lochmemo (hole memory games), Silbenspiel (syllable games), and Holzbilderbuch (wooden picture books).
• StockmarminorOthersManufacturer of beeswax crayons and art supplies, including 8-piece and 12-piece sets, sold through HPV Rorschach's shop for children's creative activities.
• Brändi FoundationminorOthersSwiss foundation behind the iconic Brändi Dog and Brändi Triangolini games. HPV Rorschach sells these traditional Swiss games in their shop, with Brändi Dog being described as 'Das Schweizer Kultspiel' (the Swiss cult game).
• VictorinoxminorOthersSwiss knife manufacturer whose products are included with certain cutting boards sold by HPV Rorschach, such as the 'En Guete' cherry wood cutting board which comes with a Victorinox Santoku kitchen knife.
• Sags GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWeb development and implementation agency based in St. Gallen (Davidstrasse 40, 9000 St.Gallen) responsible for the technical implementation of HPV Rorschach's website.
• Stolz WEB GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWeb development agency responsible for the implementation of HPV Rorschach's website, phone +41 (0)71 511 38 20.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• PluSport: Swiss national organization promoting sport for people with disabilities, operating across many Swiss regions. It is an adjacent rather than direct peer but addresses the same leisure and integration dimensions of HPV's Living and Arbeiten offerings.

Direct peers

• Stiftung Brändi: Swiss social enterprise that provides vocational training, residential, and work-integration services for people with disabilities, and is also the producer of the Brändi Dog and Triangolini games that HPV resells. It is the closest direct peer given its nearly identical dual social-impact + production business model, though anchored in central Switzerland.
• Werkheim Uster: Integrated social enterprise near Zurich combining sheltered housing, supported workshops, vocational training, and product sales. Closely comparable to HPV in both its integrated service model and its use of in-house production to fund the social mission.
• Stiftung RgZ (Stiftung für ganzheitliche Betreuung Zürich): Zurich-based social foundation providing housing, day-structure, and supported employment for people with disabilities, with a similar four-pillar operating model. It is a direct peer because the service mix, Swiss regulatory environment, and target population closely mirror HPV Rorschach.

Broad incumbents

• Inclusion Handicap: Swiss umbrella association of disability organizations, including many of HPV Rorschach's direct sector peers. It is comparable as the national advocacy and coordination layer that shapes the funding and policy environment in which HPV operates.
• Pro Infirmis: Switzerland's largest disability services and advocacy organization, offering residential, vocational, and advisory services nationwide. Pro Infirmis is a natural broad incumbent peer because it competes for the same cantonal disability funding and serves overlapping client populations, albeit at national rather than regional scale.
• Insieme Schweiz: Swiss parent association for people with intellectual disabilities, supporting member institutions across Switzerland that provide education, residential, and work integration services. Highly comparable to HPV Rorschach as both operate within the same Swiss disability-services ecosystem, with Insieme functioning as a national umbrella and HPV as a regional implementation site.

Regional players

• ARWO St. Gallen: Disability and social services provider in the broader St. Gallen canton offering residential living, day-structure programs, and supported employment. It is a regional peer because it competes for overlapping state funding and employer demand within commuting distance of HPV Rorschach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HPVRorschach
• LinkedInch.linkedin.com/company/hpv-rorschach
• Instagraminstagram.com/hpvrorschach

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 HPV Rorschach