Eternit (Schweiz)

What Eternit (Schweiz) does

Swisspearl Schweiz AG (formerly Eternit) is a Swiss family-owned manufacturer of fiber cement building materials, headquartered in Niederurnen in the Glarnerland region of the Swiss Alps. The company operates as the Swiss domestic subsidiary of Swisspearl Group AG, which collectively employs 2,300 people worldwide and distributes through 78 partners across 62 countries. Its product portfolio spans five application areas: facades (format and color lines such as Largo, Ondapress, Clinar, Modula, Plank Original, Carat, Nobilis, and the Patina NXT series), roofing (Plancolor, Meteo, Dachschiefer «Eternit», Tectolit Lap, Structa, Ondapress roofs), interior panels (Duripanel, Pical, Cemspan/Cemcolor, Sasmoplan), garden products (plant pots, seating, tables), and integrated solar building envelope solutions under the Sunskin brand (Sunskin Roof Lap, Sunskin Facade Lap, Sunskin Facade Flat, colored solar modules, storage, and inverters). Its core technology is fiber cement — a composite of cement, sand, water, and fibers with regional Swiss Alpine raw material sourcing — combined with proprietary surface technologies (Patina NXT) and fastening systems (Sigma 8 Pro) for ventilated curtain-wall facades.

The business model is built on one-time sales of physical building materials through a multi-tier channel: a global distributor network with an online B2B webshop (export.swisspearl.shop), a dealer locator for end customers, and a direct field sales force (Aussendienst) in Switzerland for project specification. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set per project through distributor and dealer channels. Customer segments are horizontal: architects and planners (primary), building owners and developers (primary), interior designers and contractors (secondary), and landscape architects (secondary). Sales support is anchored by the Swisspearl Academy training program, the ARCH trade journal, and the Swisspearl Magazine, all targeted at influencing the architectural specification process. The company is a privately held family enterprise with no public listing, no institutional investors, and no disclosed funding rounds, M&A, or leadership changes in the input data.

Name

Eternit (Schweiz)

Legal name

Swisspearl Schweiz AG

Website

https://eternit.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Swisspearl Schweiz AG (formerly Eternit) is a Swiss family-owned fiber cement manufacturer producing facade, roof, interior, garden, and integrated solar building envelope products for architects, building owners, and developers across 62 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiber Cement Building Envelope Materials

NAICS

Gypsum Product Manufacturing (327420)

SIC

Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270)

akta.pro primary industry

Gypsum Board & Drywall Panels (IMADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engineered Wood Siding, Trim & Mouldings (IMAMACAI)

Keywords

• Fiber cement building materials
• Facade cladding panels
• Ventilated facade systems
• Building-integrated photovoltaics
• Architectural roof slates

Headquarters

HQ city

Niederurnen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fiber Cement Building Materials (Facades, Roofs, Interior, Garden): One-time sale of fiber cement products across five categories: Facade (cladding, panels), Roof (tiles, slates), Interior (panels), Garden (planters, furniture), and Solar (Sunskin integrated solutions). Products are sold through distributors, dealers, and direct project engagement. The company also offers professional services through the Swisspearl Academy for training.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Swisspearl Schweiz AG manufactures and sells fiber cement building envelope products for facades, roofs, interior walls, and garden applications, plus integrated solar (Sunskin BIPV) systems. Offerings span cladding panels, slates, planks, corrugated profiles, fastening systems, and complete roof and facade assemblies, distributed through a global network of 78 partners across 62 countries alongside direct field sales and advisory services. The Swisspearl Academy delivers professional training on product specification and installation.

Product overview

Swisspearl is a Swiss family-owned company specializing in fiber cement building materials. The product portfolio is organized into five main categories: (1) Facade products including format lines (Das Kleinformat, Largo, Eternit Fassadenschiefer, Ondapress series, Clinar, Clinar Clip, Modula, Plank Original, Plank Connect) and color lines (Purio Ondapress, Carat, Gravial, Vintago, Reflex, Avera, Nobilis with variants, Terra, Planea, and Patina NXT series); (2) Roof products including Plancolor, Meteo roof system, Eternit Dachschiefer, Tectolit Lap, Structa, and Ondapress roof variants; (3) Sunskin integrated solar solutions for roofs (Sunskin Roof Lap) and facades (Sunskin Facade Lap, Sunskin Facade Flat) with colored modules, storage solutions, and inverters; (4) Interior products including Duripanel, Pical, Cemspan/Cemcolor, and Sasmoplan for wall and ceiling applications; (5) Garden products including various plant pot shapes (gewellt, gross, hoch, klein, schalen, rund, eckig), seating elements, tables, and accessories. The product ecosystem is supported by fastening systems (Sigma 8 Pro, invisible and visible fastening, closed corner profiles), the Swisspearl Academy training service, and a distributor webshop. Swisspearl positions itself as a developer alongside designers, emphasizing aesthetics, Swiss quality, and sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sunskin: Fully integrated solar solution that transforms roofs and facades into efficient and aesthetically pleasing power plants. Includes Sunskin Roof Lap, Sunskin Facade Lap, and Sunskin Facade Flat products.
• Swisspearl
• ARCH

Products and services

• Facades — Format Lines (Das Kleinformat, Largo, Fassadenschiefer «Eternit», Ondapress 36/57 Fassade, Clinar, Clinar Clip, Modula, Plank Original, Plank Connect) Fiber cement facade cladding portfolio in multiple formats (large panels, slates, planks, corrugated profiles, modular and clip-mounted systems) for architects and developers specifying durable, design-flexible building envelopes.
• Facades — Color Lines (Swisspearl Carat, Gravial, Vintago, Reflex, Avera, Nobilis, Nobilis Ondapress lasierend, Nobilis Ondapress R-Color, Terra, Planea, Purio Ondapress, Patina Original NXT, Patina Rough NXT, Patina Structure NXT) Color and finish collections for Swisspearl fiber cement facades offering design flexibility across premium, earth-tone, translucent, aged-patina, and other aesthetic families for architectural specification.
• Roofing (Plancolor, Meteo Dachsystem, Dachschiefer «Eternit», Tectolit Lap, Structa, Ondapress 36 Dach, Ondapress 57 Dach) Fiber cement roofing systems for residential, commercial, and agricultural buildings, including complete weatherproof roof assemblies and individual slates, tiles, structural panels, and corrugated profiles.
• Sunskin Solar System (Sunskin Roof Lap, Sunskin Facade Lap, Sunskin Facade Flat, Farbige Solarmodule, Speicherlösungen und Wechselrichter) Building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems that transform roofs and facades into power plants while preserving architectural aesthetics, including complete system with mounting, wiring, colored solar modules, storage solutions, and inverters.
• Interior Products (Duripanel, Pical, Cemspan/Cemcolor, Sasmoplan) Fiber cement interior panels for wall and ceiling fit-out in commercial, office, and public-building interiors.
• Garden Products (Gewellte/Grosse/Hohe/Kleine/Runde/Eckige Pflanztöpfe, Schalen, Sitzelemente, Tische, Accessoires) Fiber cement garden planters (plant pots in multiple shapes and sizes), bowls, seating elements, tables, and accessories for landscape architects, garden designers, and outdoor applications.
• Fastening Systems (Sigma 8 Pro, Unsichtbare Befestigung, Sichtbare Befestigung, Geschlossene Ecke 90°) Fastening systems for ventilated facade installations, including invisible/hidden attachment, visible fastener systems, Sigma 8 Pro 8mm fasteners, and closed 90° corner profile solutions.
• Swisspearl Academy Professional training and education programs on fiber cement product specification, application, and installation for architects, builders, contractors, and other building professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products certified for coastal environments — resistance to UV radiation and salt-laden air demonstrated in real-world applications such as the Ferienpark Breskens on the Dutch coast.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Distributor Network (78 partners across 62 countries)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwisspearl operates a global distributor network comprising 78 partners across 62 countries. These partners provide local sales, technical support, and logistics for building projects. The company states: 'Mit unserem Distributoren Netzwerk stehen Ihnen weltweit kompetente und erfahrene Partner für Ihr Bauprojekt zur Seite.' A distributor webshop (export.swisspearl.shop) enables online ordering for partners.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nichiha: Japanese fiber cement siding and architectural panel manufacturer with global distribution. Competes directly in fiber cement exterior cladding with overlapping format and color-line strategies.
• Equitone: Etex's architectural fiber cement facade brand serving the same architect/specifier channel as Swisspearl with comparable large-format ventilated facade systems.
• Etex Group: Belgian industrial group that owns competing fiber cement brands Cembrit, Equitone, and Allura, plus plasterboard. Closest direct European peer in architectural fiber cement facades and roofing.
• Allura (Etex): Etex's North American fiber cement siding brand. Comparable product offering in residential exterior cladding, serving a different geography but same core fiber cement category.
• James Hardie Industries: Global leader in fiber cement building products for siding, trim, and backer board. Directly comparable as the largest pure-play fiber cement manufacturer with overlapping facade and exterior product lines.
• Cembrit: Etex-owned European fiber cement manufacturer offering facade panels, roofing, and interior cladding. Directly competes with Swisspearl in architectural fiber cement specifications.

Broad incumbents

• Boral Limited: Australian building materials and construction products group with brick, roofing, and cladding offerings. Comparable as a broad building envelope materials manufacturer serving residential and commercial markets.
• Knauf: Major global manufacturer of plasterboard, insulation, and building materials. Adjacent in interior wall/ceiling panels and competes for the same architect and contractor specification relationships.
• CertainTeed (Saint-Gobain): North American building products brand offering siding, roofing, and insulation within Saint-Gobain. Overlaps with Swisspearl in residential and commercial exterior cladding and roofing categories.
• Saint-Gobain: Global building materials giant with broad facade, insulation, and roofing portfolios (including CertainTeed). Operates at significantly larger scale than Swisspearl across multiple construction categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Eternit (Schweiz)