Frei Metallbau AG, Herrliberg

What Frei Metallbau AG, Herrliberg does

Frei Metallbau AG is a fourth-generation, family-owned metal fabrication company headquartered in Herrliberg on Lake Zurich, Switzerland, founded in 1920 by Ernst Frei I as a coach and horseshoe blacksmith operation. The company operates a 450 sqm production facility combining a CNC-equipped modern machine park with a traditional forge (amboss mit traditioneller Esse), enabling both precision structural fabrication and heritage blacksmithing. Its product portfolio spans metal doors and windows, gates of all types, railings (including full-glass), stairs, balconies, architectural facades (column-beam, frame glazing, structural glazing), bridges, pergolas, roofs, skylights with optional automated opening and smoke-ventilation (RWA) systems, and interior special fabrications such as fire protection closures and bespoke fittings. The company is a certified fire-protection workshop (brandschutzgeschulter Betrieb) and offers recurring maintenance contracts on fire protection doors.

The business model is project-based custom fabrication with direct-to-customer sales: free initial cost estimates (Devisierung/Vorofferte) are personally provided by experienced owner Ernst Frei, after which projects flow from planning through workshop production to installation by company teams. Revenue derives almost entirely from one-time project contracts with residential property owners, architects and building professionals, and commercial/industrial clients across German-speaking Switzerland, with no public pricing and no disclosed revenue figures. The firm employs approximately 25 staff across management, project leadership, design (Metallbaukonstrukteure), workshop production, welding, installation, and commercial administration, supported by an active apprenticeship pipeline across three Swiss metalworking trades. The company is fully family-owned with no external investors or parent entity.

Name

Frei Metallbau AG, Herrliberg

Legal name

Frei Metallbau AG

Website

https://frei-metallbau.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Frei Metallbau AG is a fourth-generation Swiss family-owned metal fabrication workshop in Herrliberg near Zurich, producing custom metalwork (doors, gates, railings, facades, bridges, stairs, skylights, blacksmithing) and certified fire protection solutions for residential, architectural, and commercial clients across German-speaking Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Metal Fabrication and Installation Services

NAICS

Ornamental and Architectural Metal Products Manufacturing (33232), Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing (332322)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural & Miscellaneous Metals (Stairs, Railings, Ladders) (IMADACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sheet Metal & Flashing Works (Gutters, Copings, Edge Metal, Downspouts) (IMAFAMAE)

Keywords

• Custom metal fabrication
• Metal construction services
• Architectural metalwork
• Fire protection doors
• Blacksmith and wrought iron

Headquarters

HQ city

Herrliberg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Metal Fabrication and Installation: The primary revenue stream consists of custom metal fabrication and installation services. Projects range from simple items like garden gates to complex structural elements including facades, bridges, and multi-story installations. Revenue is generated through direct project contracts with both residential and commercial customers in the Zurichsee region and across German-speaking Switzerland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Frei Metallbau AG is a Swiss metalworking company that manufactures and installs custom metal components for residential and commercial construction projects, including doors, windows, gates, railings, stairs, balconies, facades, bridges, roofs, pergolas, skylights, traditional blacksmith work, and certified fire-protection doors. The company operates a 450 sqm workshop combining a traditional forge with modern CNC machinery, executing projects from initial consultation and cost estimation through in-house fabrication to on-site installation and optional maintenance contracts.

Product overview

Frei Metallbau AG is a traditional Swiss metalworking company operating since 1920 (104 years, 4 generations of family ownership) in Herrliberg near Zurich. The company operates a 450 m² production facility in the village center with modern machinery and traditional forge equipment. The product portfolio comprises a comprehensive range of metal construction offerings: Türen/Fenster (metal doors and windows in aluminum and steel), Tore (all gate types including sliding, folding, rolling), Geländer (railings including all-glass solutions), Treppen (stairs), Balkone (balconies), Fassaden (architectural facades including column-beam and structural glazing), Brücken (bridges), Pergola, Dächer (roofs), and Oblichter (skylights with automation options). The company also offers specialized Innenräume/Spezialanfertigungen (interior customizations) including fire protection doors, and traditional Schmiedearbeiten (blacksmith work). Supporting services include Devisierung/Vorofferte (cost estimation), Brandschutz (fire protection maintenance contracts), and Reparatur/Service (repair services). With 25 employees and 64,548 completed projects, the company serves customers throughout Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Doors and Windows (Türen/Fenster) Custom metal doors and windows fabricated from aluminum and structural steel tubing in standard and custom sizes, with thermal and acoustic insulation. Optional window sills and parapet coverings in aluminum are available. Suitable for residential and commercial new construction and renovations.
• Gates (Tore) Custom gate solutions including garden gates, large-area sliding gates, folding gates, rolling gates, tilting gates, and sectional gates. The company acts as a specialist contractor and advisor, sourcing the best providers for each gate type.
• Interior Customizations and Special Fabrications (Innenräume/Spezialanfertigungen) Custom interior metalwork including skylights (Oberlichter), fire protection closures (Brandabschlüsse), custom wine racks, curtain rods from architectural bronze, sliding mechanisms for sample collections, specialized flat screen mountings, and motorized chandelier suspensions.
• Roofs (Dächer) Custom overhead roofing solutions tailored to match building architecture, manufactured to customer specifications.
• Balconies (Balkone) Balcony new construction and extensions, including planning of new sun areas, coordination of necessary work, and supply of windbreaks and balcony glazing solutions.
• Railings (Geländer) Custom steel railings, including combinations with other materials, specialist all-glass railings, and infills in steel, stainless steel, aluminum, architectural bronze, glass, or perforated sheet.
• Stairs (Treppen) Custom stair solutions ranging from simple grid-gate stairs to architectural statement pieces, combining functional access with aesthetic design.
• Skylights (Oblichter) Interior daylighting skylight solutions, with options for automated opening and shading, smoke ventilation (RWA/Entrauchung) systems, and synchronized chain drives.
• Traditional Blacksmith Work (Schmiedearbeiten) Traditional blacksmith and forging work drawing on four generations of experience, including custom ornamental ironwork, patina finishes, and replica pieces.
• Facades (Fassaden) Building facades including column-beam facades in steel and aluminum, frame glazing systems, and structural glazing facades.
• Bridges (Brücken) Custom metal bridges connecting spaces both architecturally and functionally, linking planning and execution.
• Pergola Custom pergola structures designed and fabricated to customer specifications to complement building architecture.
• Fire Protection Doors and Maintenance Contracts (Brandschutz-Türen) Certified fire protection doors with associated maintenance and service contracts. The company is fire protection trained (brandschutzgeschulter Betrieb) and can manufacture legally required fire compartment closures (Brandabschlüsse).
• Cost Estimation and Consultation (Devisierung/Vorofferte) Free cost estimation and consultation services for construction projects, leveraging extensive metalworking experience and providing general metalworking advice beyond the specific project.
• Repair and Service (Reparatur/Service) Prompt repair services for metal components and defect resolution in the Zurich Lake region, including necessary consultation for metal building components.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64,548 completed projects with approximately 2 new projects daily

Named customers1 record

Segments3 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

One partnership is on record.

• metall-und-du.chminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a partner company. Industry portal for metalworking trades, connecting Frei Metallbau with industry resources and potentially customer referrals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tuchschmid AG: Swiss metalwork and steel construction firm with similar custom-fabrication capabilities across railings, doors, gates, and structural elements. Serves overlapping Swiss residential and commercial segments.
• Bühler Metallbau AG: Swiss metal construction company offering custom railings, doors, gates, and architectural metalwork. Comparable in scale and direct-to-customer project delivery across German-speaking Switzerland.
• Sottas SA: Swiss metal construction company specializing in facades, steel structures, windows, and doors. Comparable product breadth (facades, structural metal) and Swiss commercial-building customer base.
• Steiger Metallbau AG: Swiss custom metal fabrication shop producing architectural steel products (railings, stairs, doors, facades). Closely mirrors Frei's portfolio and project-based direct-customer sales model.
• Ryf Metallbau AG: Mid-sized Swiss metal construction firm serving residential and commercial clients with custom doors, railings, and steel structures. Closely comparable custom-fabrication business model in the German-speaking Swiss market.
• Herzog Metallbau AG: Swiss architectural metalwork specialist offering custom stairs, railings, facades, and steel construction. Directly comparable to Frei in scope (architectural metals), target market (Swiss architects and private clients), and full-service fabrication-plus-installation model.

Broad incumbents

• Landolt + Co. AG: Larger Swiss industrial metalworking group with capabilities in steel fabrication, structural metals, and surface treatment. Operates broadly in the same fabricated-metal category as Frei but at greater scale and with a more industrial customer mix.
• Ernst Schweizer AG: Established Swiss facade, metalwork, and roofing specialist with broader product portfolio and significantly larger scale than Frei. Overlaps directly in facade, window, and steel-construction offerings but operates at much greater volume and geographic reach.
• Schüco International KG: International facade and window systems manufacturer with significant Swiss presence. Competes indirectly via system-supplied facades and window systems that Frei fabricates in custom form.

Others

• Solarlux GmbH: Listed partner and supplier of glass facade and sliding systems to Frei. Thematically adjacent as a glass-systems provider; not a direct competitor but an ecosystem participant in Frei's facade projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/frei.metallbau
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frei-metallbau-ag-herrliberg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Frei Metallbau AG, Herrliberg