ARGO Stiftung

What ARGO Stiftung does

ARGO Stiftung, legally 'ARGO Stiftung für Integration von Menschen mit Behinderung in Graubünden', is a Swiss non-profit foundation (Stiftung) established on December 15, 1970 and headquartered in Chur, Switzerland. The foundation operates as a social enterprise delivering sheltered employment, residential care, vocational training, and inclusive cultural programming for adults with physical, intellectual, and psychological disabilities in the canton of Graubünden. Across eight locations in Chur, Davos, Ilanz/Glion, and Surava/Tiefencastel, ARGO serves more than 380 people with disabilities through 333 protected workplaces and 195 residential places, supported by approximately 250 care and support professionals and a specialized Prader-Willi Syndrome unit that is the largest of its kind in Switzerland (15 places).

The foundation runs four workshop facilities (Werkstätten) providing industrial services including plastics processing with Branson ultrasonic welding, pad and screen printing, Komax cable assembly, Morbidelli 5-axis CNC machining, Trotec laser marking and cutting, mechanical turning/milling, joinery, textile production, recycling, and professional laundry. These workshops serve B2B customers in the automotive, medical technology, and electronics industries under negotiated contracts. Consumer-facing channels include two ARGO Läden retail stores in Chur and Davos, an online shop at shop.argo-gr.ch, and three publicly accessible café-restaurants in Chur, Ilanz, and Surava. Vocational training is delivered under Leistungsaufträge with the Swiss Invalidenversicherung (IV) covering PrA-INSOS and EBA programs, complemented by a Wohnschule for independent living skills and a Wohnbegleitung cooperation with Psychiatrische Dienste Graubünden.

The organization is ISO 9001:2015 certified (first certified September 8, 1999, by SGS) and operates under a Stiftungsrat governance structure with Franco Hübner as Geschäftsleiter. Revenue mechanics combine government mandate funding (IV Leistungsaufträge and cantonal contracts) with industrial B2B revenue (transaction-fee contract manufacturing), retail sales (unit pricing), and professional services (laundry, restaurants). Geographic footprint is domestic-only within Graubünden, and there is no disclosed parent company, subsidiary, funding round, or M&A activity.

Name

ARGO Stiftung

Legal name

ARGO Stiftung für Integration von Menschen mit Behinderung in Graubünden

Website

https://argo-gr.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ARGO Stiftung is a Swiss non-profit foundation established in 1970 that delivers residential care, sheltered employment, vocational training, and industrial manufacturing services for adults with disabilities across eight locations in the canton of Graubünden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Social Services and Sheltered Employment

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Educational Services (611), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accessibility, Accommodations & Assistive Services (EDALAFAN), Academic Accommodations & Access Planning (ADA/504) (EDALAGAA), Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL)

Keywords

• Sheltered employment services
• Vocational training programs
• Residential disability care
• Industrial assembly services
• Inclusive culture programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chur

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Manufacturing Services: B2B services including assembly, packaging, labeling, plastic processing, mechanics, electrical work, textile production, and recycling. Services are provided to companies in automotive, medical technology, and electronics industries.
2. Retail Sales: Sale of products made by people with disabilities through ARGO Stores in Chur and Davos, and via online shop. Products include gifts, household items, toys, and decorative articles.
3. Laundry Services: Professional laundry services for private customers, hospitality businesses, hotels, and care homes in Davos location.
4. Restaurant Operations: Café-restaurant operations at residential facilities in Chur, Ilanz, and Surava, open to the public.
5. Vocational Training Services: IV-mandated vocational training, assessment, and work training programs for people with disabilities. Funded through disability insurance contracts.
6. Residential Care Services: Residential care, assistance, nursing, and leisure activities for people with disabilities in residential homes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ARGO Stiftung provides sheltered employment, residential care, vocational training, and day programs for adults with disabilities across eight locations in the canton of Graubünden. The foundation operates four industrial workshops offering contract manufacturing services (plastics processing, mechanical work, cable assembly, joinery, textiles, laundry, and recycling) to companies in automotive, medical technology, and electronics industries, supplemented by retail shops, an online store, and three public café-restaurants.

Product overview

ARGO Stiftung operates as a comprehensive social enterprise providing sheltered employment, residential care, and educational services for people with disabilities across eight locations in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. The organization's core offering consists of four workshop facilities (Werkstätten) producing industrial services including plastics processing, mechanics, joinery, textile work, assembly, laundry, recycling, and electrical work, complemented by three café-restaurants and two retail shops selling handcrafted products. Additional services include residential homes for approximately 190 adults with specialized Prader-Willi syndrome accommodation, day programs, vocational training (PrA-INSOS and EBA programs), and an inclusive culture initiative connecting clients with arts and cultural activities. An online shop distributes gifts, toys, and decorative items produced by people with disabilities. The organization is ISO 9001:2015 certified and positions itself as combining social mission with industrial competence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sheltered Employment Workshops (Werkstätten / Geschützte Arbeitsplätze) Sheltered employment workshops offering diverse work activities including assembly, metalworking, plastics processing, joinery, textile work, laundry, recycling, and signage services for people with disabilities across four locations (333 protected workplaces).
• Café-Restaurants Public dining operations in three locations serving daily menus (Fr. 15 per dish) and catering, operated by people with disabilities as part of sheltered employment training.
• ARGO Retail Shops (ARGO Läden) Two physical retail shops in Chur (Gäuggelistrasse 6) and Davos (Promenade 74) selling handcrafted products made by people with disabilities, including gifts, toys, household items, and decorative articles, plus a take-away offering in Chur.
• ARGO Online Shop E-commerce platform at shop.argo-gr.ch for purchasing gifts, toys, household items, and decorative articles produced by people with disabilities at ARGO workshops.
• Recycling Services (Recyclingarbeiten) Recycling services including household appliance dismantling, electrical cable recycling, ski boot recycling (producing CREAMELT 3D printer filament), and up-cycling of old parachutes into new products.
• Residential Homes (Wohnen) Four residential homes in Chur, Davos, Ilanz, and Surava providing housing for approximately 195 adults with disabilities, including specialized Prader-Willi Syndrome accommodation with 15 places (largest in Switzerland).
• Living School (Wohnschule) Independent living skills training program in Chur teaching household management and daily living skills to residents with disabilities.
• Residential Support (Wohnbegleitung) Counselling and support services for people living independently, including a partnership with Psychiatric Services Graubünden for adults with mental health conditions in the Davos-Prättigau region.
• Plastics Processing (Kunststoffbearbeitung) Industrial plastics processing services including ultrasonic welding, hot stamping, pad printing, hot foil stamping, and laser marking for automotive, medical technology, and electronics industries.
• Mechanical Workshop (Mechanik) CNC turning and milling, drilling, deburring, welding, and soldering services for aluminum, stainless steel, and various plastics from PEEK to POM.
• Lettershop & Packaging (Lettershop & Verpacken) Mail processing, packaging, assembly, and fulfillment services including collation, addressing, palletizing, and shipping according to Swiss Post guidelines.
• Electrical Work (Elektroarbeiten) Cable assembly, cutting, stripping, crimping, soldering, and resistance welding for automotive, battery, solar, electronics, and medical technology sectors.
• Joinery (Schreinerei) CNC and manual woodworking services including series production, furniture making, and finishing with varnish or paint, using 5-axis CNC machining centers.
• Textile Workshop (Textil) Sewing, embroidery, weaving, and upholstery services including medal ribbons, key straps, cushion covers, and restoration work, with handlooms producing table settings and towels.
• Assembly & Confections (Montage & Konfektion) Assembly, confections, sorting, and packaging services handling small to large series including leak testing, PVC welding, and sorting with visual inspection.
• Laundry Services (Wäscherei) Professional laundry services for private customers, businesses, hotels, and care homes including washing, ironing, mangling, repairs, and collection/delivery service (Davos location).
• Labeling / Signage (Beschriftung) Laser engraving, pad printing, foil lettering, vehicle and window graphics, and sign production including piste markers and building guidance systems.
• Day Structure Programs (Tagesstruktur) Day programs offering meaningful activities including cooking, singing, excursions, sports, and biographical work at all four locations, plus a small animal farm (Junkerboden) in Davos.
• Inclusive Culture Program (Inklusive Kultur) Cultural participation program connecting people with disabilities to cultural activities, museums, and artistic projects, operated by a dedicated Inclusive Culture department in partnership with Kirchner Museum Davos and other cultural institutions.
• Vocational Training (Berufliche Ausbildungen) Vocational training programs including PrA-INSOS (practical training), EBA (federal vocational certificate) in mechanics, kitchen, joinery, logistics, electrical work, and household management.
• Custom Customer and Employee Gifts (Kunden- und Mitarbeitergeschenke) Quote-based custom gift sets and personalized promotional products for corporate clients, serving as both a product offering and revenue stream.

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest PWS (Prader-Willi Syndrome) care provider in Switzerland with 15 specialized places
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Companie BewegGrundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2022Collaborative dance project developing inclusive cultural performances. On December 3, 2022 (International Day of Persons with Disabilities), ARGO clients and caregivers presented a dance performance developed with Companie BewegGrund at the Kirchner Museum Davos.
• RTR (Radiotelevisiun Svizera Rumantscha)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Public media house in Graubünden partnered with ARGO for studio visits and radio building workshops where clients created their own radios.
• Kirchner Museum DavoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partner for inclusive art projects. Hosted the 'Kirchner tanzen' dance performance and the 'Mein, dein, unser Kirchner' exhibition. Museum holds 'Kultur inklusiv' label.
• Fachstelle Kultur inklusiv (Pro Infirmis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational center for inclusive culture supporting ARGO's initiative to promote cultural participation for people with cognitive disabilities in Graubünden.
• Psychiatrische Dienste Graubünden (PDGR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation for Wohnbegleitung (residential support) in the Davos-Prättigau region, serving adults with psychological impairments who receive IV disability pensions.
• Arosa KulturminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organization supporting inclusive cultural participation in Graubünden.
• Kulturfachstelle Arosa-Schanfigg / Kulturhuus SchanfiggminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cultural office supporting inclusive culture projects.
• Prader-Willi-Syndrom Vereinigung SchweizminorOthersParent association for PWS providing networking and support for families and institutions serving people with PWS.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves20 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung Wagerenhof: Large Uster-based Swiss foundation providing sheltered employment, residential care, and vocational training for people with disabilities. Operates a similarly integrated workshop + Wohnheim model across multiple sites, making it the closest functional peer to ARGO outside the canton of Graubünden.
• Stiftung Bühl: Wädenswil-based Swiss foundation operating sheltered workshops, residential homes, and supported employment for people with disabilities. Operates a comparable multi-site model with B2B production services in the same sheltered-employment category as ARGO.
• Brühlgut Stiftung: Winterthur-based foundation offering sheltered workshops, residential homes, and supported employment for adults with disabilities. Comparable in scale and in combining industrial B2B services (assembly, packaging, metalwork) with a social mission under the same operating model as ARGO.
• Stiftung Rütimattli: Lucerne-based foundation running sheltered workshops and residential homes for people with disabilities. Provides vocational training, day-structure programs, and B2B industrial services, closely mirroring ARGO's integrated care-and-work ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• INSOS Schweiz: National umbrella association of Swiss social enterprises and institutions serving people with disabilities. While not a direct operator, INSOS sets industry standards (including PrA-INSOS vocational training that ARGO delivers) and effectively represents the broader sector in which ARGO operates.
• Pro Infirmis: Switzerland's largest disability advocacy and service organization, providing consultation, accommodation, and supported employment services nationally. Operates in the same funding ecosystem (IV, cantonal mandates) and is a key ecosystem partner for ARGO's inclusive-culture and vocational programs.

Regional players

• Toggenburger Werkstätten: St. Gallen-region sheltered workshops and supported-employment provider for people with disabilities. Operates under its own IV-mandated structure for the Toggenburg region, making it a regional peer with similar workshop + vocational training focus, but in a different canton.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 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 ARGO Stiftung