Biella-Neher Holding AG

Biella-Neher Holding AG, also known as the Biella Group, is a Swiss manufacturer of office supplies headquartered in Brügg near Biel/Bienne. Founded in 1900 as the Schreibbücher- und Papierwarenfabrik Biel, the company grew into one of Europe's leading producers of filing and organisation products. It employs around 750 people and reported revenue of CHF 161.6 million in 2015. Its shares were traded over the counter via the OTC-X platform of Berner Kantonalbank (OTX) before the company was acquired by the French group Exacompta SAS on 22 May 2019. The group organises its business into three product areas: Office Products, Time Management and Creative. Office Products covers everyday office items as well as products for archiving and registering documents; the company describes itself as the largest European manufacturer of file folders and ring binders, supplying wholesalers, specialist office retailers, department stores, mail-order businesses and public authorities. Time Management covers planning and scheduling products sold through specialist and wholesale channels as well as directly to business and public-sector customers. The Creative segment produces individualised, customer-specific special items. Under the Biella SimplyFind brand, the group also offers services for physical external archiving and document digitisation. Biella has expanded through acquisitions and internationalisation. It acquired Kadee Delft B.V. in 1998, Donau-Plastik GmbH in 2001, and Stadtman B.V. in 2003, and founded a Polish subsidiary in 2004. From 2003 it traded as Biella Group, and since 2007 it has used the unified international brand Biella. In 2012 it took over several Herlitz subsidiaries — Falken Office Products in Peitz, DELMET Prod srl in Buftea, Romania, and Herlitz UK Ltd. in Hyde, Greater Manchester. Further moves included a strategic partnership with Austria's PBS Holding for Eastern Europe in 2013, the acquisition of Groupe Hamelin's private-label and no-name folder business in 2014, and the purchase of the office-supplies business of Carpentier AG. Biella SimplyFind AG was founded in December 2015, and the first Biella online shop launched in May 2016. The group operates production sites in Brügg (Switzerland), Peitz (Germany) and Buftea (Romania), with logistics centres in Brügg and Cottbus. Its takeover by Exacompta SAS in 2019 integrated the Swiss office-products specialist into a larger European stationery group.

The company was founded in 1900 as the Schreibbücher- und Papierwarenfabrik Biel (Biel writing-book and stationery factory). In 1908 it produced the first folder in Switzerland, a precursor of the later Bundesordner (federal folder). From 1926 it added the production of business diaries and planners. In 1945 the company introduced the product brand Biella and subsequently changed its name to Biella AG. In 1974 Biella AG in Biel and Neher AG in Bern merged to form Biella-Neher AG. In 1998 Biella-Neher acquired Kadee Delft B.V., founded in the Netherlands in 1919. In 2001 it took over Donau-Plastik GmbH, founded in Vienna in 1954, which was subsequently renamed Donau Design GmbH. As part of a growth strategy, from 2003 the company traded under the new name Biella Group, although its official corporate name remained unchanged. In the same year it acquired and integrated the Dutch company Stadtman B.V. The following year the group founded a subsidiary in Poland. Since 2007 the group has operated internationally under the unified brand Biella. On 30 March 2012 Biella took over from the German office-supplies manufacturer Herlitz the subsidiaries Falken Office Products in Peitz, DELMET Prod srl in Buftea (Romania) and Herlitz UK Ltd. in Hyde, Greater Manchester (United Kingdom). On 1 July 2013 Biella entered a strategic partnership for the Eastern European market with the Austrian PBS Holding and its Polish subsidiary PBS Connect Sp. z o.o. On 15 January 2014 Biella acquired the private-label and no-name folder supply business of Groupe Hamelin. A few months later, on 15 April 2014, Biella acquired 100% of the office-supplies business of Carpentier AG from Regensdorf, Zurich. On 4 September 2014, as part of a restructuring, Biella Deutschland GmbH was renamed Biella-Falken GmbH and its headquarters moved from Leopoldshöhe (near Bielefeld) to Peitz (near Cottbus), the location of the production plant. On 7 December 2015 Biella SimplyFind AG was founded with headquarters in Brügg, Switzerland, as part of a new corporate vision dedicated to connecting the physical and digital worlds. In May 2016 the first Biella online shop launched. On 22 May 2019 Biella-Neher Holding AG was acquired by Exacompta SAS. The group has production sites in Brügg (Switzerland), Peitz (Germany) and Buftea (Romania), as well as logistics centres in Brügg (Switzerland) and Cottbus (Germany).

• 2019

  Biella-Neher Holding AG acquired by Exacompta SAS on 22 May.

• 2016

  First Biella online shop launched.

• 2015

  Biella SimplyFind AG founded in Brügg, Switzerland.

• 2014

  Acquired Groupe Hamelin's private-label and no-name folder business; acquired 100% of Carpentier AG's office-supplies business; Biella Deutschland GmbH renamed Biella-Falken GmbH and moved to Peitz.

• 2013

  Entered strategic partnership with Austrian PBS Holding and its Polish subsidiary PBS Connect Sp. z o.o. for the Eastern European market.

• 2012

  Took over Herlitz subsidiaries Falken Office Products (Peitz), DELMET Prod srl (Buftea, Romania) and Herlitz UK Ltd. (Hyde, UK).

• 2007

  Adopted the unified international brand Biella.

• 2004

  Founded a subsidiary in Poland.

• 2003

  Began trading as Biella Group; acquired and integrated Dutch company Stadtman B.V.

• 2001

  Acquired Donau-Plastik GmbH, founded in Vienna in 1954, later renamed Donau Design GmbH.

• 1998

  Acquired Kadee Delft B.V., founded in the Netherlands in 1919.

• 1974

  Biella AG in Biel and Neher AG in Bern merged to form Biella-Neher AG.

• 1945

  Introduced the Biella product brand and subsequently renamed the company Biella AG.

• 1926

  Began production of business diaries and planners.

• 1908

  Produced the first folder in Switzerland, precursor of the Bundesordner.

• 1900

  Founded as Schreibbücher- und Papierwarenfabrik Biel.

Europe's largest manufacturer of file folders and ring binders, serving wholesalers, specialist retailers, department stores, mail-order businesses and public authorities.

• Office Products

  Everyday office items and products for archiving and registering; includes file folders and ring binders.

• Time Management

  Products for time planning, sold to specialist and wholesale trade as well as direct customers in business and administration.

• Creative

  Individualised, customer-specific special items.

• Biella SimplyFind

  Solutions and services for physical external archiving and document digitisation.

1. 1Biella-Neher Holding – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Biella-Neher Holding – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org