Weidmann Holding AG

Weidmann Holding AG, known publicly as Wicor, is a privately controlled Swiss industrial company headquartered in Rapperswil-Jona. Its roots reach back to 1877, when Heinrich Weidmann established a business at the municipal mill in Rapperswil. The enterprise initially worked with cellulose-based materials and developed products for electrical applications, eventually becoming associated with insulation materials used in high-voltage equipment. The company’s development was shaped by the overlap between specialty paper, electrical engineering, and molded plastics. Alongside flat and roll-form cellulose insulation, Weidmann developed pressed plastic products for the electrical industry, including components used in high-voltage circuit breakers. This combination gave the company a position in technically demanding, business-to-business markets where material performance, dimensional stability, fire behavior, and electrical insulation properties are important. After Heinrich Weidmann’s death in 1914, the company was managed by former executives and local citizens because he had left no successor. It was subsequently converted into a joint-stock company. The First World War severely damaged its export markets and brought the business close to failure. In 1923, a consortium led by entrepreneur Jean Tschudi-Klaesi acquired the company. His son, Hans Tschudi-Faude, reorganized it in 1925 and established a more definite strategic focus on insulation and plastics. The Tschudi family later expanded the company internationally. In 1968, Felix Tschudi-Hubacher integrated the family’s former factory, Tschudi & Cie. AG, into H. Weidmann AG and pursued internationalization. In 1997, the group sold the Tschudi & Cie. cardboard factory; the site was subsequently adapted for automotive-component production. Since 2001, Franziska Tschudi has led the company, representing the fourth generation of family control. The modern Wicor Group is organized around two principal activities. Weidmann Electrical Technology supplies insulation materials and systems, particularly for power transformers. Weidmann Plastics Technology manufactures engineered plastic components for automotive, sanitary, sensor, and medical applications. These activities place the group in specialized supply chains rather than consumer markets, with products generally sold to industrial manufacturers and equipment makers. The company operates approximately 30 sites worldwide and had about 4,000 employees according to the cited 2008 reference material. Reported sales for 2008 were CHF 733 million. Because the available reference does not provide more recent financial or operational figures, no current revenue estimate is stated here. The Weidmann name remains associated with a family-controlled, internationally oriented engineering group whose capabilities center on electrical insulation, technical plastics, and precision manufacturing.

Weidmann was founded in 1877 by Heinrich Weidmann, who established the business at the municipal mill in Rapperswil. The early company worked with cellulose-based materials, producing electrical insulation in flat and rolled forms. It also developed pressed plastics for electrical applications, especially components associated with high-voltage circuit breakers. This early combination of paper-based insulation and molded materials became the foundation for the group’s later specialization. When Heinrich Weidmann died in 1914 without a successor, former executives and citizens of Rapperswil took responsibility for the enterprise. The business was reorganized as a joint-stock corporation. The First World War then caused a major contraction in export markets, placing the company near insolvency. In 1923, a consortium headed by Jean Tschudi-Klaesi acquired it. Tschudi-Klaesi was an entrepreneur whose company in Ennenda produced specialty cardboard for non-electrical uses. Hans Tschudi-Faude, Jean Tschudi-Klaesi’s son, restructured the business in 1925. Under his direction, H. Weidmann AG was more clearly focused on electrical insulation and plastics. This strategic concentration connected the company to the expansion of electrical infrastructure and to industrial customers requiring specialized materials rather than general-purpose paper or plastic products. In 1968, control passed to Felix Tschudi-Hubacher, the son of the preceding managing director. He brought the family’s former factory, Tschudi & Cie. AG, into H. Weidmann AG and continued the company’s international expansion. The group later adjusted its manufacturing footprint and portfolio. In 1997, it sold the Tschudi & Cie. cardboard factory, while the related buildings were converted for the production of automotive components. Since 2001, Franziska Tschudi has run the company, marking the fourth generation of Tschudi family control. During the modern period, the business has been presented as Wicor Holding AG and organized into two principal divisions. Weidmann Electrical Technology focuses on electrical insulation, especially for power transformers. Weidmann Plastics Technology makes engineered plastic products for automotive, sanitary, sensor, and medical industries. The group’s international scale is reflected in approximately 30 sites worldwide and around 4,000 employees in the historical reference description. The same source reports 2008 sales of CHF 733 million. No later financial information is supplied in the reference material used for this dossier. Wicor’s historical trajectory is therefore best understood as the evolution of a local Swiss cellulose and paper enterprise into a family-controlled international supplier of electrical insulation systems and technical plastic components.

• 2001

  Franziska Tschudi begins leading the company

  [1]Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org

  Franziska Tschudi assumed leadership, representing the fourth generation of Tschudi family control.

• 1997

  Cardboard factory sold and site converted

  [1]Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org

  The Tschudi & Cie. cardboard factory was sold, and its buildings were converted for automotive-component production.

• 1968

  Family integration and internationalization

  [1]Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org

  Felix Tschudi-Hubacher integrated Tschudi & Cie. AG into H. Weidmann AG and pursued international expansion.

• 1925

  Business refocused on insulation and plastics

  [1]Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org

  Hans Tschudi-Faude reorganized the company and established its strategic emphasis on electrical insulation and plastics.

• 1923

  Tschudi-led consortium acquires the company

  [1]Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org

  After export-market disruption during the First World War pushed the business close to collapse, a consortium led by Jean Tschudi-Klaesi took it over.

• 1914

  Management passes to executives and local citizens

  [1]Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org

  Following Heinrich Weidmann’s death without a successor, former executives and citizens of Rapperswil took over management, and the company became a joint-stock corporation.

• 1877

  Heinrich Weidmann establishes the business

  [1]Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org

  Heinrich Weidmann founded the company at the municipal mill in Rapperswil, beginning the enterprise’s long association with specialty materials and electrical applications.

A family-controlled Swiss specialist in high-performance electrical insulation and engineered plastics for demanding industrial, energy, automotive, sanitary, sensor, and medical applications.

• Electrical insulation

  Transformer insulation systems

  Weidmann Electrical Technology produces electrical insulation materials and systems for power transformers. These products are intended to separate conductive elements, manage electrical stress, and support the reliability of high-voltage power equipment. The offering is part of the group’s core industrial specialization and is supplied primarily to electrical-equipment manufacturers and energy-sector customers.

• Electrical plastics

  High-voltage molded insulation components

  The company has developed pressed plastic components for electrical equipment, including applications in high-voltage circuit breakers. Such parts combine insulating performance with controlled shape and mechanical stability, making them suitable for specialized power-system hardware rather than commodity plastic markets.

• Automotive components

  Automotive engineered plastic components

  Weidmann Plastics Technology manufactures engineered plastic components for the automotive industry. The available reference identifies automotive components as a major application area, although it does not specify individual vehicle programs, component names, or product families.

• Technical plastics

  Sanitary-industry plastic components

  The plastics division supplies technical plastic products for sanitary applications. These are industrial components rather than consumer-branded goods; the reference material does not provide detailed specifications, product names, or customer information.

• Precision plastics

  Sensor and medical plastic components

  The group produces engineered plastic components for sensor and medical applications. These markets generally require precision molding and consistent material performance, but the available source does not identify specific devices, platforms, or branded product lines.

• 1997

  Sale of the cardboard factory and automotive conversionStrategy

  Background

  The company adjusted its asset base as its focus moved toward specialized industrial materials and components.

  Action taken

  The Tschudi & Cie. cardboard factory was sold, and the buildings were converted to produce automotive components.

  Aftermath

  The change supported a stronger connection between the group’s plastics capabilities and automotive manufacturing.

  Source

• 1968

  Integration of Tschudi & Cie. AG and international expansionStrategy

  Background

  Under Felix Tschudi-Hubacher, the family sought to strengthen and internationalize the business.

  Action taken

  The former family factory Tschudi & Cie. AG was integrated into H. Weidmann AG, alongside a broader internationalization effort.

  Aftermath

  The group developed into an internationally operating industrial supplier with activities in insulation and plastics.

  Source

• 1925

  Strategic refocus on insulation and plasticsStrategy

  Background

  Following the company’s postwar difficulties and its 1923 acquisition by a Tschudi-led consortium, Hans Tschudi-Faude reorganized the business.

  Action taken

  The company was definitively positioned in electrical insulation and plastics, moving away from a broader specialty-cardboard heritage.

  Aftermath

  This specialization became the basis for the later Weidmann Electrical Technology and Weidmann Plastics Technology activities.

  Source

1. 1Wicor Holdingen.wikipedia.org