Swiss Lions rankings | 2026 edition
Bernina
Bernina is No. 8 in the Consumer Brands ranking, with a score of 23.2 out of 100. It is not among the Swiss Lions 100 for 2026. Headquarters: Steckborn, canton of Thurgau.
- Swiss Lions score
- 23.2
- Swiss Lions 100
- Not in the 100 for 2026
- Consumer Brands
- 8of 10
About
Steckborn-based family-owned maker of sewing machines, founded by Karl Friedrich Gegauf in the late nineteenth century, with assembly moving to its own plant in Thailand.
BERNINA develops and sells sewing machines and accessories. The company was founded in Steckborn by Karl Friedrich Gegauf, who invented a hemstitch sewing machine, and the first machine under the Bernina name was built there about a century ago. It is a Thurgau family business led by owner Hanspeter Ueltschi in the fourth generation. Assembly is moving to its Thailand plant, opened in 1990, while prototype construction and logistics for accessories and spare parts stay in Steckborn. The United States accounts for almost three quarters of the group's turnover.
- Sewing machines
- Accessories and spare parts
Links
How the score is made
Global scale
CHF 251m revenue.
Swiss value
Limited Swiss production.
Global visibility
Online attention across languages, and worldwide search interest.
Impact
No current SBTi target. Not a certified B Corp.
Philanthropy
No charitable foundation found.
Impact and philanthropy together make up the impact measure. How the ranking works.
Key figures
- Revenue used in the ranking
- CHF 251m2024, company
- Employees in Switzerland
- 334Headcount, February 2026. Source
Not listed on a stock exchange, so profit, dividends and employee numbers are not published in a comparable form.
Dividends paid to Swiss shareholders are not published, so they are not shown.
Profile
- Headquarters
- SteckbornCanton of Thurgau
- Language region
- German-speaking
- Category
- Consumer Brands
- Ownership
- Family-ownedUeltschi family
- Chief executive
- Kai HillebrandtSource
- Founded
- 1893
In Switzerland
- Steckborn TGHeadquarters, prototype construction and logistics for accessories and spare parts
334 employees in Switzerland (February 2026).
Over time
| Year | Employees worldwide |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 1,246 |
As reported by the company, in its reporting currency. Group figures where the brand is part of a group only if stated.
Milestones
- 1893Karl Friedrich Gegauf's sewing machine business in Steckborn is founded.
- 1990Production plant in Thailand is founded.
- 2018BERNINA celebrates 125 years as a family business.
- 2026Announces the end of machine production in Switzerland, moving assembly to Thailand.
Also in Consumer Brands
See all 10 brands in Consumer Brands.
Sources
- Revenue used in the ranking: Bernina press release, 2026 (2024).
- Company profile, sites, history and milestones: bluewin.ch, srf.ch.
- Climate target: Science Based Targets initiative dashboard, October 2026. Foundations: Swiss commercial register. B Corp: B Lab directory.
Something out of date?
If a figure is wrong, or Bernina can publish figures for the next edition, tell us. Corrections are recorded with their source.