Swiss Lions rankings | 2026 edition
Sefar
Sefar is No. 16 in the Chemicals & Materials ranking, with a score of 28.5 out of 100. It is not among the Swiss Lions 100 for 2026. Headquarters: Heiden, canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden.
- Swiss Lions score
- 28.5
- Swiss Lions 100
- Not in the 100 for 2026
- Chemicals & Materials
- 16of 20
About
Family-owned manufacturer of precision monofilament fabrics, mesh and filtration solutions, based in Heiden in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, with weaving sites in Switzerland, Romania and Thailand.
Sefar makes precision fabrics woven from monofilament yarns, together with filter components and finished filtration and screening solutions. It is vertically integrated: its subsidiary Monosuisse produces the yarns at six sites, Sefar weaves them in Switzerland, Romania and Thailand, and fabrication centres convert the mesh into finished parts. Its products are used in screen printing, automotive, mining and refining, medical and life science, aerospace, food and chemical processing, among other industries. The company was formed in 1995 from the union of older Swiss silk bolting cloth makers whose origins go back to 1830 in Thal. It is family-owned, headquartered in Heiden, and employs more than 3,000 people in 25 countries.
- Monofilament precision fabrics and mesh
- Filtration solutions and filter components
- Screen printing mesh
- Monofilament yarns (Monosuisse)
- Fabricated filter parts
- Sensor-integrated fabrics
Links
How the score is made
Global scale
CHF 346m revenue.
Swiss value
Partly Swiss made.
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 346m2025, company (via press)
Not listed on a stock exchange, so profit, dividends and employee numbers are not published in a comparable form.
We have not found a published figure for employees in Switzerland for 2025 or 2026, and dividends paid to Swiss shareholders are not published, so neither is shown.
Profile
- Headquarters
- HeidenCanton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden
- Language region
- German-speaking
- Category
- Chemicals & Materials
- Ownership
- Family-ownedFounding families
- Chief executive
- Roland ReberSource
- Global reach
- Employees in 25 countriesSource
- Founded
- 1833
In Switzerland
- Heiden ARHeadquarters
Over time
| Year | Employees worldwide |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 3,000 |
As reported by the company, in its reporting currency. Group figures where the brand is part of a group only if stated.
Milestones
- 1830Pierre A. Dufour begins making silk bolting gauze in Thal.
- 1907Six Swiss silk bolting cloth manufacturers merge into one company with two entities.
- 1995SST, SSZ and ZBF unite under the new name Sefar.
- 1997Opens its Kabinburi plant in Thailand, starting global production.
- 2009Acquires yarn maker Monosuisse, gaining control of the whole value chain.
Also in Chemicals & Materials
1GivaudanScore 61.3
2HolcimScore 60.7
3SikaScore 56.0
4DSM-FirmenichScore 51.0
5ClariantScore 48.0
6Dottikon ESScore 46.1
See all 20 brands in Chemicals & Materials.
Sources
- Revenue used in the ranking: Leader Digital, August 2026 (2025).
- Company profile, sites, history and milestones: sefar.com.
- 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 Sefar can publish figures for the next edition, tell us. Corrections are recorded with their source.