Traditional Lucerne company 4B is sold to Denmark

Almost 130 years after it was founded, the Hochdorf window manufacturer 4B has been sold. The family business will become part of the internationally active Dovista Group, according to a statement. Dovista is not unknown in this country: The company took over Arbonia’s window business in 2021 for around 350 million francs. Dovista is present in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), the UK and Ireland. A total of 13 European window manufacturers belong to the group. Dovista, in turn, belongs to the Danish VKR Holding, which also includes the roof window manufacturer Velux. The VKR Group is owned by the Villum Family Foundation.

According to the announcement, 4B will continue to operate as an independent Swiss company with a factory in Hochdorf. The sale of the company is subject to approval by the Competition Commission Weko.

Investment in Hochdorf

The growth strategy will be implemented as planned, the statement continues. The four brothers Mark, Otto, Ivo and Rainer Bachmann (4B) took over the Bachmann joinery in 1996 as the fourth generation. Today the window and facade specialist is the industry leader in the area of ​​wood-metal windows.

4B is currently investing around 35 million francs in a factory expansion at the Hochdorf location. Investments are being made in particular in a new machining system, the heart of window production, four new halls and a renewable energy supply. “With the four new halls and the new machining system, we are creating the basis for the long-term optimization of our production processes and sustainable growth,” says Jean-Marc Devaud, CEO at 4B.

There has been a tough competition in the window industry for years, and the profit margins are correspondingly low. However, 4B was able to grow under the difficult conditions during and after the pandemic. In 2022, the company, which produces exclusively for the Swiss market, set a sales record; A slight decline in sales followed in 2023, but profitability increased. 4B currently operates eleven branches nationwide and employs 650 people. In 2023, annual sales were 192 million francs.