The history of the FRIKE GROUP began in 1944. Characterized by a keen innovative spirit, a distinctive personality and dependability for customers, our traditional Swiss company has continued to develop ever since. Today, we are the largest independent contract filler in Switzerland and continue to draw upon the strengths that we have built up over the past decades – and which our customers greatly value. Join us on a journey through the history of the FRIKE GROUP.
Like many long-standing successful companies, the history of the FRIKE GROUP began with a driving personality. Fritz Keller, a trained chemical laboratory technician, founded a company for technical chemical products in Oberrieden in 1944, during the Second World War. He had a particular liking for natural waxes, so he specialized in the manufacture of floor care products and shoe polish, alongside cosmetics. This soon met with early successes, including a commission to produce shoe polish for the Swiss army.
By the standards of the time, the Fritz Keller AG logo – “frike”, plus the brand promise of “quality products” – was extremely modern. It was used as a stamp on fabric and printed on all the company’s shipping boxes. Fritz Keller thus vouched for the high quality of his floor care products and shoe waxes. And that quality won over customers in the years that followed. Having started out with just two employees, the enterprise quickly developed into a sizable business that soon needed a new location due to its growth.
To meet the increasing demand and growth of the company, Fritz Keller AG needed larger premises. He found what he was looking for in Mönchaltorf, where the FRIKE GROUP headquarters are still located today. Over the years, some people have wondered what is made here, as there has been little noise or much to see of the company since it moved in over 70 years ago. Behind the pretty Gründerzeit-era façade – the premises is now a listed building – lies a modern business. We are the largest independent full-service contract manufacturer in Switzerland for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, from liquids to solids. Today, our brand promise “A smart solution” highlights the fact that our products still have what it takes to wow the market.
In 1960, the international cosmetics line “Blanchefleur” became one of Fritz Keller AG’s new customers. The company developed, produced, packaged and shipped various products in connection with this customer order, from high-quality body emulsions and sunscreen milk to azulene day creams, facial toners and a range of bath salts. At a time when product advertising was less common, ads for the cosmetics line appeared on cars and in print.
Natural raw materials form the basis of many formulations for cosmetic products and cleaning and care products, both back then and in the present day. For example, we sourced carnauba wax from Brazil, menthol from China, eucalyptus from Australia, carob seed flour from Africa, beeswax from Spain, orange oil from France, vaseline oil from the USA and lanolin from England. For many years, the water required for our formulations came from Lake Zurich and was specially treated in our own plant.
By 1970, Fritz Keller AG had already developed hundreds of formulations and filled and packaged thousands of different products. With each customer, we continued to expand and grow our expertise. This led to the decision to offer additional services, rather than focusing primarily on filling a wide variety of products. The Group developed from a contract filler into a reliable consultant and solutions provider, providing customers with the benefit of its decades of experience. Since then, we have been helping customers large and small to sell their high-quality products to end customers cost-effectively and on time with smart services, from the initial product idea through to shop-ready packaging.
In addition to our quality, the speed of our processes has always been a reason why customers choose us. When it comes to scheduling, management of the raw materials and packaging warehouse is of the utmost importance. In 1970, we significantly increased our storage capacity with the construction of a new warehouse in Mönchaltorf. At the same time, the short distances to the filling lines created the perfect conditions for more efficient filling methods. In 1970, we set a new record in getting materials from the raw product to ready-to-sell packaging: around 10,000 units per day.
Fritz Keller AG continued its commitment to consistently high quality by setting up its own development laboratories. Since raw materials largely determine the quality of the end product, samples are taken regularly from them as well as from the end products. Back then, analysis was mainly carried out with the aid of gas chromatography, tensiometers and refractometers, but today we use more modern testing equipment, too. In many areas – in both cosmetics and pharmaceuticals – precise testing of viscosity, shelf life and pH value have become extremely important, as many consumers have sensitive reactions to even minor deviations. The chemists and technicians in our broad-based in-house Research and Development department ensure that the high quality requirements of our clients and increasingly demanding customer base are met. Today, these laboratories also develop formulas according to the wishes of our customers and our own concepts, including for fragrance lines that, with an great-sounding name, can potentially appeal to countless satisfied buyers.
By acquiring Aerosan AG in Näfels, our company significantly expanded its expertise in aerosols and spray systems for gels, sprays and foams. FRIKE AEROSOL AG, which was founded at that time, now has around 50 years of expertise and delights clients with smart solutions that reliably benefit end customers. As early as the mid-1970s, we split our activities into four areas: product development according to the wishes and suggestions of our customers; our own innovations; production according to our customers’ formulations; and the filling of finished products – at that time mainly cleaning agents and cosmetic products.
Anyone who remembers the shelves of chemists and specialist stores in the 1980s can well imagine the problems we faced back then. Aerosols, pots, cans and bottles of all shapes and sizes and with a wide variety of contents were sold, and we also filled barrels and canisters for bulk consumers. However, each filling process presented new challenges. Our flexibility was often put to the test when it came to adapting our machines to a newly developed, complicated seal, for instance. Fortunately, thanks to automated filling systems, fast conversion times and the ingenuity of our employees, we have always been able to find answers to customer needs, despite the difficulties.
The history of Fritz Keller AG is also the history of company founder Fritz Keller. Fritz died in 1983 after 80 eventful years. As a self-made man, over the course of 40 years he succeeded in developing a tiny enterprise into a family business with 25 employees. By the 1980s, the company had already been managed for some time by Fritz’s wife Rosy Keller and his son André. At the time, Rosy managed the administrative part of the company, including the finances and personnel. Chemist and machinery aficionado André – who shared his father’s drive and enthusiasm – took over the development of the products and the progressive automation of the filling machines.
The takeover of Cosmina AG from Steinfels AG in Wetzikon enabled us to expand production of high-quality cleaning and care products. The Colgate-Palmolive Factory, built in 1958, had direct rail access to Kempten station, which is still used for shipping products all over the world. All technical/chemical products made by the FRIKE GROUP – including household cleaning and care products and biocides of all kinds – are now manufactured at the FRIKE CHEMICALS site in Wetzikon.
Fritz Keller AG further expanded its expertise with the acquisition of Eswa AG from Unilever. Based in Stansstad, this company specialized in powders and washing agents, which made it the ideal addition to our existing capabilities. We no longer use this location. FRIKE POWDER, which is now part of FRIKE CHEMICALS, was active there for several years.
In the early 2000s, Fritz Keller AG expanded its site in Mönchaltorf and extended its expertise in medical products and pharmaceuticals. Soon afterwards, the pharmaceutical production of list C to E began. FRIKE PHARMA is now successfully continuing what we started back then, with smart solutions, committed staff and reliable quality.
In 2006, we took over the production side of Biokosma AG from Melisana in Ebnat-Kappel. This enabled us to further expand our expertise in cosmetics, and natural cosmetics in particular. Today, FRIKE COSMETIC is located at this site.
With the founding of the FRIKE GROUP, our company structure took on its current form. FRIKE PHARMA AG, GLAROPHARMA AG, FRIKE COSMETIC AG, FRIKE AEROSOL AG and FRIKE CHEMICALS AG were brought together under one roof, making us the largest independent contract manufacturer.
In 2013, the FRIKE GROUP took over Glaropharm AG from Grünenthal AG in Mitlödi, thus significantly increasing its activities in the pharmaceutical sector: From this point onwards, the Group produced everything from medical products to prescription drugs. Renowned companies such as Merz Pharma AG have been loyal customers ever since.
After almost 40 years as Managing Director, André Keller began planning the transition of management from the second to the third generation – his children – in 2019. He was keen to enjoy his well-earned retirement, having been able to exceed the high quality expectations of customers for decades and having overseen the steady growth of the company.
In 2023 Damian Keller, son of André Keller, began working in order processing in Wetzikon.
Danja Keller joins the Group as Operations Manager
After two years as deputy manager, father André Keller handed over the management of FRIKE COSMETICS in Ebnat-Kappel to his daughter Danja. This move enabled him to step down as Operations Manager and devote more time to his position as CEO.
Servophil AG was founded in 2005 by Walter Dubach and Claudia Ertl, who have many years of experience in the field of process water treatment. In 2023, the company was taken over by André Keller and is now a proud part of the FRIKE GROUP – a truly exciting development! Servophil AG is a real all-rounder! It is not only active in the paper and board industry, the process industry and the food industry, but also offers a wide range of first-class services. With each product, it presents bundled expertise and regular service for smooth process flows. Behind this is a great team of papermakers and engineers, chemists, water technologists, microbiologists, process engineers and business people who work together to provide optimum, individual solutions.
Within the space of four decades, company founder Fritz Keller managed to transform a small business into a family company of considerable size. His wife and son, Rosy and André Keller, continued his life’s work with great enthusiasm, forward-looking ideas and high standards of quality. Today, the FRIKE GROUP is one of the leading companies in the industry and proudly positions itself as the largest independent contract manufacturer in Switzerland. Despite the constant change over the last few decades, one thing has not changed: our corporate philosophy. We continue to be innovative, competitive and customer-focused in our manufacturing and marketing activities. The guiding principle of our company founder is still a central component of its success today.