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Steel is our nature

Steel holds a special place in our heart: it combines elegance and strength, a long service life and timeless design like virtually no other material. We know how to take advantage of these benefits in developing appealing solutions that are architecturally sustainable. Our ambition is to make living spaces and buildings safe, attractive and pleasant for the people who live and work in them.

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Learn more about Forster as an employer.

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Our mindset

We are convinced: Architecture and design are essential to the well-being of people and their surroundings.

Unsere Haltung
Building
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Our material

Why it is worth building on steel

Steel is stable and long-lasting: as proven by centuries-old steel structures. As the most environmentally compatible of all metals in manufacture, it has a relatively small ecological footprint. In addition, less material is required thanks to excellent statics. At the end of its life steel can be fully recycled. This makes steel the right choice – for ensuring careful use of our resources.

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Swiss Made

An original Swiss product

Developed and manufactured in Switzerland, required all over the world. 

We produce safe and energy-efficient solutions from steel and stainless steel for doors, windows and facades made in Switzerland. We work with branches of our company in over 20 countries – and with exclusive sales partners in a further ten countries. This means that customers have our own consultants by their side for their projects: from Europe, the Middle East and Asia to North America.

International presence

Every year 3000 kilometres of Forster steel profiles are manufactured, checked for quality and sent out from our HQ to numerous countries.
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Weltkarte Forster
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Headquarters
9
Distribution partners
2
Production Sites
11
Warehouses
4
Training Centres
2
Showrooms

The history of Forster

  • Founder
    1874

    Opening of coppersmith shop by F.J. Forster (1846–1913) in the Arbon old town.

  • 1915 Breitehof
    1915

    Diversification in steel tube production: welded steel tubing.

  • 1915 Hermann Forster Arbon
    1922

    Transfer of the individual company to the newly formed Hermann Forster AG.

  • 1933 Forster Gebaeude
    1930

    Production of profile steel tubing.

  • 1950 Forster Rohrschweissanlage
    1948

    Start of operations at an electric resistance welding facility for steel tubing.

  • Forster 1975 therm
    1975

    Market launch of Forster therm, the first thermally insulated window system with steel profiles.

  • 1978 forster presto
    1978

    Forster presto passes the first successful testing for class R30 smoke control doors.

  • 1979 Forster Aufrichtfeier
    1979

    Construction of the new tube-making facility with 12'600 m2; in Arbon, Switzerland.

  • 1981 forster thermfix
    1981

    Forster thermfix, a newly developed system for mullion/transom curtain walls, is launched.

  • 1984 forster fuego
    1984

    Forster fuego, a new system generation for fire resistant doors and screens, is launched. In Switzerland, Germany and Austria the system is approved for T30 doors and F30 walls; it was subsequently developed for classes T60/F60, F90 and F120.

  • 1987 AFG Holding
    1987

    Founding of AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding AG.

  • Forster 1993 presto Edelstahl
    1993

    Some profiles of the Forster presto system are produced in stainless steel for the first time, the start of what is today the widest stainless steel range of all Forster systems.

  • 1994 forster therm clima thermfix vario
    1994

    Forster therm clima is introduced, which has been developed from Forster therm and which provides even better insulation values and a narrower profile geometry. Launch of the new Forster thermfix vario curtain wall system for dry-glazing. It replaces the Forster thermfix system which was designed for wet glazing only.

  • forster fuego light
    2000

    First tests and approvals for fire resistant curtain walls with the Forster thermfix vario system, which start with a rating of G30/R30 and will be successively extended to include F30/F60/F90. Market launch of the Forster fuego light fire resistant system with narrower profile faces. The system successively replaces all applications of its predecessor, Forster fuego, and is also approved for T90 doors.

  • Hermann Forster AG
    2003

    Reorganization of Hermann Forster AG as: Forster Rohr- Profiltechnik AG, Forster Küchen- Kühltechnik AG and Forster Management AG.

  • 2004 Forster Russland Osteuropa
    2004

    The company pushes internationalisation by entering the market in Russia and other Eastern European states.

  • 2006 forster thermfix light
    2006

    Launch of the Forster thermfix light system for facades with attachment profiles.

  • 2008 forster unico
    2007

    Launch of Forster unico, the profile system in steel and stainless steel for windows and doors with thermal break. The unique and environmentally compatible profile con-struction consists 100% of steel, without plastic insulators, the hitherto market solution.

  • 2008 Forster ISO Zertifikat 14001
    2008

    Forster Rohr- Profiltechnik AG obtains certification for its ISO 14001 environmental management system.

  • 2012 Forster Werk Qingpu
    2012

    The company continues to drive its expansion into the Chinese market by establishing a dedicated training centre.

  • 2013 Foster Mubea
    2013

    Sale of the business unit Forster Precision Steel Tubes to the automobile part supplier Mubea. Change of company name from "Forster Rohr- Profiltechnik AG" to "Forster Profilsysteme AG".

  • 2014 Forster Rottweil
    2014

    Establishing Forster Profile Systems GmbH, based in Rottweil. Acquisition of direct sales in parts of Germany.

  • 2018 Forster Reynaers
    2018

    Belgian family-owned company Reynaers Group Aluminium Systems takes overForster Profile Systems Ltd.

  • Forster Campus Romanshorn
    2022

    Start of construction at the Forster Campus

To us, building with steel means building for life: to meet the many different needs of people today and of future generations, with respect for the environment and our natural resources.

Our values

People who work with steel are inspired by their daily contact with the processing and design material steel, by their commitment to this metal. It requires of us passion, courage, responsibility and team spirit.

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