Since 1895, AGZ Ziegeleien AG has manufactured bricks, clay roof tiles, clinker and clay building materials in Switzerland.
AGZ Ziegeleien AG
Horw/LU · Gettnau/LU · Roggwil/BE · Crissier/VD · Düdingen/FRNew on Amplifa
Fired with passion for clay products
AGZ Ziegeleien AG, headquartered in Horw/LU, is a Swiss traditional company in the heavy ceramics sector founded in 1895. At its production sites in Gettnau, Roggwil and Crissier, it manufactures bricks, clay roof tiles, normal and sound-insulation blocks, large-format and plan-ground masonry units as well as other clay building materials. The natural raw material clay is extracted from five of the company's own clay pits, then shaped by extrusion or hand-moulding processes, dried and fired. In-house developments such as the sound-insulating SuonOptimo®, the earthquake-resistant masonry system MuReso® or the extruded facing brick Puro BS® are created in the company's own R&D department. The holding also comprises Metoxit AG (technical ceramics for medical, dental and mechanical engineering) and Saphirwerk AG (precision spheres made of ceramic, synthetic sapphire and ruby). More than 100 employees supply the Swiss construction industry nationwide; a 400 m² showroom in Horw presents over 200 products.
- Site
- Horw
- Processes
- Tile/brick manufacturing (extrusion process, e.g. Puro BS®), Hand-moulding process (clay thrown into moulds by hand or with special machines, drying,, Drying and firing of clay products, Plan grinding of large-format masonry units, Manufacture and machining of oxide ceramic materials and assemblies (Metoxit AG), Grinding and polishing of the hardest materials (precision spheres, measuring components;, Manufacture of clay roof tiles (roof tile line at the Gettnau plant), Manufacture of normal and sound-insulation blocks, large-format masonry units and clay building
- Materials
- Clay (natural material/loam), Ceramic (high-performance ceramics/oxide ceramics), Synthetic sapphire, Synthetic ruby, Sand-lime brick, Cement (concrete hollow block), White-fired clay (Westerwald, for facing brick Perla), Loess (additive for facing brick Quartis)
- Certificates
- Technical product data sheets
- Founded
- 1895
- Employees
- over 100 (AGZ Group
- Industries
- Construction industry, Heavy ceramics, Civil and structural engineering, Architecture, Medical/dental technology (technical ceramics, Metoxit AG), Mechanical/plant engineering (technical ceramics, Metoxit AG)
- 01
Clay extraction from own clay pits
- 02
Clay preparation
- 03
Extrusion or hand-moulding process
- 04
Drying
- 05
Firing
- 06
Plan grinding / further processing
- 07
Scheduling and transport
- 08
Technical consulting and sales
Materials and processes
Clay (loam)
Natural raw material from own Swiss clay pits, the basic material of all bricks, roof tiles and clay building materials.
White-fired clay (Westerwald)
Used for the Perla facing brick with white sandblasting.
Loess
Regional additive to the white clay for the grey facing brick Quartis.
Extrusion process
Process for manufacturing products such as the long vertical-core facing brick Puro BS®.
Hand-moulding process
Clay is thrown into moulds by hand or with special machines; produces irregular edges and creased surfaces.
Drying and firing
High-temperature firing gives the clay products high resistance and durability.
Sand-lime brick
Included in the range for standard masonry as a complement to clay products.
Cement (concrete hollow block)
Complementary masonry product in the wall range.
Sites across Switzerland
Horw/LU
CHHeadquarters, administration, showroom
- Artificial drying plant
Gettnau/LU
CHProduction site for bricks and clay roof tiles
- Materials
- Clay
- Roof tile line
Roggwil/BE
CHProduction site for bricks
- Materials
- Clay
- Dryer (2005)
- PV system
Crissier/VD
CHProduction site for normal and sound-insulation blocks, large-format masonry units, clay building materials
- Materials
- Clay
- PV system
Düdingen/FR
CHAdministration, logistics, scheduling, pick-up warehouse
Product examples
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile/brick manufacturing (extrusion process, e.g. Puro BS®)Casting | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Hand-moulding process (clay thrown into moulds by hand or with special machines, drying,Casting | – | – | – | – | Clay, fired clay |
| Drying and firing of clay productsHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Plan grinding of large-format masonry unitsSurface | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Manufacture and machining of oxide ceramic materials and assemblies (Metoxit AG)Machining | – | – | – | – | High-performance ceramics, Oxide ceramics |
| Grinding and polishing of the hardest materials (precision spheres, measuring components;Surface | – | – | – | – | Ceramic, synthetic sapphire, ruby, superhard materials |
| Manufacture of clay roof tiles (roof tile line at the Gettnau plant)Casting | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Manufacture of normal and sound-insulation blocks, large-format masonry units and clay buildingCasting | – | – | – | – | Clay |
| Clay extraction from own clay pitsEngineering | – | – | – | – | Loam, Clay |
| R&D department for product development of clay productsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roof tile line | – | – | – | 1981 | Gettnau/LU |
| Dryer | – | – | – | 2005 | Roggwil/BE |
| Artificial drying plant | – | – | – | 1901 | Horw/LU |
| PV system (photovoltaics) | – | – | – | – | Roggwil/BE and Crissier/VD |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and sustainability
Production uses domestic clay from the company's own clay pits and applies structured R&D processes in collaboration with partners such as Empa, ETH Zurich and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences. Material and product characteristics such as compressive strength and water absorption are documented in technical data sheets and hail registers.
| Evidence | Horw/LU | Gettnau/LU | Roggwil/BE | Crissier/VD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical product data sheets |
Growing with responsibility since 1895
- 1895
Founded as «ACTIEN-GESELLSCHAFT Mechanische Ziegel- und Backsteinfabriken Nebikon-Gettnau»; new brickworks in Gettnau/LU.
- 1901
Acquisition and modernisation of the Horw/LU brickworks: conversion to electricity, artificial drying plant, larger kiln, clay transport by ropeway.
- 1905
Takeover of the tile and brick factory Muri/AG founded in 1898.
- 1968
Expansion of the Horw production site; discontinuation of the Muri production.
- 1970
75th anniversary; commissioning of the newly built plant in Horw.
- 1981
Modernisation of the Gettnau plant: new roof tile line, re-entry into the clay roof tile business.
- 1982
Foundation of Sternenried Immobilien AG; first rental apartments in Horw.
- 1985
Acquisition of Metoxit AG (technical ceramics, Thayngen/SH).
- 1990
Acquisition of Saphirwerk AG (precision spheres and measuring components, Brügg/BE).
- 1996
Conversion into a holding company; re-establishment of AGZ Ziegeleien AG.
- 1997
Acquisition of the tile works Roggwil/BE.
- 2005
Commissioning of a new dryer in Roggwil; doubling of production.
- 2006
Majority acquisition of Ziegeleien Freiburg & Lausanne AG (Düdingen/FR, Crissier/VD).
- 2021
Completion of the first stage of the brickworks park Horw.
- 2022
Opening of the 400 m² showroom in the former ropeway station Horw.
- 2025
130 years of AGZ Ziegeleien AG.