Trading, sales and duty-free high-security storage of precious metals and strategic metals
SMH Schweizerische Metallhandels AG
Zurich · Bad Kissingen · Walzenhausen · Chiasso · EmbrachNew on Amplifa
About SMH Schweizerische Metallhandels AG
SMH Schweizerische Metallhandels AG is a metal trading company headquartered in Zurich with a German branch in Bad Kissingen (HRB 27233 Wiesbaden). The company trades and sells strategic metals such as gallium, indium, hafnium, bismuth and tellurium as well as the precious metals gold, silver and platinum. Customers acquire the metals via four baskets as a one-time or installment purchase from EUR 100 per month and receive ownership certificates with unique batch number assignment. Storage takes place in bonded (customs) warehouses in Switzerland, in particular the high-security bonded warehouse in Chiasso operated by SwissLock AG with over 750 m² of storage space and around 800 tonnes of stored assets, as well as in Embrach (Embraport). Storage is VAT- and duty-free, insured and video-monitored. The strategic metals are used, in decreasing order, in the electronics, IT, telecommunications and petrochemical industries; according to its own statements, sales are conducted in Germany, England, Latin America, the USA and India.
- Site
- Zurich
- Processes
- Trading and sale of strategic metals and precious metals (one-time and installment purchase,, Four baskets for one-time or installment purchase (installment purchase from EUR 100/month), Ownership certificates with unique batch number assignment, Transfer of assets from other providers into the bonded warehouse, Warehouse tours / vault inspections by appointment, Buy-back offer or sales assistance upon resale, Storage of art and tangible assets
- Materials
- Gold, Silver, Platinum, Gallium, Indium, Hafnium, Bismuth, Tellurium
- Certificates
- Customs-approved/supervised bonded warehouse, Insurance against burglary/theft, 360° video surveillance, ISO 9001
- Employees
- 10–19
- Industries
- Capital investment / wealth preservation (private investors), Precious metals trading, Commodity trading (non-ferrous metals), Technology/IT sector, Electronics industry, Telecommunications
- 01
Consulting and sales
- 02
Purchase of precious and industrial metals (one-time or installment purchase)
- 03
Issuance of ownership certificates with batch numbers
- 04
Duty-free high-security storage in Switzerland
- 05
Warehouse tours/inspection, buy-back or sales assistance, re-export
Metals and Trading Goods
Gold
Precious metal for capital investment, stored duty-free in the high-security bonded warehouse.
Silver
Precious metal in the investment portfolio, kept with batch number assignment.
Platinum
Precious metal, can be stored in the Chiasso bonded warehouse.
Gallium
Strategic industrial metal for the technology, IT and electronics sector, acquirable via baskets.
Indium
Strategic metal used in the electronics industry and telecommunications.
Hafnium
Strategic metal of the investment baskets, used among others in technology sectors.
Bismuth
Strategic metal in SMH's sales portfolio.
Tellurium
Strategic metal used among others in petrochemicals and electronics.
Locations and Warehouses
Zurich
CHHeadquarters / office (Minervastrasse 3)
- Materials
- Precious metals, strategic metals
Bad Kissingen
DEGerman branch / sales direct investment (Ludwigstrasse 19)
Walzenhausen
CHSMH location (according to LinkedIn profile)
Chiasso
CHHigh-security bonded warehouse (operated by SwissLock AG)
- Part weight / size
- ca. 800 t of stored assets
- Materials
- Gold, silver, platinum, industrial and technology metals, diamonds
- Vault rooms with bank status
- 360° video surveillance
- Vibration and motion sensors
- Alarm connection to the police
- Customs supervision
Embrach (Embraport)
CHBonded warehouse (storage of acquired metals)
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storage/Logistics | – | – | approx. 800 tonnes of stored assets | – | Gold, Silver, Platinum, Gallium, Indium, Hafnium, Bismuth, Tellurium, Industrial and technology metals, Diamonds |
| Trading and sale of strategic metals and precious metals (one-time and installment purchase,Metal trading | – | – | – | Installment purchase from EUR 100/month | Gallium, Indium, Hafnium, Bismuth, Tellurium, Gold, Silver |
Additional services
Security and Safekeeping
Storage takes place in a customs-approved and customs-supervised bonded warehouse with break-in-resistant steel and concrete walls, 360° video surveillance, vibration and motion sensors, and comprehensive insurance coverage. Ownership is assigned via unique batch numbers in written and digital form.
| Evidence | Chiasso |
|---|---|
| Customs-approved/supervised bonded warehouse | |
| Insurance against burglary/theft | |
| 360° video surveillance | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 2009
Alexander Hofmann, according to LinkedIn, has been with SMH Schweizerische Metallhandels AG (Walzenhausen) since 2009
- 2012
A customer purchased metal baskets from SMH Schweizerische Metallhandels GmbH Deutschland; a later legal dispute over mis-selling was dismissed
- 2018
Stiftung Warentest reported on an SMH investor whose sale offer, after more than a year of waiting, was significantly below the purchase price
- 2020
Law firm AKH-H published notes on risks (lack of transparency, impaired resalability) with direct investments of SMH Schweizerische Metallhandels AG Deutschland
- 2025
SwissLock AG promotes the Chiasso high-security bonded warehouse with over 750 m² of storage space and approx. 800 t of stored assets