Berlinger USA LLC

the last 150 years

Berlinger & Co. AG was founded in the year 1865 by Johann Jakob Berlinger (1813-1891). He constructed both the Berlinger main building in the middle of the village, where today's offices are located as well as the mechanical cotton weaving mill further down the river Necker. His son, Johann Georg Berlinger (1841-1900) made a career as a high ranking officer in the Swiss Army and was a member of the Swiss national parliament. Unfortunately he died far too young, at the age of only 59, in 1900. However, his early death prevented him to seeing the sad picture of his weaving mill being totally destroyed by fire in 1902. This was the most challenging stroke of fate in the history of the Berlinger Company.


Johann George's son Paul Berlinger (1875 - 1941) had to find new ways of surviving during these difficult years and on top of this in a period where the world economic crisis and two world wars were involving large parts of the globe. Probably also due to those threatening circumstances he decided to follow in his fathers foot steps and became a colonel in the Swiss Army.

His son, Max Berlinger-Hilty (1911-1986), was not able to continue the military tradition due to a cardiac defect. Instead he was a very dedicated business man and politician. During the uncertain years of "World War II" he held the position of mayor of the village. His wife, Heidi Berlinger-Hilty (in her nineties, today she lives in an old people's home in the neighborhood) used to tell a lot about the meagre conditions and the fear they had during this difficult period of time. It demanded a lot of strength.

At the age of 20 in 1959, J?rg Berlinger, the first son of Max and Heidi had to enter the business due to an emergency. His father suffered from a heart attack. J?rg immediately showed his talents as a clever and successful business man. He was an excellent salesman and his creativity led him to many opportunities for entering in new business fields. He was well supported from the beginning by his charming wife Liselotte and his school-friend Karl Egli. They both helped to develop J?rg's ideas and realize them. Karl Egli for example was the inventor of the currently famous BEREG-KIT. The successful trio used their skills to lead the company through the difficult years the 70-ies where many textile factories had to close their doors.

In 1992, daughter Andrea Berlinger, after completing her textile and commercial studies, joined the family business. 1997 her husband Daniel Schwyter followed. They helped to move the company's main businesses to other seats. All together they managed to reorganize the company from traditional textile trading and manufacturing fabric to a modern, technologically skilled company. In 2008 Andrea and Daniel took over and now lead the company in the sixth generation.

New ideas open new doors. That has been our belief for 150 years. It was in the middle of the idyllic Toggenburg countryside that Johann Georg Berlinger in 1865 laid the foundation stone of our company history - in the form of a weaving shop.

Today the name Berlinger stands for innovative technology and retail products and for internationally standardised doping control systems. And above all else for openness, quality and fairness. We, the sixth generation of Berlingers to head the company, are proud to be able to carry the values and traditions of our family business into the future. Because progress needs ideas. And it may need you, too. We look forward to being challenged by you.

Andrea Berlinger Schwyter
Daniel Schwyter-Berlinger