Vision & Strategy
Metall Zug is a listed Swiss holding company with an entrepreneurial family as its main shareholder. The eventful industrial history of Metall Zug allows room for uniqueness. Metall Zug adopts a decidedly long-term perspective.
The focus lies on sustainable value creation, which is to be achieved based on three strategic pillars. The three pillars comprise the directly controlled Business Units with a focus on ophthalmology (Haag-Streit), the Tech Cluster Zug as an innovative real estate and area development project, and the strategic investments in leading industrial companies with premium products in attractive niche markets.
Haag-Streit – Medical Devices Business Unit
Our mission is to create sustainable value and long-term success by developing Haag-Streit as a market leader in diagnostic excellence in ophthalmology.
With Haag-Streit, we support eye care professionals around the world in their quest to preserve and improve eyesight with innovative, efficient and sustainable solutions to achieve the best outcomes for patients. Early detection and professional diagnosis are crucial to providing patients with optimal eye care. This requires careful education, integrated solutions and innovative products for diagnostics in ophthalmology.
Tech Cluster Zug
Through the Tech Cluster Zug, Metall Zug is developing the original main site of V-ZUG with the aim of creating a sustainable and innovative technology cluster in the north of the city of Zug.
The industrially based real estate portfolio and the associated land-use development plan which is in force enable an ecosystem with a variety of possible usages. The aim is to attract further industrial users, education, commercial and service providers to the Zug site, as well as creating living space.
Strategic Investments
Due to our heritage as an industrial conglomerate, we hold a portfolio of strong strategic investments in Swiss industrial champions. We consider this to be a long-term investment and support them in realizing their potential as leading players in their niche markets.
The resulting financial strength allows us to seize growth opportunities at Haag-Streit and to invest in the Tech Cluster Zug.
Strategic transformation
Over the past years, the Metall Zug Group has undergone a comprehensive strategic transformation. In 2020, Metall Zug spun off V-ZUG as its largest subsidiary at the time and listed it independently, with Metall Zug remaining involved as an anchor shareholder with a 30% stake. In 2022, Metall Zug contributed the Schleuniger Group to the Komax Group, in return for a 25% stake in Komax. In 2024, Metall Zug and Miele established the SteelcoBelimed Joint Venture, to which Metall Zug contributed its Infection Control Business Unit and the Belimed Life Science Group, and Miele contributed the Steelco Group. Metall Zug remains an anchor shareholder in all three companies, thus creating the stability for a long-term orientation and participating in the potential for value creation.
The operational focus of the Group is on the fully controlled Business Units with the Haag-Streit group in the area of ophthalmology and the Tech Cluster Zug. As such, the Metall Zug Group, its Business Units, and its investments have a wide range of strategic flexibility, allowing them to make the most of their growth potential.
Entrepreneurial Freedom and Independence
Metall Zug taps into the diversity of its Business Units and strategic investments as a source of innovation, benchmarks, and best practice. The entrepreneurial freedom and clear focus of those units and strategic investments is a key element in its success. The Group companies each have their own market presence – including their own, independent brands.
The Business Units and strategic shareholdings seek to achieve sustainable and profitable growth by delivering innovation and high-quality products and services, as well as by extending the offering along the value chains of their customers. The Business Units and strategic investments are market leaders or hold leading positions in their respective niche markets. In doing so, they serve important trends:
The strategic rationale for our investments in directly controlled own Business Units and strategic investments is based on the following criteria:
Trends: Aligned to future industrial trends and needs
Value Creation: Sustainable value creation and earning power proven in the past or potential clearly recognizable
Market Lead: Strong market position as number 1 to 3 in a defined niche market
Premium: High-quality, technically advanced and innovative premium products, solutions and services
Swiss: Strong and Swiss-influenced corporate culture, complemented by Swiss headquarters, production facilities or roots
Investment opportunities for external growth are primarily sought in the existing fully controlled Business Units with a focus on Medical Devices and the Tech Cluster Zug.
Resilience through success- and value-oriented activities
Metall Zug strives for an optimum balance between conservative financial policies and entrepreneurial ambition. Thanks to its high equity ratio, substance, and financial strength, as well as its conscious diversification, Metall Zug is able to act autonomously and make independent decisions – even during economically difficult periods.
All employees of Metall Zug act with a view to success and in line with the Metall Zug values: any success can only really be counted as such if it is sustainable and has been achieved with due respect for society and preserves and strengthens the reputation of the company in question and the Metall Zug Group as a whole.
The company follows the basic principle of acting with a long-term view to create sustainable success for all its stakeholders, including customers, employees and shareholders. Long-term success takes priority over maximizing short-term profit.