![Rheinfall - Neuhausen - SIG IMG 3771](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Rheinfall_-_Neuhausen_-_SIG_IMG_3771.jpg)
SIG Combibloc Group AG, originally founded as ''Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft'' (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
for Swiss Industrial Company; in French, as ''Société Industrielle Suisse''; and, in Italian, as ''Societa Industriale Svizzera''), and later known as SIG Holding AG, is a company currently active in the
Packaging
Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a co ...
industry but used to participate in firearms and railcar manufacturing as well.
In 2007, SIG Holding AG was acquired by Rank Group Limited, the private investment company of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
businessman
Graeme Hart
Graeme Richard Hart (born 1955) is a New Zealand billionaire businessman and the country's wealthiest person.[ONEX Corporation
Onex Corporation is an investment manager founded in 1984. The firm manages capital on behalf of Onex shareholders, institutional investors and high net worth clients around the world. As of September 30, 2022, Onex had approximately US$47.2 ...](_blank)
of Canada. In 2018, SIG Combibloc secured a $1.101 billion loan, with Barclays Bank acting as the administrative agent on the transaction.
The SIG Combibloc Group shares are listed on
SIX Swiss Exchange
SIX Swiss Exchange (formerly SWX Swiss Exchange), based in Zurich, is Switzerland's principal stock exchange (the other being Berne eXchange). SIX Swiss Exchange also trades other security (finance), securities such as Swiss government bonds and d ...
and it is a component of the
SMI MID
The SMI MID (SMIM) is a stock index which lists Switzerland's mid-cap companies. The index is calculated by SIX Swiss Exchange.
It includes the 30 Prime Standard shares from sectors that rank immediately below the companies included in the Swis ...
index.
History
The ''schweizerische Waggonfabrik''
[Hermann Alexander von Berlepsch, ''Schweizerkunde: Land, Volk und Staat'', Schwetschke, 1864]
p. 512
("Swiss
Wagon
A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people.
Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...
Factory") was founded in 1853 by
Friedrich Peyer im Hof
Johann Friedrich Peyer im Hof (18 June 1817, in Schaffhausen – 18 May 1900) was a Swiss politician member of the Swiss National Council during 1857–1875 (President 1859/1860).
Alongside Alfred Escher, he is one of the main pioneers of rail ...
, Heinrich Moser, and Johann Conrad Neher.
From 1854, it produced railway cars for the emerging
Swiss railway companies. Friedrich Peyer was one of the directors of
the Swiss Northeastern Railway, also founded in 1853. Their factory in
Neuhausen am Rheinfall
Neuhausen am Rheinfall (sometimes abbrv. as Neuhausen a. Rhf., called Neuhausen until 1938) is a town and a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.
The town is close to the Rhine Falls, a tourist attraction and mainland Europe ...
was originally
powered by the nearby
Rhine Falls
, photo = File:SBB RABe 514 DTZ Rheinfall.jpg
, photo_width = 280
, photo_caption = Rhine Falls with Rheinfall Bridge and Laufen Castle
, location = On the border between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich next to Schaffhausen, i ...
and employed 150 workers,
[SIG-Geschichte]
''Baublatt'', 21 September 2017. by the mid-1860s increased to 500 workers.
[
]
Firearms
They produced the Prélaz-Burnand 1859, invented by gunsmith Jean-Louis Joseph Prélaz and forestry inspector Colonel Ėdouard Burnand (father of Swiss painter Eugène Burnand
Eugène Burnand (; 30 August 1850 – 4 February 1921) was a prolific Switzerland, Swiss Painting, painter and illustrator from Moudon, Switzerland. Born of prosperous parents who taught him to appreciate art and the countryside, he first trained ...
). In 1860, the rifle won a competition held by the Swiss Federal Ministry of Defence, resulting in a contract to produce 30,000 pieces. This rifle was adapted as the M1863.
Upon receiving the contract to produce rifles, the company name was changed to reflect its new emphasis on machined production, becoming ''Schweizerische'' ''Industrie'' ''Gesellschaft'' (SIG); in English, Swiss Industrial Company; and, in French, ''Société Industrielle Suisse''.
SIG produced other firearms, including Mondragón Rifle, which was produced between 1908 and 1910. The SIG P210
The SIG P210 (Swiss Army designation Pistole 49, the civilian model was known as SP47/8 prior to 1957) is a locked breech self loading, semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured in Neuhausen am Rheinfall (Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerl ...
pistol was developed in 1937 based on the French Modèle 1935 pistol, and was adopted by the Swiss military in 1949 as the "''Pistole 49''". This pistol's frame design incorporates external rails that fit closely with the slide, thus eliminating play in the mechanism during firing. The P210 was noted for its good accuracy. The Petter-Browning patent was a refinement—and John Moses Browning
John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms many of which are still in use around the world. He m ...
's last design—of the Browning Hi-Power (P35).
In 1975, the Swiss military replaced the P210 with the P220
The SIG Sauer P220 is a semi-automatic pistol. Designed in 1975 by the SIG Arms AG division of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (now SIG Holding AG), and produced by J. P. Sauer & Sohn, in Eckernförde; it is currently manufactured by both ...
, dubbed the "''Pistole 75''", which was the first product of a partnership with J.P. Sauer & Sohn. In a 1984 bidding contest to provide more than 300,000 sidearms to the US military, the SIG Sauer P226
Sig used as a name may refer to:
*Sig (given name)
*Sig, Algeria, a city on the banks of the Sig River
*Sig Alert, an alert for traffic congestion in California, named after Loyd Sigmon
*Sig River, a river of Algeria also known as Mekerra
sig (lo ...
was defeated by Beretta
Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta (; "Pietro Beretta Weapon Factory") is a privately held Italian firearms manufacturing company operating in several countries. Its firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and militar ...
's 92FS
The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...
which was awarded the contract for the M9 pistol. The SIG SG 510
The Sturmgewehr 57 is a selective fire battle rifle designed by Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (now SAN Swiss Arms) of Switzerland. It uses a roller-delayed blowback system similar to the H&K G3 and CETME rifles.
The AM 55 entered servic ...
, or Sturmgewehr 57, battle rifle was produced by SIG from 1957 to 1983. Its appearance was vaguely similar to the German MG34 light machine-gun, due to its ventilated barrel jacket. It employed roller-delayed blowback, as used on the CETME
CETME () is a Spanish government design and development establishment. While being involved in many projects CETME was mostly known for its small arms research and development.
The CETME Model 58 and CETME Model L are its most notable projects. ...
/ HK rifles. The only general purpose machine gun
A general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) is an air-cooled, usually belt-fed machine gun that can be adapted flexibly to various tactical roles for light and medium machine guns. A GPMG typically features a quick-change barrel design calibered for ...
produced by SIG was the SIG 710-3
The SIG MG 710-3 is a Swiss 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) designed and manufactured by SIG - Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (currently Swiss Arms AG). The weapon was developed as a commercial venture primarily for export, si ...
, which is based on the MG42
The MG 42 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 42'', or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Enterin ...
.
During the 1970s, SIG purchased both Hämmerli and J.P. Sauer and Sohn, resulting in the formation of SIG Sauer. Due to Swiss restrictions on the export of military weapons, SIG entered into a relationship with the German company J.P. Sauer & Sohn, in order to give SIG access to the global firearms
A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions).
The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
market.
In January 1985, SIGARMS was established in Tyson's Corner
Tysons, also known as Tysons Corner, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, developed from the corner of Chain Bridge Road ( SR 123) and the Leesburg Pike ( SR 7). Located in Northern Virginia between the c ...
, Virginia, where its handgun models P220 and P230 were imported into the US from Sig Sauer in Germany. In 2007, SIGARMS changed its name to SIG Sauer. SIG Arm's division was purchased in 2000 by L & O Holding, and is now known as SIG SAUER AG.
Railways
In the late 1970s, SIG was the designer and builder of Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
's newest streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
, the CLRV L1. Only the first six CLRV cars were made by SIG (out of an order for 10, as the rest were cancelled for cost-saving measures). The remaining 190 L2 vehicles, along with 52 articulated variants, were made by Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
, Ontario-based Urban Transportation Development Corporation
The Urban Transportation Development Corporation Ltd. (UTDC) was a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario, Canada. It was established in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a burgeoning market in advanced l ...
(UTDC), now a subsidiary of Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...
, which had, in late 1991, negotiated a $17 million subsidy from the Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
government for the purchase.
In the early 1980s, SIG was the designer and builder of the Utrecht sneltram
External links
*
Bestuur Regio Utrechtis the public transportation authority in the Utrecht region
Regiotram Utrechtmanages tram system assets
U-OVis the website for public transport in Utrecht
Qbuzzoperates trams and buses on behalf of Bestuu ...
trams. 27 were ordered and delivered in 1983. Replacement plans were commenced in 2016 and rolled out in two phases. Scheduled replacement began with first vehicles retired during 2017 - 2018 and final run in July 2020.
The tilting system of the SBB RABDe 500
The RABDe 500 (often nicknamed ICN for Intercity-Neigezug, German for Intercity Tilting Train), is a Switzerland, Swiss High-speed rail, high speed passenger train which was introduced in 2000, in time for Expo.02 held in western Switzerland i ...
was developed by SIG. The railway branch of SIG was sold in 1995 to Fiat Ferroviaria
Alstom Ferroviaria S.p.A., former Fiat Ferroviaria S.p.A., is the Italian division of Alstom. Fiat Ferroviaria S.p.A. was the rail division of automobile manufacturer Fiat. It was founded in 1880 as Società Nazionale Officine di Savigliano. .
File:Sbb rabde500.jpg, SBB RABDe 500
File:CLRV TTC Streetcar No 4004 (8063115473).jpg, SIG-built CLRV L1 4004 in Toronto
File:TEE Northlander in Zwolle.JPG, SBB RAm TEE I train set in ONR Northlander
The ''Northlander'' was a passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario, Canada.
The ''Northlander'' operated six days per week year-round in both directions and connected Cochrane with Toronto. The train typically con ...
service
Packaging
The first packaging machines were produced in 1906 on behalf of the Lausanne-based company SAPAL (Société Anonyme des Plieuses Automatiques).
Most of SIG's earlier packaging equipment efforts were focused on small dry food items such as chocolates and candy. Following the 1982 FDA
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
approval of hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3%†...
sterilization; on June 28, 1983, SIG acquired Doboy Packaging Machinery, Inc. of Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. SIG COMBIBLOC INC. was then incorporated on September 1, 1983, in Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
, Ohio, where production commenced in 1984. In 1989, through the acquisition of PKL in Linnich
Linnich is a town in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the River Rur (Roer river), approx. 10 km north-west of Jülich.
Economy
Linnich is the home of SIG Combibloc, the specialist fo ...
, Germany, SIG entered the field of aseptic carton liquid packaging, later known as SIG Combibloc.
In 2000, SIG concentrated solely on food and beverage packaging technology. Management directed revenues from the sales of SIG Sauer and Rocktools to acquire global businesses, including ''Krupp Kunstofftechnik'' (Corpoplast/Blowtec/Kautex brands) and HAMBA in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
; Ryka Blow Molds in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
; and a substantial portion of the Italian conglomerate SASIB. The food-related (dry) businesses were organized under the SIG Pack division, while the beverage-related (wet) businesses formed SIG Beverages. Aseptic liquid packaging remained separate under SIG Combibloc.
This strategy, however, was proven not to be effective; Difficulties integrating vastly different businesses and employee cultures resulted in operational execution issues. In particular, high-profile commissioning and installation failures at SIG Beverages in 2003 and 2004 ultimately resulted in significant financial losses. A refocusing towards primarily aseptics and PET blow-molding resulted in a high number of divestitures and plant closures. The former SASIB wet businesses Simonazzi Simonazzi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Agide Simonazzi (1896–1951), Italian sprinter
* André Simonazzi (born 1968), Swiss politician
* Antonio Simonazzi (1824–1908), Italian painter
* Francesco Simonazzi
Fran ...
, Alfa and Meyer Meyer may refer to:
People
*Meyer (surname), listing people so named
* Meyer (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name
Companies
* Meyer Burger, a Swiss mechanical engineering company
* Meyer Corporation
* Meyer Sound Labo ...
/Mojonnier were sold to Tetra Laval
Tetra Laval is a Swiss-domiciled multinational corporation of Swedish origin, with headquarters in Pully, Switzerland. The Tetra Laval Group provides packaging, processing and distribution products for a range of foodstuffs, including liquids, fru ...
in 2005, while HAMBA and Kautex
Textron Inc. is an American industrial conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft, and Cessna brands), and Lycoming Engine ...
and Blowtec were sold separately to private investor groups. The food packaging businesses were sold to Robert Bosch Verpackungstechnik in 2004. The former SASIB dry unit Stewart Systems (bakery products) was sold to UCA Group in 2004, then merged with AMF Bakery Systems in 2008. Laser-guided vehicle manufacturer 80, part of the 1999 SASIB acquisition, was sold back to its original Italian owners in 2004. The considerably slimmed-down SIG Beverages unit, manufacturer of PET bottle
Although PET is used in several applications, (principally textile fibres for apparel and upholstery, bottles and other rigid packaging, flexible packaging and electrical and electronic goods), as of 2022 only bottles are collected at a substa ...
blow-molding machinery, was sold off to the German company Salzgitter AG
Salzgitter AG is a German company, one of the largest steel producers in Europe with an annual output of around seven million tonnes.
With over 100 subsidiaries and associated companies, the Group is structured in five divisions – Steel, Tr ...
in March 2008. This sale encompassed the subsidiaries Corpoplast, Asbofill, Plasmax and Moldtec.
SIG Combibloc
Today, SIG Combibloc focuses on aseptic packaging. In 2016, the company introduced Combibloc RS Composite, a composite structural inner layer which increases system stability and reduces the carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, service, place or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). Greenhouse gases, including the carbon-containing gases carbo ...
of carton packs. In 2017, SIG introduced the first individual QR code
A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about th ...
s with digital sourcing transparency, tailored for dairy product consumers."SIG Combibloc & Languiru Cooperative Launch New Digital Technology"
''Brand Packaging Magazine'', May 31, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
See also
*
TetraPak
Tetra Pak is a Swedish– Swiss multinational food packaging and processing company with head offices in Lund, Sweden, and Pully, Switzerland. The company offers packaging, filling machines and processing for dairy, beverages, cheese, ice cr ...
References
External links
*
SIG Group - LinkedIn
{{Authority control
Rolling stock manufacturers of Switzerland
Tram manufacturers
Packaging companies of Switzerland
Firearm manufacturers of Switzerland
Neuhausen am Rheinfall
Onex Corporation
2007 mergers and acquisitions
2014 mergers and acquisitions
Swiss brands
Electric vehicle manufacturers of Switzerland
Companies listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange
SIG Sauer