Innovation, commitment and quality: an insight into Kuhn Rikon AG

Tösstaler Kuhn Rikon AG has a long and eventful history. The company has been producing pans and cookware for almost 100 years. In addition to production, the company has also been committed to social causes.

Kuhn Rikon AG has a company history with many ups and downs behind it and is now in its fourth generation of management. The current demand for their pans is very satisfactory, says CEO Tobias Gerfin: "The Covid pandemic has encouraged people to cook with Kuhn Rikon pans." If you take a look back at the past, you can see that the former textile factory has become an international company that is known worldwide for the quality of its pans.

When developing its products, the family-run company has always focused strongly on customer needs and follows current trends. One example of this is the DUROMATIC® pressure cooker. This was first launched in 1949, was considered a pioneering product and represents an important milestone in the company's success. The idea for it came about through a collaboration with the electric stove manufacturer THERMA from Schwanden, at a time when cooking in the kitchen was increasingly done with electricity rather than fire.

Kuhn Rikon still designs its own products in-house today. The industrial design department is responsible for this. The first innovative product designed in-house was launched in 2006 - the HOTPAN®. The serving casserole is produced in Switzerland and shows its users that saving energy in the kitchen is not an impossibility. Thanks to its special design, the HOTPAN® can save up to 60 percent energy and keep food warm for up to two hours.

A foundation for the preservation of Tibetan culture

But Kuhn Rikon is not only focused on its own products, social commitment is also a top priority. In 1964, the Swiss Confederation took in Tibetan refugees as a result of the China-Tibet conflict. Kuhn Rikon AG also wanted to provide support. Many Tibetans were therefore employed by the company, and company apartments were made available to them as accommodation. The new employees were very grateful for this and did a good job.

However, the families remained rather unhappy. The owners at the time, Henri and Jacques Kuhn, made contact with the Dalai Lama and cultivated a friendly exchange, through which they hoped to find a solution to the situation of the Tibetans in Switzerland. They followed the Dalai Lama's advice and set up the "Tibet Institute Rikon" foundation. This was intended to offer the Tibetans spiritual and cultural support and help to preserve Tibetan culture. Kuhn Rikon provided 4000 square meters of building land for the construction of the foundation.

This building project and the commitment of Kuhn Rikon created an important religious center for Tibetans in Switzerland and the surrounding countries. The former Tibetan refugees are still grateful for the institute today. For many, the occasional visits of the Dalai Lama to the site are always a moving experience.

Into the future with proven values

Soon, in around 5 years' time, Kuhn Rikon AG will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. So the family business has already lived through almost a century. Just as in its early days, the company is still managed in a family-like, fair and responsible manner by the fourth generation. Swissness is still a top priority, so that the quality of the products can continue to be guaranteed. The traditional Swiss company strives to continue its roots, its social responsibility and its business with conviction and great care.