Cendres + Métaux – supplying precious metals since 1885
A Swiss company with worldwide subsidiaries
The Swiss refinery Cendres + Métaux headquartered in Biel creates, produces and markets precious-metal products. Finished and preliminary products are supplied to the watch and jewellery industry, and are also used in dentistry, medical technology and electrical engineering. The group commands diverse expertise via international subsidiaries and through its acquisition of specialist Swiss-based companies. Selling to global markets, the group employs 700 people.
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Cendres + Métaux: a proud track record
The history of Cendres + Métaux begins in 1885 when Louis Aufranc opened a small precious metal smelter in bilingual Biel/Bienne in the Swiss canton of Bern. The merger of the Auffranc and Zanelli companies in 1924 then created a limited company – “Cendres & Métaux SA”. Later, the original symbol used in the company name was replaced by a more modern plus sign. Initially, the company’s primary activity was the processing of scrap metal from watch and jewellery production in order to recover precious metals.
The refinery’s international development began in the 1960s with the establishment of several subsidiaries in Italy, France and Switzerland. This move enabled Cendres + Métaux to recycle waste containing precious metals on behalf of customers in a manner which was both cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. Since 1993, the company has been developing and manufacturing medical products in accordance with EU guidelines, achieving coveted accreditation for the current ISO 17025 standard in 1997.
Between 2008 and 2023, Cendres + Métaux acquired numerous Swiss companies in order to expand and consolidate its own core competencies (see the section on corporate structure). Starting in 2015, the company was restructured into separate divisions, resulting in the merger of various individual departments. In 2017, the company opened a further subsidiary in Shanghai, China, in addition to its branches in the UK and South Korea. Cendres + Métaux Holding SA shares are traded via the over-the-counter digital trading platform OTC-X of Berner Kantonalbank AG (BEKB) for shares not listed on Swiss stock exchanges.
Corporate structure and products
The company headquarters are at Cendres + Métaux SA in Biel/Bienne, also the site of its Medtech division. Under the brand name C+M, this division creates its own dental products, as well as medical technology and dentistry products on behalf of international customers. And since 2018, the Cendres + Métaux Lux SA division has been producing micromechanical semi-finished products (e.g. wires, profiles and tubes) plus finished products such as flywheels, watch cases and bracelet links. The company also supplies other industries.
The acquisition of Queloz SA from Saignelégier, Jura, enabled the group to supply small and medium series high-quality watch cases integrating an equable blend of technology and aesthetics. Acquiring Cronal SA based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel, likewise allowed the group to incorporate a specialist mechanical and chemical engraving processing capability. In addition, this company also specialised in laser engraving for marking and texturising. Cornu & Cie SA, part of the group since 2022 and also located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, produces metal bracelets as well as folding clasps and buckles for watch straps.
R. Schlierholz AG from Mittelhäuser, Berne, also belongs to the Cendres + Métaux group. This company creates high-quality surface coatings for use in medical technology, telecommunications, and watch and jewellery products. In addition, Lauener & Cie SA from Boudry, Neuchâtel, has been the holding company’s specialist source of high-precision turned parts for the watchmaking industry and medical technology sector since 2023.
Describing their latest acquisition, Philipp von Büren, CEO of the Cendres + Métaux Group, said: “The purchase of Lauener is entirely in line with our growth strategy: Cendres + Métaux can thus supplement its décolletage output with parts for the medical industry and watchmaking sector. Our growing size also gains us further stability and flexibility. The Lauener locations are strategically important for Cendres+ Métaux.”
Overview of Cendres + Métaux
- The Swiss refinery Cendres + Métaux was founded in Biel, Bern, in 1885. At that time it was active in the processing of scrap precious metal.
- In 1924, the merger of the two companies Auffranc and Zanelli created today's Cendres + Métaux SA trading as a limited company.
- Today, the refinery produces finished products and semi-finished items for the watch and jewellery industry, as well as for dentistry and medical technology.
- Headquartered in Switzerland, Cendres + Métaux has subsidiaries across Europe and worldwide.
- By acquiring specialist companies in Switzerland, the holding company has become a contract manufacturer for a wide range of products. Sales and distribution are organised internationally.
