![[Translate to en:] Johanne Wirz - FIR Group Geschichte](/fileadmin/images/fir-group/geschichte/johannes-wirz.jpg "[Translate to en:] FIR Group Geschichte")
When Johannes Wirz, a young comb maker from Menziken, built one of the world's first hook-and-eye machines in 1842, he ruined an entire industry in Switzerland. The mechanical production of so-called Häftli meant the end for a number of small businesses that laboriously produced hooks and eyes by hand. But that was not his intention; it was simply the consequence of his economic thinking and actions. Wirz was a brilliant mechanical engineer, a born entrepreneur, and an innovation-driven doer.
When he died in 1889, his son Emil and grandson Carl Fischer ensured significant growth – though not always successfully. Carl's sons Karl and Willy saved Drahtwerke Fischer through economic crises and the Second World War. Their successors, Hans-Erich and Thomas Fischer, completely transformed the company. And now, with Peter Fischer at the helm, the sixth generation is in charge, although the “Häftli” have long since made way for state-of-the-art metal processing.
The FIR Group employs around 200 people in Reinach, with a further 160 working at its subsidiary in Germany. The Oberwynental nail makers have become an industrial supplier producing at the upper end of the precision scale and continuing to rely on Switzerland as a business location to this day. The 175-year-old, eventful history is recounted by historian and journalist Christoph Zurfluh in his exciting and entertaining book “Die Häftlimacher” (The Häftlimacher). It can be purchased for 28 Swiss francs (including shipping) directly from Fischer Reinach AG.
Johannes Wirz (1813 – 1889) laid the foundation for the company’s 175-year history with the invention of his clasp machine in 1842.
In 1842, two men were able to make 40 hooks and eyelets a minute on the first clasp machine from Johannes Wirz - a revolution!
Trouser clasps in all sorts of designs had long since been a critical part of the offerings in ironware: Catalogue of 1894.
After his workshop in Menziken burned down, Wirz moved to Reinach in 1848: The letterhead shows the home (right) with built-on factory building around 1850.
Self-confident, single and full of drive: Marie Fischer-Wirz (1841 – 1910) was an extraordinary woman.
Found employment with the raw materials trader Adolphe Arbenz: Carl Fischer (centre) with Swiss friends in Birmingham 1888.
Beautifully smarted up for the photographer: Carl’s wife Gotthilde Fischer-Vogt with their children Karl, Marguerite and Willy (from left).
The families Fischer/Vogt (around 1917): E. Vogt, W. Fischer, A. Vogt, H. Vogt, E. Vogt, K. Fischer, M. Fischer (back f. lt.); O. Vogt with wife, C./G. Fischer-Vogt, E. Vogt with wife (centre f. lt.); 2 sisters of G. Fischer-Vogt, M. Vogt, J. Vogt (front f. lt.).
Growing competition gave Drahtwerke Fischer a lot to deal with in the 1930s, especially in the production of studs.
Dissimilar brothers: Karl, the strapping officer, became “Fisher 1” before the younger Willy.
Marguerite Fischer visited her brother Willy in July 1929 in Dortmund, where he earned his spurs at the Hoesch steel factory.
During the second world war, Fischer was also obligated to form and train his own air defence troops - here on a main exercise in July 1944.
Since Fischer manufactured “articles critical to the war”, production here as well as in wire processing also ran at full speed during the war.
Fischer celebrated its first one hundred years of company history in 1942 with a giant festival in the Menziken sports hall. Company waiting music was created especially for this purpose.
Margerit and Willy Fischer with their children Catharina, Thomas, Balthasar and Regina (from left) around 1950.
The tool construction department (pictured in the 1930s) remains a critical element of the company to this day.
In the late 1950s, Fischer began manufacturing reinforcements and took shares in the mat factory Tektonik.
In reality, Balthasar - her with his older brother Thomas in Davos - should have taken over from his father Willy Fischer, but he died very suddenly at the age of just 14 years old.
There are still reserves: Drahtwerke Fischer between Wyna and Hauptstrasse after the second world war. The Ribimatt on the opposite side of the street still hasn’t been built over.
Family ties: Karl Fischer with son Hans-Erich at his marriage to company daughter Liliane Curti 1962.
In 1981, Fischer Rista developed the FIRIPA access basket that became a synonym for prefabricated reinforcements. And into a sales hit.
Thomas Fischer (centre) celebrates the purchase of the new Mitex management and production building in Hörbranz in 1997 with Herbert and Oskar Mager (right).
In 1978, Fischer have up its subsidiary plant in Fahrwangen. This is where semi-finished goods had been produced since the end of the second world war.
As a producer of particularly high-quality band steel, Fischer also supplied the competition – a constant dilemma. Image: Belt slicer in 1980.
There’s a private life too: Thomas and Ursula Fischer-Hegner with their two children Ariane and Peter 1984 in the family holiday home in Sils Maria.
Generational shift – the new management after Thomas Fischer steps down in 2010 (f. lt.): Sascha Dätwyler, Daniel Oschwald, Peter Fischer and Dieter Camenzind.
In 2014, Fischer bought shares in the German Zetka. Klaus Zettlmeier (left) and Christian Kallenbach (right) with Peter Fischer in the factory in the Bavarian town of Füssen.
The Fischer family in 1960: The children Thomas, Catharina, Alex, Regina and Hans-Erich Fischer (back, f. lt.); Emma and Karl Fischer-Nebel, Marguerite Fischer, Willy and Margerit Fischer-Sulzer (seated, f. lt.).
Managing director Wolfgang Mager with Peter Fischer in the Mitex fabric warehouse in the Austrian town of Hörbranz.
“Die Häftlimacher” - author Christoph Zurfluh tells the story of the family company – diverse, exciting and always entertaining.
