A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARGOR-HERAEUS

The company was founded as Argor SA in Chiasso in 1951 and, for a time, was owned by the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS). In 1999, Argor-Heraeus management took full control of the company. It has a range of prestigious shareholders, including Commerzbank International SA and the Austrian Mint.

While still under UBS control, Argor-Heraeus opened their refinery in Mendrisio. In 1998, the refinery was expanded and Argor-Heraeus operations have grown ever since. The mint opened offices in Santiago, Chile in 2004 and soon after constituted a German affiliate, Argor-Heraeus Deutschland, and Argor-Heraeus Italia.

In 2012, a new ancillary Argor-Heraeus plant was completed that enabled the company to double production. It was also the year that Argor-Heraeus set its sights on a commitment to sustainability, installing one of the region’s largest solar panel and electricity generation systems.