Sustainable Timber Construction with Passion and Expertise
Interview with Hansjörg Steiner, Managing Director of Schäfer Holzbautechnik AG
Sustainability, innovation, and artisanal passion are the pillars of Schäfer Holzbautechnik AG. This specialized timber construction company from Switzerland has long made a name for itself as an expert in sustainable construction concepts and forward-thinking project solutions. In a conversation with Hansjörg Steiner, founder and managing director, we learn more about the company's history and current structure, as well as challenges and future visions.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Steiner, the history of your company is closely linked to your personal career. Can you tell us more about the creation of Schäfer Holzbautechnik and your motivations?
Hansjörg Steiner: I learned the craft from scratch, trained as a carpenter and educated myself through positions as foreman and supervisor to master craftsman. After many years at the construction conglomerate Zschokke, I decided to become self-employed in 2003. Choosing the name ‘Schäfer’ was a deliberate decision: The name had tradition with Ad. Schäfer & Cie in Aarau, while ‘Steiner’ was hardly known at the time. With a clever solution – a collaboration with Theo Schäfer – we were able to take over this established name and gain a foothold in a market that was already familiar to us. In our first year, we were able to achieve a turnover of 6 to 7 million CHF, as we were allowed to take over projects and infrastructure from the predecessor company.
Wirtschaftsforum: How has your company developed structurally since then, and what are your current focuses?
Hansjörg Steiner: We have grown organically and evolved Schäfer Holzbautechnik AG into a holding structure. Today, it includes a carpentry business, a general contracting company, and our own real estate firm. We started with 13 employees – today we employ about 70. The holding structure allows us a more flexible management of business areas. Our focus is on sustainable timber construction, renovation and refurbishment projects, as well as self-developed residential projects as an investor. Additionally, we have expanded our service portfolio, for example, by establishing our own daycare for our employees – a real milestone in the context of our employee philosophy.
Wirtschaftsforum: What challenges do you currently see in your industry, and how does Schäfer Holzbautechnik respond to these developments?
Hansjörg Steiner: Wood construction is booming, but this also brings challenges. On one hand, the long-term availability of wood is a major concern, especially due to climate change and changing forestry practices. On the other hand, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain skilled workers. Therefore, we place a great emphasis on training and employee retention – including through our childcare facilities. Additionally, we must continuously modernize our processes. Digitalization is a key topic here: wood construction has long relied on CNC technology, prefabrication, and 3D planning. This allows us to shorten construction times and use resources more efficiently.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you implement innovations such as digitalization and artificial intelligence in your company to remain competitive?
Hansjörg Steiner: We have been working with CNC technology and digital planning processes for over 20 years, long before BIM or digital site models became standard in the industry. Today, we optimize our processes with modern 3D planning and minimize waste. Furthermore, we are increasingly relying on intelligent prefabrication concepts. Artificial intelligence will certainly play a larger role in the future – especially in construction planning and process optimization. Although we are just beginning, we are closely watching these developments and are open to new technologies that can further improve our efficiency.
Wirtschaftsforum: What role do sustainability, locality, and international activities play for Schäfer Holzbautechnik?
Hansjörg Steiner: Sustainability is deeply embedded in our DNA. Wood is an ecological building material that stores CO2, is locally available, and can be processed with comparatively little energy. Wherever possible, we use Swiss wood from the region. However, about 70% of the semi-finished products like glued laminated timber come from the European foreign countries due to a lack of domestic production capacities. Exports currently do not play a major role for us; our focus is on the Swiss market. However, we are working on innovative solutions like mobile gymnasiums that can be dismantled and reassembled multiple times – an approach that could also be interesting internationally. The reusable sports halls are flexibly designed and can handle at least five location changes. They are erected on site within four working days and sealed, with the ancillary rooms delivered fully finished as complete modules. In 2024, we received the Prix Lignum Gold National for these halls together with the pool Architekten and the engineering office Makiol & Wiederkehr.
Wirtschaftsforum: What are your future visions and plans regarding expansion, marketing, and events?
Hansjörg Steiner: We are committed to healthy, sustainable growth. Our expansion is primarily in the service sector, especially in project and construction management. We deliberately keep production lean, working closely with specialized partners. Marketing is primarily through quality and recommendations – projects such as our daycare or sustainable building projects strengthen our brand in the long term. We use trade fairs and events selectively, particularly for networking and presenting our mobile building innovations. In the medium term, we are aiming for an orderly succession – the first steps towards this have already been implemented by involving long-standing employees as shareholders. The goal is a smooth transition and the further development of Schäfer Holzbautechnik AG with the same passion for wood as a building material. With our passion, focus on intelligent solutions, and a clear vision, we want to continue to make an active contribution.