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Albert Grünenfelder Sr.'s entry into his father's blacksmith business in 1948 marked the beginning of the modern GK Group. Today, GK Grünenfelder AG is the leading vehicle manufacturer in Switzerland and designs innovative transportation solutions for a sustainable future.
In 1948, Albert Grünenfelder Sr. joins his father's farriery. Together they start producing trailers for agriculture and the building trade in Balgach. Shortly afterwards, they founded Albert Grünenfelder & Sohn, mechanical forge and vehicle construction. This marks the beginning of the success story of the GK Grünenfelder brand. After manufacturing trailers for single-axle tractors in series of five to ten units as early as 1949, the young company was able to deliver 110 units by 1953. The price at that time was between CHF 900 and CHF 1,500 per trailer. In 1954, Albert Grünenfelder Sr. takes over his father's company and delivers the first truck trailer.
The workshop in Balgach soon becomes too small for production. This is followed by a move to neighboring Kriessern and the construction of a modern production hall including offices. The company continues to grow thanks to the commitment of Albert Grünenfelder Sr. and his wife Hedwig, who actively supports him in building up the company. In 1965, the first double-decker body in aluminum construction for transporting live animals and in 1966 Europe's first 16-ton trailer in all-aluminum construction were developed and produced. Showmen also increasingly order their vehicles from GK Grünenfelder. The most important orders include the production of 180- and 360-degree cinemas, which are very popular at this time.
1973 Albert Grünenfelder senior's eldest son Marcel starts his apprenticeship as a vehicle fitter at GK. The neighboring plastics processing plant is also taken over. GK then begins independent production of sandwich elements for the bodywork of refrigerated vehicles.
The years between 1980 and 1990 are characterized by initial modernization and an increase in orders for the Swiss army. In addition, Albert Grünenfelder senior's youngest son, Albert junior, starts his apprenticeship as a vehicle fitter in his parents' company. In 1988, a warehouse and goods receiving hall is added to the factory building in Kriessern. At the same time, the offices are modernized and extended. 1993 GK delivers 50 special 1-axle trailers to the Swiss army. A further series of truck bodies follows in 1995. The company also opens up further areas of mobility: For example, the National Circus Knie was acquired as a customer. From the 1990s onwards, the circus regularly ordered special vehicles, including control containers, kitchen trailers, crew vans, a mobile saddlery and monkey cage trailers. In 1996, GK Grünenfelder procures modern 3D CAD systems. ISO 9001 certification follows in 1997.
The "00s" are characterized by major orders from the German army and NATO. In 2001, the company ND Satcom orders low-bed tandem trailers for the mobile use of parabolic reflector antennas for satellite communication on behalf of the German armed forces. An order that helps GK Grünenfelder achieve a technological breakthrough - the company transforms itself from a craft business into an internationally operating industrial company. On December 24, 2004, the second generation, Marcel and Albert Grünenfelder, takes over the management of the company.
Further deliveries for the German armed forces will follow in the coming years: development work on a mobile transmission module "TÜM" will start in 2005. 90 of these units are delivered. In 2009, GK produces the first semi-trailer for Migros Ostschweiz. This order lays the foundation for the expansion of the refrigerated vehicles division. Today, GK supplies all ten Migros cooperatives in Switzerland with refrigerated vehicles for food transportation. Other well-known Swiss retailers such as Coop, Spar and Denner will also become regular customers in the coming years. The refrigerated vehicle sector is now one of the most important pillars of GK Grünenfelder.
The defense sector also continues to develop in the 2010s. In 2011, GK enters into a cooperation agreement with Fischer Frech-Hoch Estech and is awarded the contract to manufacture 400 4x4 and 6x6 Iveco bodies for the Swiss army in 2012. Further orders for the Swiss troops follow. Frech-Hoch Nutzfahrzeuge AG has been part of the GK Grünenfelder Group since 2017. The history of the Basel-based company goes back to FHS E. Frech-Hoch AG in Sissach, which was one of the most important vehicle manufacturers in Switzerland.
A historic handover: After more than 45 years in the service of the family business, Marcel Grünenfelder hands over the operational management of GK to Philippe Köppel.
In 2019, GK caused a stir in the transport and logistics industry when it developed the world's first certified truck body for Hyundai's hydrogen-powered Xient Fuell Cell Truck. Although the new drive technology is still in its infancy, it gives GK an enormous boost to its image - also on the international stage. The Swiss vehicle manufacturer will thus become a key component in the production of the first commercial hydrogen project for commercial vehicles in Europe.
The new decade starts under the banner of the energy and mobility transition: 2020 sees the handover of the first series production of ten Hyundai Xient Fuell Cell hydrogen trucks to various Swiss logistics companies. 2021 GK and Frech Hoch join forces: from now on, the two companies will operate together on the market under the name GK Grünenfelder. 2022 GK puts a new photovoltaic system into operation on the roof of its production hall in Kriessern. Since then, the vehicle manufacturer has generated more than half of its annual electricity consumption itself.
To mark its 75th anniversary, GK Grünenfelder 2023 is presenting a new vision and renewing its brand identity. At its heart, the branding will be modernized and the company's positioning will be sharpened for the future. GK Grünenfelder becomes a provider of innovative transport solutions for a sustainable future.
