1959
The Imfeld family acquires from the American company Neon-Westinghouse in Lausanne the division Westifluor and Illuminated Signage, which consists of a small production plant (15 employees) and a sales and service office in Bern (three employees). A public corporation by the name of Westineon is formed from it.
1963
Westineon’s clients include Agfa, the cigarette brand Turmac, Grundig, Good Year, Renault, the Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, and Swissair. The company expands its establishment in Bern into a production plant. During the nineteen-sixties, branch offices are also set up in Zürich, Lucerne, and Basel. Westineon benefits from the emerging automotive industry and produces initial large orders for VW and Audi.
1977
Brothers Charles and Niklaus Imfeld split up. Niklaus Imfeld (in the picture) assumes responsibility for the Westineon brand. The company grows and relocates its production from Bern to Flamatt in the Freiburg region of Switzerland, where Westineon employs around 70 people. Westineon is the first illuminated signage company in Switzerland to use laser and vacuum moulding for its production.
1984
The company changes its name from Westineon to Westiform. The Westiform logo and legend were created by the renowned Swiss typeface designer Adrian Frutiger. As a member of the board of directors, Frutiger advises management on typographical issues for many years. In 1988, Westiform moves into its new building in Bern-Niederwangen, where the company still has its Swiss headquarters today.
1989
Westiform ventures to enter the European market and acquires its competitor Boos+Hahn in Ortenberg in Germany’s Baden region. The number of employees doubles to 300. The acquisition enables Westiform to produce in large quantities. Westiform acquires the following companies as clients: Aral, BMW, Bosch, VW and Audi.
1994
Westiform establishes a branch office in Hong Kong and starts manufacturing small quantities of neon signs in China. 1998, the Imfeld family acquires an illuminated signage plant from the Jin Ling company in Shanghai and expands it continuously. Westiform China develops from a supply sub-contractor into a central partner company: today, Westiform Europe exports considerably more product to China than vice versa.
2002
In 2002, Westiform acquires a production facility in Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic, specialising in the manufacture of illuminated signage components for single and series installations. In the same year, Westiform acquires Hoerner Lichtwerbung (illuminated signage) in Eberstadt in the Württemberg region of Germany (in the picture). Hoerner provides Westiform with the know-how for large and special installations. Acquisition of the customer base makes Westiform the largest manufacturer of illuminated signage in Europe. In 2004, the company is renamed Westiform.
Today
Today, Westiform employs several hundred people worldwide and maintains branch offices in Austria, France, and Japan, as well as a dense global network of partner companies. An innovation team develops tomorrow’s products which are energy-saving, user-friendly, and sustainable. 87 percent of company shares are owned by the family. The founder Niklaus Imfeld is Chairman of the Board of Directors, and three of his four children work for the company.