Our story begins in 1953 in Glattbrugg. It is the time of typewriters, carbon paper, and the distinctive click of a stapler. In workshops, law offices, and offices, the need grows for reliable work materials that simply function. That is exactly where Ofrex comes in: with staplers, staples, and ribbons, with short distances to customers, and with the simple yet ambitious attitude of solving things cleanly. From the very beginning, we have been a Swiss company – grounded, service-oriented, and close to the people who ensure every day that work gets done.
From this closeness, trust emerges. Delivery runs become relationships, order slips turn into conversations, and single items gradually become an assortment that goes beyond just basic needs. As Switzerland grows and working environments change, Ofrex grows along – not through loudness, but through reliability. Promises count. Quality lasts. If something is missing, it is procured. This attitude shapes us to this day and is the foundation of how a local supplier became a nationwide partner.
The 1970s and 1980s bring speed to offices and administrations. Computers replace typewriters, fax machines accelerate communication, and expectations for availability, selection, and value for money rise. In this phase, Ofrex consistently focuses on combining customer proximity with assortment depth. Decisions are always made with one simple thought: our customers’ everyday work should remain seamless. What is not part of our core competence, we leave to specialists; what makes the difference in everyday life – advice, availability, reliability – we take into our own hands. From this focus, our brand core has developed over the years: reliable, winning, authentic.
With the internet, a new chapter begins. Ofrex digitizes purchasing without losing its analogue strengths. The personal visit, the voice on the phone, and the understanding of regional particularities remain – Romandie and German-speaking Switzerland are served equally, and questions are answered in the language in which they are asked. At the same time, the online shop becomes the control center: categories become more refined, filters more precise, repeat purchases easier. Consulting shifts additionally to chat and email, but remains personal. Behind the scenes, we professionalize procurement. Instead of storing everything ourselves, we network with reliable partners and channels, orchestrate availability, and open the door for our customers to a product world that today includes over half a million items. Thus, Ofrex increasingly becomes the conductor in the background: you order centrally, we organize the supply.
At the same time, we anchor responsibility as a fixed part of our identity. What began in the 1950s as an attitude – working carefully, conserving resources, keeping routes short – receives a modern foundation. Our environmental management is certified according to ISO 14001. We measure our CO₂ footprint, reduce where possible, and compensate for what cannot be avoided. Not as a campaign, but as a consequence: whoever supplies countless workplaces every day bears responsibility – for materials, routes, people, and the environment.
Today, Ofrex is established throughout Switzerland. The closeness from back then remains, only the tools have changed. On the customer side, this means: you quickly find what you need; you know when something will arrive; and if something changes, you learn about it early – with clear options for what comes next. On our side, it means: we keep partnerships alive, maintain data quality, continuously improve assortments, and adjust processes so that commitments remain reliable. Past and present intertwine: decades of trust and today’s digital precision together ensure that procurement feels as it should – simple, reliable, predictable.
Our story is therefore not a closed chapter, but a common thread: from Glattbrugg through the regions of Switzerland into your offices, workshops, and home offices. It tells how staplers became a complete offering for the workplace; how a delivery van grew into nationwide logistics with clear communication; and how a promise – we take care – became a brand that delivers on its word. Tomorrow it continues, with the same attitude as in 1953: we listen, we think along, we deliver. So you can focus on your work.
