Case Study - Fabromont — StrategyFrame

He’s actually a Porter fan. He’s fascinated by the macro- and microeconomic rigor and the coordinated frameworks of the American “guru of strategy,” Michael E. Porter—such as the Five Forces model, value proposition, value chain, and much more. In his spare time, after earning his EMBA/MBA, Marco Dalla Bona has even taught college seminars on the famous economist’s approaches, based on a “Porter Practitioner’s Guide” he developed himself. But could he develop a strategy for Fabromont AG—a company he took over as CEO two years ago—using only such models? “That only works to a limited extent for a medium-sized company like Fabromont,” says the plastics technologist and mechanical engineer. “I’ve had the opportunity to develop and implement corporate strategies several times before. That’s why it quickly became clear that we needed a framework that, while scientifically sound, is also lean and closely aligned with practical reality.” It had been clear at the latest since Dalla Bona took office in 2024 that the textile flooring manufacturer in Schmitten, Switzerland, needed a new strategy. Fabromont, founded in 1963 by textile engineer Günter Tesch, has indeed been successful for many years with a unique product. Kugelgarn®, spun from a blend of various fibers, represents a product category all its own in the world of textile floor coverings. No competitor worldwide has yet succeeded in copying the patented and largely automated manufacturing process. “But the organization had recently been underperforming because it lacked a clear focus,” said Dalla Bona.

Unbeatable for high-traffic areas and walking comfort

The owner, the board of directors, and the other members of executive management were quickly convinced by his idea to restore this focus using the StrategyFrame. The Fabromont decision-makers then faced their toughest moment right at the first workshop in early 2025, when the numbers were laid out on the table following an in-depth situation analysis. “Our market share was suddenly only half of what we had assumed for many years,” says Dalla Bona. “That’s exactly when it became clear how valuable access to digital ‘market intelligence’ is—intelligence that continuously incorporates up-to-date market data. We were now able to act based on facts rather than assumptions.” Among these facts is, for example, that the market for textile flooring has been stagnating for some time. The fact that private homeowners today mostly prefer wood, plastic, or stone underfoot in their homes and apartments is hardly a factor for Fabromont. However, it is significant that the trend away from carpet is only now beginning to reverse, even in large-scale office buildings, schools, and residential and senior care facilities. Kugelgarn® actually offers the perfect properties for precisely these applications: The flooring is seamless, easy to clean, and durable; unlike some other textile solutions, it is absolutely hygienic and reliably absorbs noise throughout its entire service life. Marco Dalla Bona: “For high-traffic areas where the flooring is expected to last 20 or 30 years, Kugelgarn® is unbeatable even when compared to smooth flooring. Not only in terms of walking comfort, but also when it comes to total costs over time.”

Becoming the industry's driving force for innovation

According to the analysis, however, certain weaknesses in sales—and, above all, an excessive focus on product categories rather than customer segments—had cost Kugelgarn® pioneer Fabromont growth over the years. “We were simply too vague in many areas,” said Dalla Bona. The Supervisory Board, executive board, and management all agreed on this point during the first workshop. They also agreed on the description of the ambitious goals the company aims to achieve with the “Fabromont 3.0 Strategy”: to become the top choice for textile floor coverings in the B2B sector within its core markets in the DACH region and to position itself as a driver of innovation within the industry. With an enthusiastic workforce that delivers operational excellence in the right roles and does what matters in the right way. The measures needed to get there were the focus of the second workshop a few months later. Over the course of two days, management and all department heads across the organization discussed topics such as innovation and recruiting, digitalization, and sales. “That was really something special; you could feel that it was unleashing energy and that the leadership team was happy to be involved,” recalls Dalla Bona. As a result, over 100 projects were launched. Since spring 2026, a dedicated project management office has been tracking their progress and whether the defined OKRs are being met.

Clearer segmentation by customer group

What exactly will change with the “Fabromont 3.0 Strategy”? A key element, for example, is a clearer segmentation of customer groups. Real estate departments, private and public builders, flooring installers, (interior) architects, planning firms, facility managers, and—last but not least—the people who walk on these floors every day each have their own specific needs, which Fabromont intends to address more specifically in the future. This is especially true in the “super-niches,” as Dalla Bona puts it—such as bids for schools, high-traffic public buildings, or large office spaces. “What exactly do teachers and their classes, for example, want from flooring in school buildings? What matters most in nursing homes for which group, and what about on ships? Who needs which arguments so that we can win the contract for these projects? We need to increasingly think about these kinds of questions within the system—and then meet each customer group’s specific needs,” says Dalla Bona. The new website and a digital customer portal, both planned for early 2027, will be designed precisely according to this approach. “In large construction project tenders, you need to engage all the groups involved. That’s why we want to offer tailored content—for school principals, for example, or local government decision-makers.”

Research and Development Revitalized

Fabromont, which used to be rather reserved, is now investing heavily in visibility and is active at trade shows and competitions. When the company hires new sales staff, it looks for a broad skill set: Rather than simply listing product benefits, employees should be able to address the expectations of a wide variety of contacts in a well-informed yet empathetic manner. The company is digitizing internal processes, continuously modernizing its machinery, and focusing on sustainable innovations for production. Above all, Fabromont has revitalized its research and development department: The specialists there are working intensively on new products and system solutions. With its own cleaning agents and residue-free specialty adhesives, the company aims to provide customers with an even better product experience—an experience that is already exceptional by industry standards: In over 60 years of company history, there has not been a single complaint, which is why the company does not even have a complaint management system in place.

"There's nothing better for corporate culture"

“We’re now in the thick of implementing our strategy and can clearly see how motivating this clear direction is for our workforce as well,” says Dalla Bona. Fabromont is well-positioned in the markets of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. As opportunities arise, Dalla Bona plans to set his sights on European metropolitan regions such as Paris and London in the future. The current trend—especially among large companies—of bringing more people back to the office should work in his favor. Dalla Bona is firmly convinced that Kugelgarn® offers optimal conditions for feeling comfortable in the workplace, even when the office is fully occupied. Now, the textile flooring industry just needs to do a better job of dispelling long-disproved prejudices about its products from the minds of some potential customers. In any case, Fabromont feels well-equipped for new growth. Marco Dalla Bona: “Developing a strategy is, of course, fun. It’s even better when you see that the strategy is working and we’re achieving tangible results. There’s really nothing better for the company culture.”

Fabromont: Unique Kugelgarn®

The Swiss family-owned company Fabromont is known worldwide for Kugelgarn®, a textile flooring product developed by founder Günter Tesch himself. It is considered particularly durable and easy to maintain; Fabromont holds over 200 patents for the manufacturing process and the exact composition. To this day, the company manufactures its products exclusively in Schmitten, in the Swiss canton of Fribourg. Among Fabromont’s best-known large-scale projects is the flooring installation at the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main, where more than 67,000 square meters of Kugelgarn® have been installed. In 2024, the Swiss manufacturer was awarded the Red Dot Award for its sustainable Kugelgarn Reval® product line, which is made from recycled yarn. Since early 2025, Marco Dalla Bona has been leading the company as sole managing director. Dr. Wolfgang Tesch, son of the company’s founder and himself long involved in operational management at Fabromont, has moved to the board of directors.

Fabromont: Master of the Super-Niche