For over seven decades, Kern has stood for high innovation capability, quality, flexibility and reliability. Factors that, above all, entitle for the highest attainable level of safety and service.
The most recent packaging solution development is the PackOnTime 2box multi-format packaging system. This operates with sustainable recycled cardboard, and makes the need for additional filling materials (such as plastic, bubble wrap, polystyrene, and so on) redundant. Orders of all kinds (single and multiple items) are measured in 3D, and then inserted into the precisely tailored packaging.
This arises on the one hand from the flexible production planning and process control, and on the other, from a long-standing and highly qualified team of development specialists.
The Group operates in around 50 countries worldwide and employs about 500 people. Kern Service is available, worldwide, 365 days a year: for optimum system availability and productivity, Kern offers a comprehensive and reliable service portfolio.
Kern experts and Kern partners will be happy to answer questions and provide information on individual products. Reliable service is one of the most significant building blocks of our company. For optimal system availability and productivity, Kern AG offers a comprehensive and reliable service programme.
Do you require advice and support on an inserting process or the Kern mailFactory® software? Or maybe you have other questions regarding the mailing process, or would like to send us your suggestions or requests? We will be happy to assist you and draw up a personalised quote!
Since it was founded by Marc Kern in 1947, the company has remained within the family. With its roots in Konolfingen in Bern, Switzerland, of the Swiss company’s fame quickly spread beyond national borders.
Since then, Kern has put a great deal of energy into developing and implementing new ideas. Whether for optical reading and on-line processing in the 1960s, modular mailing systems in the 1980s, the Kern 3000 – the fastest inserting system in the world – in the 1990s, or the development of sophisticated robots in the new century. Kern again and again opened up new horizons in document processing and packaging. This development has resulted in steady growth and sustained success.
The first building for a larger production workshop is built on Hünigenstrasse in Konolfingen. Production of the first enveloping machine. The Kern company is converted into a public limited company. Marc Kern becomes the sole shareholder. The aim of the new inserting machine (Kern Automatic) is to reliably process one envelope per second. An electronics laboratory is set up in Konolfingen. The world's first folding inserting systems with optical mark reading under the name KAE (Kern Automatic Electronic) leave the factory in Hünigenstrasse. Manufacturer Marc Kern is proud of his latest product. The factory in Konolfingen is expanded to meet the growing demand for Kern machines.
Be it optical reading and online processing in the 1960s, modular mailing systems in the 1980s, the fastest inserting system in the world in the 1990s (Kern 3000) or the development of sophisticated robots in the new millennium. Kern AG repeatedly opened up new dimensions in document processing and packaging. Ongoing growth and continued success were the results of this development.
75 years of Kern AG. Kern enters the next generation of inserting technology with the Kern 3200. Launch of a new product in the packaging solutions division: Multi-format packaging system for the production of customised corrugated cardboard packages in real time. Kern Group repositions itself for the future: Personnel and structural reorganisation at all levels.
Kern AG has invested in environmental protection in recent years. Kern AG's offices and production sites have been supplied with green electricity for over 10 years. Through its energy partner ‘BKW FMB Energie AG’, Kern AG is supplied with electricity from solar energy or from hydroelectric power stations in Switzerland. In this way, Kern AG contributes to a healthy and resource-conserving approach to the environment.
Kern AG signed the UN Global Compact in 2010. This is further proof that Kern AG is actively committed to sustainability, respect for human rights and a conscious environmental policy. The principles of the UN Global Compact have been anchored in our corporate principles and will continue to guide our actions in the future.
Kern AG is a member of the Safety Charter. The safety and health of its employees is a top priority for the traditional family business. Kern AG therefore does everything in its power to prevent accidents at work. With the Safety Charter, Kern is publicly committed to complying with the vital rules of Suva and all its own safety rules at all workplaces.
Electric cars for field staff are part of the Kern Group's company car fleet. Kern AG has operated an environmental management system certified to DIN ISO 14001 since 2022. The focus is on the company's activities and services with regard to sustainable development. This is how Kern contributes to climate protection.
| Zertifikat ISO 14001:2015 | The international environmental management standard ISO 14001 defines globally recognized requirements for an environmental management system. For Kern, an environmentally conscious contribution to a sustainable future is very important. |
| Green energy certificate | The days in which power was simply power, are long gone. Kern AG cares how its power is produced and where it comes from. As a result, we have decided on a reliable alternative: ecologically produced power, in accordance with naturemade star guidelines. |
| UN Global Compact | The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative to promote social commitment by companies, to together pursue additional goals. such as human rights, working standards, environmental protection, and the fight against corruption. |
| Safety Charta | In Switzerland, around 250,000 work-related accidents are caused every year. The safety charta aims to reduce this high number by improving safety at work. Launched by Suva in collaboration with employee associations, planners and trade unions, it represents a willingness on the part of all its signatories to consistently comply with and enforce the vital essential rules in the workplace. The motto is "Stop at danger!" is a commitment, because no work is so important that one's own health or that of employees is endangered. |
Kern AG consistently invests in quality... a trademark of Kern AG for years. Kern systems are known for their durability and high-precision workmanship. The fact that Kern AG has been ISO certified for many years is fundamental proof of this. This means that customers can also guarantee perfect in-house production.
| Research and Development | Customer requirements form the basis of new ideas and technologies. Highly qualified product developers, mechanical engineers, and specialists seek answers to the question: what are the future technologies and processes that will expedite workflows, and fulfil customer requirements? Kern is always one step ahead of current technical developments, and sets the international benchmark in terms of creative innovation. This leading edge is ensured by our in-house development department, based in Switzerland. Customer requirements are always our priority. |
| Production and installation specialist | Our quality-oriented approach also determines production and installation processes. Inserting and packaging systems are developed in Switzerland, and produced to the highest quality standards available throughout Switzerland and the EU. Qualified personnel carry out the technical manufacture of all Kern systems, from automatic cutting machines, right through to highly complex packaging installations. Efficient decision-making channels optimise the processes. Our machine park is constantly maintained to the state-of-the-art. This allows jobs to be completed on schedule and efficiently. |
| Kern's leading-edge technology puts you in the lead. | Kern is the leading partner in document processing, in terms of both end-to-end packaging installations and individual modules. This enables Kern to reach its overall goal: namely, that of offering customers secure and future-proof solutions. In day-to-day operation, these achieve peak capacities with low effort. The precise architecture combination of technology and software is a key quality characteristic, combined with a modern and sophisticated design. There's a reason why our systems continue to receive prestigious industrial design awards. Assurance of such high-quality requirements can be achieved only with our key commitment: all major certifications and guidelines (such as ISO, for example) position Kern AG as the market leader. Numerous awards and prizes also reinforce that Kern is on the right path. Kern AG’s aim is to continue to develop further, and thus remain the market leader – as tradition dictates. |
| Certified ISO 9001:2015 | ISO 9001 stipulates the quality management system (QM system) requirements that an organisation must satisfy, in order to provide products and services that fulfil both customer expectations and any applicable regulatory requirements. At the same time, the management system must be subject to a process of continuous improvement. |
