FELCO, together with its US subsidiary PYGAR, has received the 2026 Avantgarde Award from the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce Southern California. Presented on November 7 in Los Angeles, the award recognizes Swiss companies and organizations that contribute to the US economy while strengthening ties between Switzerland and the United States.
For FELCO, the recognition celebrates a relationship built over decades, connecting Swiss manufacturing and expertise with the professionals and garden enthusiasts who rely on FELCO tools across the United States.
Celebrating Swiss-American collaboration
Founded in Switzerland in 1945, FELCO has built its reputation on professional pruning and cutting tools designed for precision, durability and repairability. Today, its products are sold in more than 120 countries, with PYGAR representing FELCO in the United States.
Despite its international growth, FELCO continues to develop its tools and manufacture in Switzerland.
As FELCO CEO Nabil Francis explains:
“This award is particularly meaningful because it recognizes a choice we have made for decades: to keep manufacturing and developing our know-how in Switzerland while building lasting relationships with customers in the United States. We believe that a tool should be designed to work for years, be repaired rather than discarded, and help professionals do their jobs better. Our teams at FELCO and PYGAR bring that conviction to life every day.”
A relationship in the US built over generations
The United States has long been an important market for FELCO, connecting the brand with growers, arborists, landscapers, horticultural professionals and gardeners across the country. California, in particular, has played an important role in that history.
Ryan Amberg, General Manager of PYGAR, explains:
“As the third generation of my family involved in FELCO’s US business, this recognition holds special meaning for both me and my family. For more than 80 years, FELCO has combined Swiss craftsmanship, innovation and a commitment to producing professional tools built to last. California has long been our strongest US market, and the lasting relationships we have built with growers, landscapers, horticultural professionals and independent garden centres are at the heart of our success. What makes FELCO special is not only the precision of our tools, but also their durability and repairability. These enduring relationships and shared values are what make the FELCO Family so special.”
Swiss roots. Lasting relationships.
More than 80 years after FELCO was founded, the same philosophy continues to guide the company: make professional tools that perform for years, can be maintained and repaired, and earn their place in the hands of the people who use them.
The 2026 Avantgarde Award celebrates not only FELCO’s Swiss heritage, but the people and partnerships that have carried it across the Atlantic and through generations.
