Heinrich Villiger passes away at the age of 95 - Villiger Group remains in family hands

The Villiger Group mourns the loss of its long-standing Chairman of the Board of Directors Heinrich Villiger, who passed away peacefully on July 25, 2025 at the age of 95. The family announced the death of the charismatic entrepreneur today. Heinrich Villiger was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Villiger Söhne Holding AG and Villiger Söhne AG until his death and was the third generation of the family to continue the tradition of the cigar manufacturer. Under his leadership, Villiger successfully developed into a renowned international company.

- Villiger Group remains family-owned
- Long-term strategy to be continued
- Vice-Chairman Jvo Grundler becomes Chairman of the Board of Directors

Heinrich Villiger, grand seigneur of the cigar industry, has passed away.

Corina VilligerHeinrich Villiger's eldest daughter and member of the Board of Directors, pays tribute to his life:

"It is with gratitude that we bid farewell to our father Heinrich Villiger, who led the Villiger family business strategically and operationally with great commitment for 75 years. He loved cigars and cigarillos - and was a passionate entrepreneur and courageous visionary who left a lasting mark on the tobacco industry in Switzerland and beyond. Our father leaves behind a huge gap, which makes it all the more special for us to have the privilege of continuing the tradition of the family business in the fourth and fifth generation.

Corina Villiger and Heinrich Villiger's grandson Lucien Villiger have been active on the Board of Directors for many years and will continue to work together with Rolf Kaufmann represent the family on this committee.

As part of the regulated succession planning, Heinrich Villiger had determined that the Jvo Grundler will take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Villiger Group with immediate effect. The experienced lawyer had been Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2020 and was considered a close confidant of Heinrich Villiger. At his request, Grundler was appointed as an independent member of the Board of Directors in order to protect the interests of the family and its descendants in equal measure. Jvo Grundler is a member of various boards of directors and foundation boards.

"Heinrich Villiger was an old-school patron who knew how to inspire employees, customers and business partners with his unique expertise, innovative spirit and entrepreneurial thinking. We will miss him very much," says Jvo Grundler. "At the same time, I feel obliged and honored to continue to successfully develop the long-term strategy of the Villiger Group - together with the Board of Directors, the management and the teams worldwide - in the spirit of the entrepreneur Heinrich Villiger and his family."

About the Villiger Group

Villiger Söhne Holding AG, based in Pfeffikon, is an internationally active Swiss cigar and cigarillo manufacturer. Today, Villiger is one of the market leaders in the industry in Europe. The family-owned company produces around 1 billion cigars and cigarillos a year, employs over 1200 people and generates annual sales of around 140 million Swiss francs.
The Villiger Group exports to 80 countries worldwide. Production is concentrated at six locations, the company headquarters in Switzerland (Pfeffikon, Lucerne), another plant with administration in Germany (Waldshut-Tiengen and Bünde-Dünne), Brazil (Bahia region), Indonesia (Jember/East Java) and, since 2021, in a joint venture in Nicaragua (Esteli).

Heinrich Villiger's grandfather Jean Villiger founded the cigar factory in Pfeffikon as a 28-year-old businessman in 1888. After his early death in 1902, his wife Louise Villiger took over the management of the company and successfully expanded abroad, initially to Germany. In 1918, she handed over the reins to her sons Hans and Max Villiger. Heinrich Villiger joined the company in 1950.

To mark the 30th anniversary in 2019, I made a short film about the history of 5TH Avenue with Heinrich Villiger: