Automotive Services & Workshops Switzerland: 3.5–5.5× EBITDA, 9,238 Firms (2026)

1.0Market Snapshot

9,238: Enterprises repairing and maintaining cars (NOGA 45.20.01) in 2024, up from 8,634 in 2011 (BFS STATENT); a further 2,466 do body repair and painting (NOGA 45.20.02). AGVS, the garage association, has around 4,000 member businesses.
56,545: People employed in car repair and maintenance in 2024, equal to 50,188 full-time equivalents — an average of 5.4 per enterprise; a further 11,978 work in body repair and painting (BFS STATENT). 17.2% of repair employees are women.
+0.8%: Employment growth 2023–2024 in car repair and maintenance (56,088 to 56,545; BFS STATENT), +8.3% since 2011. Body repair moved the other way: enterprises fell 12% between 2011 and 2024.

According to Val Index analysis of Swiss commercial-register and federal data (2026), Switzerland counts 9,238 automotive services & workshops companies — Enterprises repairing and maintaining cars (NOGA 45.20.01) in 2024, up from 8,634 in 2011 (BFS STATENT); a further 2,466 do body repair and painting (NOGA 45.20.02). AGVS, the garage association, has around 4,000 member businesses..

2.0Industry Overview

Market Scope

Switzerland had 4,839,465 passenger cars on the road in 2025, with an average age of 10.8 years, according to the Federal Statistical Office — an old and slowly growing fleet that needs regular maintenance. Servicing it are 9,238 car repair and maintenance enterprises with 56,545 employees (BFS STATENT, 2024) and a further 2,466 body repair and painting shops with 11,978 employees. Garages are small: the average repair enterprise has 5.4 full-time equivalents. AGVS, the national garage association, represents around 4,000 of them; the wider vehicle trade and maintenance sector counts over 16,000 businesses with more than 88,000 employees.

3.0Industry Health Check (SWOT)

Key opportunityElectric-vehicle servicing

Internal factors

Strengths4

A large, ageing fleet: 4.84 million passenger cars with an average age of 10.8 years (BFS 2025)

Weaknesses4

Very small firms — 5.4 full-time equivalents per repair enterprise on average

External factors

Opportunities4

Electric-vehicle servicing: plug-in vehicles took 33.9% of new registrations in 2025

Threats4

Lower maintenance needs of electric cars over the long term→ §4.0

Sector Outlook

DefensiveBalancedGrowth

4.0Key Trends

Electric cars gain slowly in the fleet

5.2%

Electric cars made up 5.2% of the Swiss passenger car fleet in 2025 (249,832 vehicles), up from 4.2% in 2024. Among new cars, battery-electric registrations rose 15.6% and plug-in hybrids 26.1%, taking plug-in vehicles to 33.9% of the market. Because the fleet turns over slowly, internal-combustion cars will dominate workshop volumes for years, while garages invest in high-voltage training and equipment.

An older fleet keeps workshops busy

The average Swiss car is now 10.8 years old, and new registrations were below pre-Covid levels for the sixth year in a row — 232,602 in 2025, down 2%. Owners keep cars longer, which supports demand for maintenance, repairs, tyres and inspections at independent garages.

AMAG integrates its dealer network

32.1%

AMAG raised its market share to 32.1% in 2025, with revenue of CHF 5.0 billion, 7,500 employees and around 800 apprentices. It runs more than 85 own garages alongside over 450 dealers and service partners. On 1 October 2025 it took over Garage et Carosserie Gachnang in Aigle, a family business that found it hard to develop further on its own.

Family groups solve succession

Independent garages increasingly find successors in regional family groups rather than in the next generation. Auto Kunz in Wohlen, founded in 1967 and employing more than 50 people, joined the Gross Garage group with effect from 1 January 2026; the founders looked for a family owner who would keep the name, location and team.

Body repair shrinks

The number of body repair and painting enterprises fell from 2,801 in 2011 to 2,466 in 2024, and employment from 12,519 to 11,978 (BFS STATENT). Car repair and maintenance grew over the same period, from 8,634 to 9,238 enterprises — the workshop trade is shifting from body work to servicing and electronics.

5.0Cost Structure Benchmark

35%

10%

Parts and materials35%: OEM and aftermarket parts, fluids
Personnel35%: mechanics, technicians, service advisors
Rent and facilities10%
Equipment and tools7%: lifts, diagnostics, IT
Other5%: insurance, training, marketing, administration
EBITDA margin8%

Indicative split carried over from the previous edition, not measured; no Swiss survey of garage cost structures is published. Authorised dealers with new-car sales have a much higher share of goods and lower margins on revenue; independent workshops have a higher personnel share.

6.0Top Automotive Services & Workshops Companies in Switzerland

Name	Location	Key Facts
AMAG GroupCHE-250.895.524	Cham ZG	AMAG Group AG, Cham ZG: importer of the Volkswagen group brands (VW, Audi, Škoda, SEAT, Cupra, Porsche) and the largest garage network. 2025 revenue CHF 5.0 billion, 7,500 employees and around 800 apprentices, 32.1% market share; more than 85 own garages and over 450 dealers and service partners. Took over Garage et Carosserie Gachnang, Aigle, in October 2025.
Emil FreyCHE-105.835.113	Zürich ZH	Emil Frey AG, Zurich: Swiss company of the Emil Frey Group, founded in Zurich in 1924 as a bicycle and motorcycle workshop. The family-owned group represents over 50 brands, employs more than 25,000 people at 888 sites in 19 European countries (January 2024) and does not publish financial figures.
ESACHE-105.951.802	Burgdorf BE	ESA-Einkaufsorganisation des Schweizerischen Auto- und Motorfahrzeuggewerbes, Burgdorf: the purchasing cooperative of the Swiss garage trade, supplying parts, tools, workshop equipment and consumables to its member garages.

AMAG Group

CHE-250.895.524

Cham ZG

AMAG Group AG, Cham ZG: importer of the Volkswagen group brands (VW, Audi, Škoda, SEAT, Cupra, Porsche) and the largest garage network. 2025 revenue CHF 5.0 billion, 7,500 employees and around 800 apprentices, 32.1% market share; more than 85 own garages and over 450 dealers and service partners. Took over Garage et Carosserie Gachnang, Aigle, in October 2025.

Emil Frey

CHE-105.835.113

Zürich ZH

Emil Frey AG, Zurich: Swiss company of the Emil Frey Group, founded in Zurich in 1924 as a bicycle and motorcycle workshop. The family-owned group represents over 50 brands, employs more than 25,000 people at 888 sites in 19 European countries (January 2024) and does not publish financial figures.

ESA

CHE-105.951.802

Burgdorf BE

ESA-Einkaufsorganisation des Schweizerischen Auto- und Motorfahrzeuggewerbes, Burgdorf: the purchasing cooperative of the Swiss garage trade, supplying parts, tools, workshop equipment and consumables to its member garages.

Companies are listed when they are confirmed in the commercial register, have a significant Swiss presence in this niche and at least one sourced fact.

7.0Succession & M&A Context

Thousands of small garages, and importers and family groups as buyers

9,238: car repair and maintenance enterprises in 2024 (BFS STATENT)
5.4: full-time equivalents per repair enterprise on average (BFS STATENT)
10.8 yrs: average age of Swiss passenger cars in 2025 (BFS)
3.5–5.5×: EBITDA deal multiples for automotive services (ValIndex multiples table)

With 9,238 repair enterprises averaging 5.4 full-time equivalents, the Swiss garage trade is made up mostly of owner-run businesses The next generation often does not take over, and the owner holds the customer relationships and, for authorised dealers, the importer contract. Two kinds of buyer dominate: importers integrating their networks, as AMAG did with Gachnang in Aigle in 2025, and regional family dealer groups, as when Auto Kunz joined the Gross Garage group in 2026. Importer contracts matter: a brand partnership can be terminated or transferred on a change of ownership, so it must be clarified before a sale. The property is often valued separately from the operating business. ValIndex's multiples table puts automotive service transactions at 3.5–5.5× EBITDA and statutory valuations at 2.5–4.0× EBITDA.

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Valuation Snapshot

Automotive Services & Workshops business valuation in Switzerland

Statutory Multiple (EBITDA): 2.5 - 4.0×
Deal Multiple (EBITDA): 3.5 - 5.5×
Market Trend: Stable

Indicative ranges based on market research. Actual multiples vary by company size, growth, and market conditions.

8.0Regional Clusters

Zurich

1,307 repair enterprises with 11,569 employees (BFS STATENT 2024), the largest cluster (8.9 employees per garage). Emil Frey is headquartered here.

Espace Mittelland

BESOFRNEJU

2,157 enterprises with 9,916 employees — Bern alone has 1,130 garages. Average size is small (4.6 employees). ESA, the trade's purchasing cooperative, is based in Burgdorf.

Central Switzerland

LUZGSZOWNWUR

932 enterprises with 9,819 employees, 4,710 of them in Zug, where AMAG Group is registered (Cham). Lucerne adds 437 garages with 3,082 employees.

Eastern Switzerland and Ticino

SGTGGRSHGLARAITI

2,026 enterprises with 10,447 employees, led by St. Gallen (581 garages) and Ticino (510).

Lake Geneva and Valais

VDGEVS

1,573 enterprises with 7,976 employees — Vaud 781, Valais 476, Geneva 316. AMAG took over the Gachnang garage in Aigle (VD) in 2025.

Northwestern Switzerland

AGBLBS

1,243 enterprises with 6,818 employees, 847 of them in Aargau — where Auto Kunz (Wohlen) joined the Gross Garage group in 2026.

Sources

BFS STATENT — institutional units, employees and FTE by NOGA type and canton, 2011–2024 (NOGA 452001 repair and maintenance of cars; 452002 body repair and painting)Federal Council / BFS — road vehicles 2025 (4 February 2026): 4,839,465 passenger cars, 5.2% electric, average age 10.8 years AGVS/UPSA — the economic weight of the Swiss car sector (around 4,000 member businesses)AMAG — 2025 results (16 January 2026): revenue CHF 5.0bn, 7,500 employees, 32.1% market share AUTO&Wirtschaft — AMAG takes over Garage et Carrosserie Gachnang SA, Aigle (effective 1 October 2025)Aargauer Zeitung — Auto Kunz AG taken over by the Gross Garage group (27 January 2026)Emil Frey Group — centenary release (23 January 2024): founded 1924, 25,000 employees, 888 sites in 19 countries Zefix — Swiss Central Business Name Index (register entries of all key players)

Alain Walder, M.A. HSG · ValIndex|Data as of 2026-09|8 sources cited

9.0Frequently Asked Questions

▶How much is a garage or car repair business worth in Switzerland?

ValIndex's multiples table puts Swiss automotive service businesses at 3.5–5.5× EBITDA in transactions and 2.5–4.0× EBITDA on statutory valuations — among the lowest multiples in the index, because garages are small, owner-dependent and exposed to importer decisions. Garages with a secure brand contract, a broad customer base, electric-vehicle capability and a team that does not depend on the owner reach the upper end. The property is often valued separately.

▶What factors determine the value of a Swiss garage?

Buyers look at: (1) the importer contract — whether the brand partnership survives a change of ownership; (2) the customer base and the share of recurring servicing; (3) readiness for electric vehicles, including high-voltage training and equipment; (4) the team, as trained technicians are scarce; (5) the site — whether it is owned or leased and fits the brand's standards. Dependence on the owner for customer relationships is the most common discount.

▶How many garages are there in Switzerland?

BFS STATENT counted 9,238 car repair and maintenance enterprises in 2024 with 56,545 employees, plus 2,466 body repair and painting enterprises with 11,978 employees. The average repair enterprise has 5.4 full-time equivalents. AGVS, the garage association, represents around 4,000 member businesses; the wider vehicle trade and maintenance sector counts over 16,000 businesses with more than 88,000 employees.

▶How does succession work for Swiss garages?

Most garages are small owner-run businesses, and the next generation often does not take over. Two kinds of buyer dominate: importers integrating their networks — AMAG took over the Gachnang garage in Aigle in October 2025 — and regional family dealer groups — Auto Kunz in Wohlen, founded in 1967, joined the Gross Garage group in January 2026. The importer contract must be clarified before any sale.

▶What are the key trends for Swiss garages and car workshops?

Five trends: (1) electric cars reached 5.2% of the fleet in 2025 and plug-in vehicles 33.9% of new registrations; (2) the fleet is ageing — 10.8 years on average — as new registrations stay below pre-Covid levels; (3) AMAG raised its market share to 32.1% and integrates dealers; (4) independent garages find successors in regional family groups; (5) body repair shrinks — 12% fewer enterprises since 2011 — while servicing grows.

▶What are the main risks when buying a garage?

The main risks are: (1) the importer contract, which can be terminated or not transferred; (2) key-person dependence on the owner; (3) lower maintenance needs of electric cars in the long run; (4) a weak new-car market for dealers with sales operations; (5) the site — lease terms, environmental liabilities and investment needs. Due diligence should check brand contracts, the customer base, the property and the team.

▶What is the typical cost structure of a Swiss garage?

An indicative split for a Swiss garage: parts and materials around 35% of revenue, personnel 35%, rent and facilities 10%, equipment and tools 7%, other costs 5%, leaving an EBITDA margin of around 8%. The split is indicative, not measured — no Swiss survey of garage cost structures is published. Dealers with new-car sales have a far higher share of goods and lower margins on revenue.

▶Where are the main garage clusters in Switzerland?

Zurich is the largest cluster with 1,307 repair enterprises and 11,569 employees (STATENT 2024). The Espace Mittelland has the most garages — 2,157, including 1,130 in Bern — with 9,916 employees. Central Switzerland has 9,819 employees, 4,710 of them in Zug where AMAG is registered. Eastern Switzerland and Ticino have 2,026 garages, the Lake Geneva region with Valais 1,573 and Northwestern Switzerland 1,243.

Automotive Services & Workshops