A.Vogel | A Century of Fresh Thinking, Rooted in Nature
“If Alfred Vogel were alive today, I believe he would have become an influencer. He might even have been enthusiastically sharing his ideas on social media.”
With a smile, Andy Suter, CEO of the Swiss natural healthcare company A.Vogel, offers this reflection on the brand’s founder.
In 1929, Alfred Vogel launched his own monthly magazine. He went on to write numerous books and deliver lectures across the country, dedicating much of his life to sharing his knowledge of nature and health.
Vogel was not merely a researcher of medicinal plants. He was equally passionate about bringing that knowledge to a wider audience.
Had he been alive today, he might well have embraced social media as a means of reaching and engaging with people around the world.
The ways in which knowledge is shared may evolve with the times, but the conviction behind it remains unchanged.
Founded in 1923 as a small health food shop in Basel, Switzerland, A.Vogel has grown into a company with a history spanning more than a century. What has endured through the generations?
To understand the principles that continue to shape A.Vogel today, we trace the life of its founder and the evolution of the company he established.
At Twenty, He Planted the Seeds of a Legacy
1 January 1923. Basel, Switzerland.
At just 20 years old, Alfred Vogel opened a small health food shop at Jurastrasse 1 in Basel.
Born in 1902 in Aesch, near Basel, Vogel had been familiar with the world of medicinal plants from an early age. The knowledge passed down by his parents and grandparents sparked a lifelong interest in the relationship between nature and human health.
In the world in which he grew up, knowledge of plants and their uses was woven into everyday life, passed from one generation to the next within families and local communities.
Plants were gathered with the changing seasons and incorporated into food and daily practices intended to support health and wellbeing. Nature was not something distant or extraordinary; it was an integral part of everyday life.
Yet Vogel's curiosity extended far beyond the plants themselves.
What should we eat, and how should we live, to lead healthier lives?
Diet, lifestyle, the human body and the natural environment.
For Vogel, these were not separate concerns, but interconnected elements of a greater whole. This holistic understanding would eventually become one of the defining principles of A.Vogel.
What began as a modest venture by a 20-year-old entrepreneur would lay the foundations for a brand whose philosophy has endured for more than a century.
Nature Was His Greatest Teacher
Alfred Vogel devoted his life to learning from nature.
One of his most memorable reflections captures the essence of his philosophy:
“Nature was my best-loved university.”
Observing nature, understanding its processes and exploring the potential of medicinal plants were central to his lifelong pursuit of knowledge.
For Vogel, nature was both a source of wisdom and the foundation of his research.
During the 1930s, he gradually shifted his activities to the Appenzell region in eastern Switzerland.
In 1935, he established the Bioforce laboratory, dedicated to producing extracts from freshly harvested plants.
Two years later, in 1937, he moved with his family to Teufen, a village surrounded by the natural landscapes of Appenzell.
Here, he devoted himself to cultivating medicinal plants, developing herbal preparations and writing extensively about health and natural living.
At the heart of his approach was a conviction that would become fundamental to A.Vogel: the importance of using plants while they were still fresh.
Rather than relying solely on dried herbs, Vogel sought to process plants soon after harvesting, with the aim of preserving as much of their natural composition as possible.
Yet natural origin alone does not guarantee a product's safety or legacy. When botanical ingredients are used in medicinal products, rigorous quality control and scientific evaluation are essential.
Today, A.Vogel continues to build upon its founder's commitment to fresh plants, combining this longstanding philosophy with scientific research and stringent quality standards to develop its products.
※Note: Teufen is located in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in eastern Switzerland, while Roggwil is situated in the canton of Thurgau.
A Gift of Seeds That Changed Everything
Alfred Vogel’s curiosity extended far beyond the borders of Switzerland.
He travelled extensively, exploring the botanical knowledge preserved across different cultures and learning from communities whose ways of life remained closely connected to nature.
During these journeys, one encounter would prove particularly significant in the history of A.Vogel.
In 1953, in South Dakota, United States, Vogel met Ben Black Elk, a member of the Oglala Lakota.
According to A.Vogel’s official company history, the two exchanged knowledge about medicinal plants, and Black Elk presented Vogel with a gift of echinacea seeds.
Native to North America, echinacea is known for its distinctive purple flowers. The plant has a long history of traditional use among Indigenous peoples of North America, particularly in practices associated with health and wellbeing.
Vogel brought the seeds back to Switzerland, where he carefully cultivated the plants and pursued further research.
In 1955, he introduced Echinaforce, a herbal medicinal product developed from echinacea, to the market.
Echinaforce remains one of A.Vogel’s signature products today. Its origins reflect not only the founder’s spirit of inquiry, but also an encounter with botanical knowledge passed down through generations within a different cultural tradition.
Learning from nature. Learning from others.
Both were fundamental to Vogel’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge.
A Century Ahead of His Time: The Power of Sharing Knowledge
Alongside his research into medicinal plants and the development of herbal products, Alfred Vogel devoted much of his life to another pursuit: sharing what he had learnt with others.
In 1929, he founded the monthly health magazine Das Neue Leben. He went on to write numerous books and deliver lectures across the country, sharing his knowledge of natural medicine, nutrition and healthy living.
Among his best-known publications, The Nature Doctor brought practical knowledge about health and wellbeing into people's homes, encouraging readers to take a more informed approach to their everyday lives.
This was an era long before the internet made it possible for almost anyone to reach a global audience. Through books, magazines and public lectures, Vogel established a direct connection with people who were eager to learn from his experience.
According to A.Vogel's CEO, Andy Suter, Vogel's lectures attracted considerable audiences, sometimes filling large venues with people who had come to hear him speak.
Suter's observation at the beginning of this story — that Vogel might have become an influencer had he lived in the digital age — was more than a light-hearted remark.
Looking back at Vogel's work, the comparison seems remarkably fitting.
What distinguished his approach was his determination to make knowledge of natural medicine accessible beyond specialist circles, translating it into practical guidance that ordinary people could incorporate into their daily lives.
Today, A.Vogel continues this tradition. Alongside its research and manufacturing activities, the company remains committed to providing health information and educational resources.
What has been passed down through the generations is therefore more than expertise in medicinal plants.
It is a belief in the importance of learning from nature — and sharing that knowledge with others.
From a Modest Venture to an Established Enterprise
In 1963, Alfred Vogel established Bioforce AG in Roggwil, in the Swiss canton of Thurgau.
As demand for his products grew, the business needed to evolve from an individual enterprise into an organisation with a structured manufacturing operation.
Cultivating medicinal plants, processing raw materials, manufacturing products and maintaining quality standards required more than facilities and equipment. The expertise and dedication of skilled professionals became essential to sustaining these operations.
Alfred Vogel passed away in 1996 at the age of 93. Yet the business he had built continued to develop long after his death.
In 2020, Bioforce AG was renamed A.Vogel AG, bringing the company's corporate identity into alignment with the brand bearing its founder's name.
Today, A.Vogel offers herbal medicinal products and other health-related products in Switzerland and markets around the world.
What began as a modest venture by a young entrepreneur has grown into an international business, sustained by generations of people who have carried his work forward.
The Enduring Commitment to Fresh Plants
More than a century after its founding, how does A.Vogel bring its products to life today?
In October 2026, EFL visited A.Vogel’s manufacturing facility in Roggwil, Switzerland, to gain a closer understanding of the company’s production processes.
What stood out was the continued importance of human expertise within a modern manufacturing environment. Rather than relying entirely on automated systems, skilled technicians operate and oversee the equipment, playing an active role in the production process.
At the heart of A.Vogel’s approach remains a principle established by its founder: processing plants as freshly as possible after harvesting.
The company sources its botanical raw materials through its own cultivation activities and carefully managed contract growers. From harvesting and processing to manufacturing and quality control, each stage plays a part in transforming natural plant materials into products with consistent quality standards.
Unlike industrially manufactured materials designed for uniformity, plants are inherently variable. Their characteristics can be influenced by growing conditions, seasonal changes and the timing of harvest.
This natural variability makes expertise in cultivation and processing, together with analytical testing and quality control, particularly important.
Respect for nature and rigorous scientific standards are not opposing principles.
On the contrary, both are essential to producing reliable, consistently manufactured products derived from natural ingredients.
Manufacturing techniques have advanced considerably since the days when Alfred Vogel personally observed, cultivated and worked with medicinal plants.
Yet the fundamental commitment to working with freshly harvested plants remains unchanged.
At the Roggwil facility, EFL witnessed how the principles that guided the founder continue to be upheld through modern technology and the expertise of those responsible for bringing them into practice.
What Endures, What Evolves
“The fact that this company exists, that people can work here, that we can earn a living and provide for our families through what we do — all of this began with one individual.”
These words from Andy Suter, CEO of A.Vogel, reflect a profound appreciation for the company's origins.
As a company grows and generations pass, fewer people remain who knew its founder personally.
Yet understanding what inspired that individual, what he believed in and why he set out to build the business remains as relevant as ever.
What a founder leaves behind extends beyond products and technical expertise.
It is also a sense of purpose: why a company exists and what value it seeks to contribute to society. Understanding those origins is essential to ensuring that a business can be carried forward by future generations.
For Suter, the ambition extends beyond commercial growth.
His vision is for A.Vogel to remain an independent company while bringing the work Alfred Vogel began to people in more countries around the world.
“And I hope this company will still exist in another hundred years.”
Today, A.Vogel remains an independent company, with a majority stake held by the Alfred Vogel Foundation.
Maintaining that independence provides an important foundation for the company to determine its own direction and pursue research, development and business decisions with a long-term perspective.
At the same time, sustaining a business across generations requires the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and make decisions that respond to the needs of the present. Preserving tradition while continuing to evolve.
It is this balance that defines the responsibility of guiding a longstanding company into its next chapter.
An Unchanging Belief in the Power of Plants
More than a hundred years have passed since A.Vogel was founded, and both society and technology have undergone profound changes.
From communication and scientific research to manufacturing processes and the way people live, almost every aspect of modern life has evolved. In recent years, digitalisation and advances in artificial intelligence have accelerated the transformation of the business landscape.
Yet in a world increasingly driven by convenience and efficiency, the value of experiencing nature firsthand has not diminished.
The scent of plants, the sensation of touching them, the subtle changes that mark the passing seasons.
These are experiences that no amount of technological progress or digital information can fully replace. For a company whose work is rooted in the natural world, maintaining a close connection with nature is more than a nostalgic attachment to the past.
It is an expression of the principles upon which the business was founded.
The Roots Remain. The Story Continues
A century ago, Alfred Vogel stood before packed auditoriums, sharing his knowledge and convictions with audiences eager to hear him speak.
The ways in which we communicate may have evolved, from public lectures to social media and emerging digital technologies. Yet the essence of his philosophy — a profound respect for the connection between humanity and nature — remains as relevant as ever.
The seeds planted by a young entrepreneur in 1923 continue to grow, quietly yet resolutely, rooted in the principles that shaped their beginnings and reaching towards the next hundred years.
About Author
Limi Bolomier
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Eat Well · Feel Well · Live Well
Based in Switzerland, Limi writes about hospitality, food, travel, art and wellbeing for EFL, a bilingual publication in English and Japanese. Her perspective draws on first-hand reporting, experience in the food service industry and expertise in digital marketing. She has contributed to Therapist and nina’s, and shares stories and ideas to enrich everyday life.
