The Adolph Saurer Company built trucks, textile machinery, and embroidery machines in Arbon from 1888 until the late twentieth century. At its peak the company employed most of the working population of the town, and the large brick factory buildings on the western edge of Arbon still define the townscape. Since the factory closed, the WerkZwei complex — the former second production hall — has been converted into a mixed-use cultural and commercial space with studios, events, and a café.
It is not a polished tourist attraction, but the industrial architecture is striking and the contrast with the genteel lakeside old town a few hundred metres away is interesting. The Saurer Museum, documenting the company's history with original vehicles and machinery, is in a separate building nearby — worth an hour for anyone interested in industrial or transport history.