![How I built my own Swiss watch – in a day]()
Business17.08.2020
How I built my own Swiss watch – in a day
A start-up lets you make a Swiss mechanical watch and take it home with you at the end of the day.
Imagine assembling your own Swiss mechanical watch and taking it home with you at the end of the day. swissinfo.ch tried out the popular new concept run by Jura start-up Initium. For fans of Swiss timepieces, the watchmaking world can sometimes seem like an impenetrable castle. The uninitiated rarely get the chance to observe or even touch delicate mechanical watch parts. This is what gave Mathieu Gigandet and Gilles Francfort the idea of creating Initium five years ago. Their start-up offers beginner watchmaking courses open to all ages. The firm, which employs eight people, has workshops in Noirmont, canton Jura, and in Geneva and Zurich. It proposes various half- and full-day courses, which cost from CHF1,690-2,690 ($1,860-2,950). The price includes a handmade watch – created by yourself. The little-known concept has taken off in recent years. Several rival firms now also offer similar courses. Today, Initium faces an uphill challenge as it attempts to rebuild its business amid the difficult economic situation resulting from the coronavirus lockdown. Fewer foreign tourists, who made up half of all visitors to Initium’s Geneva workshop, are taking the courses. This has caused a big dent to the start-up’s finances.![Baking the Swiss way in Boston]()
Society16.06.2020
Baking the Swiss way in Boston
Swiss couple Helene and Thomas Stohr run their own bakery in Massachusetts. Every day, they produce an array of Swiss and European treats.
Swiss couple Helene and Thomas Stohr run their own bakery in Massachusetts. Every day, they produce an array of Swiss and European treats, including croissants, jelly doughnuts and braided bread. From a young age, the Stohrs dreamed of seeing the world, so they left Lucerne for North America 20 years ago. Thomas, a professional baker, worked in Canada and the US for various eateries, including Mövenpick, while Helene looked after their sons Tobias and Nicolas. The push to launch their own bakery came from the boys, who missed homestyle crusty bread. As orders increased, the Stohrs eventually converted their spare room and watched the business expand like fresh dough. Today, the whole family contributes to the success of swissbäkers. They now have three stores in the greater Boston Area, including the central bakery café complete with a Swiss-themed playground. The warm-hearted Stohrs refer to their employees as “guest huggers”, although Covid-19 has forced them to adapt their business in some creative ways.![Mask production stepped up in Switzerland]()
Business16.04.2020
Mask production stepped up in Switzerland
Swiss companies overcome supply bottlenecks and ramp up mask production.
Switzerland has struggled to import enough face masks to protect its population, but help is in sight. A company in the northeastern canton of St Gallen has just started producing them in large numbers. Flawa Consumer GmbH is planning to make several hundred thousand pieces per week of the universal masks intended for individuals and companies rather than hospital staff. Production began a few days ago. The company had planned to start production in March, but the corona crisis has taken its toll on deliveries of raw materials. CEO Claude Riese was able to purchase supplies in Germany and Poland, while the nose clip and elastic bands are made in Switzerland. Smaller companies are also working around the clock to help contribute to domestic supplies. Lanz-Anliker in canton Bern produces mostly handmade reusable masks, and plans to step up production from 2,000 to 3,000 per day. Wero, a company in canton Aargau, is starting to produce hygiene masks for health professionals. Meanwhile, in a change from his regular business of real estate, hotels and restaurants, a Geneva-based businessman is now chartering planes from China to bring in more ready-made masks. Abdallah Chatila, director of m3 Groupe, has ordered 140 million masks.![Helping people to breathe]()
Business02.04.2020
Helping people to breathe
Production has been stepped up at a company in eastern Switzerland that makes breathing machines.
Production has been stepped up at a company in eastern Switzerland that makes breathing machines, as health services struggle to help a growing number of coronavirus patients. Switzerland is one of the countries most affected by the virus, with more than 17,800 positive tests and more than 488 deaths. There are 82 intensive care units, which have a total of 950-1,000 beds; around 850 of these are equipped with respirators. The army has around 100 additional respirators and has ordered 900 more. Switzerland is not alone in depending on this equipment to support the lives of people with serious breathing difficulties. The Hamilton respirators made in Ems, canton Graubünden, are shipped all over the world. Around 100 new machines leave the factory every day. This is a portrait of Laura Werth, one of Hamilton's dedicated employees, who works seven days a week to help out in this crisis. Her job is to calibrate the respirators. "I try to keep cool and calm in this situation, not to panic," she told Swiss public television, SRF. "And every day I come to work in the knowledge that I’m doing something good."![Businesses reach out to people at home]()
Culture01.04.2020
Businesses reach out to people at home
While most businesses have temporarily shut down, others are starting up or finding new ways to reach the public in their homes.
Some Swiss farm shops, like Thierry Miauton's in Oleyres, canton Vaud, are delivering local produce to people’s doorsteps, so the clients don’t have to risk possible contact with virus-contaminated shoppers in supermarkets. The well-stocked farm shop can hardly keep up with demand and has taken on volunteers to help pack the produce. Sales have quadrupled since the government recommended that all citizens stay at home. Home food deliveries have been around for a while, but there are some new cultural services that can also be enjoyed by the public in their front rooms. For instance, now you can tap into a rich archive of films from different eras, thanks to the “Lichstspiel”cinematheque association in Bern. The association maintains a unique collection of cinematographic material, which it is sharing with the public via livestream. The programme also includes live presentations from cultural experts. But if you’re more of a radio than a film buff, there’s a new online service called Radio 40, set up by two artists from Lausanne whose performances were cancelled because of the virus. Agathe Raboud and Semion Sidorenko wanted to create a platform for DJs and music performers. Listeners are invited to contribute to the featured artists, who are finding it hard to make a living in the current climate.![Bern distillers use their alcohol to help fight viruses]()
Business18.03.2020
Bern distillers use their alcohol to help fight viruses
Innovative distillers in Bern have stopped producing gin in favour of hand sanitiser.
The Matte Brennerei distillery says it’s improvising in order to save its business and help people fend off coronavirus contamination. Washing your hands with alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses. From Monday, the distillery started using the strong alcohol intended for making gin, absinthe and vodka to produce its 'Desilat' disinfectant hand rub instead. Extra amounts of ethanol and packing materials have been ordered and they just have to top up the alcohol with a few additives to make it skin friendly. They have rented a former boxing club venue to store the bottles with their unassuming labels. The client is the Coop, one of Switzerland’s largest supermarket chains. When gin becomes more of a tonic The Matte Brennerei, set up in 2016 with the help of crowd funding, runs a bar offering regular tasting sessions and gin-making workshops, which normally supplement the company’s income. But things went quiet when the virus began to spread and Switzerland went into lockdown, so they had to find new ways of keeping their five employees in a job. In the meantime, demand for disinfectant increased with pharmacies and supermarkets unable to keep up with demand. The Federal Office of Public Health gave distilleries a special dispensation so they could top up supplies. Now the Matte Brennerei staff are working flat out to get the orders ready. Deputy director Adrian Gass told swissinfo.ch, “Two weeks ago everybody thought we were crazy. Then one week ago everybody thought, “maybe it’s a good idea”. And now everybody thinks, “where are you with your stuff?” "Gin is still our thing" Demand for disinfectant is so strong that the Bern distillery is planning to team up with other partners if they can’t cope. However, Adrian Gass does not expect to continue with hand sanitiser production indefinitely. “I don’t think we can compete once all the bigger companies start mass producing again. It’s a good thing that we could jump in this gap and help out, and also keep our revenues going.” The Matte Brennerei is not the only drinks producer helping out in a crisis. On the website of the Schwab distillery in Oberwil near Büren, also in canton Bern, they write: “We can supply you with either high-proof alcohol or disinfectant we produce ourselves”.![Quagga mussels threaten Swiss eco-systems]()
Business12.12.2019
Quagga mussels threaten Swiss eco-systems
Swiss lakes are facing a new threat: molluscs. The Quagga mussel, originally from the Black Sea, is spreading rapidly in Swiss lakes and gobbling...
Swiss lakes are facing a new threat: molluscs. The Quagga mussel, originally from the Black Sea, is spreading rapidly and gobbling up the food that fish need. The worst-hit area is Lake Constance, where 15,000 Quagga mussels per m2 cover the lakebed. The invasive species has also been found in lakes Neuchâtel and Geneva. The Quagga mussels, measuring up to 40mm, were first noticed in the bed of Lake Constance in 2016. The species is a prolific breeder and a major threat to indigenous fish. They are prodigious filterers, removing substantial amounts of phytoplankton from the water and decreasing the food source for zooplankton – small, floating animals that fish need to eat to survive. Water supply threat They also disrupt water supplies by clinging to and blocking supply pipes. Four extra staff had to be hired at Lake Constance to remove them. Ozone is used to kill the Quagga mussels’ larvae. Sand filters then remove them from the water. A spokesperson from the Lake Constance Water Supply Association said they expect to spend millions in their efforts to eliminate the threat to water supplies. The Swiss federation, various cantons and the European Union have invested several million francs into a research project at the Water Research Institute of the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, to find out more about the mollusc and its effect on the ecosystem. The Quagga mussel originally comes from the Black Sea catchment area and was introduced by boats or even, possibly, from the Rhine via waterfowl. The species has also hit fish stocks in the Great Lakes of North America, with scientists blaming the effects the mussels have had on the lake’s food chain.![20 years of the Vereina tunnel]()
Business20.11.2019
20 years of the Vereina tunnel
On November 19, 1999, after eight years of construction, the Vereina Tunnel opened in eastern Switzerland.
Connecting the Landquart – Davos Platz and the Bever – Scuol-Tarasp lines, the tunnel is 19 kilometres long and the journey through takes 18 minutes. In 20 years, it has brought various improvements to locals, tourists, and businesses. However, its construction had initially been opposed by some as it was feared that the tunnel would lead to increased road traffic and a decline in the Romansh language. The tunnel was built to improve all-weather transport links in the eastern part of Canton Graubünden, as the Flüela Pass is prone to heavy snowfall and avalanches in the winter months. The hourly regional train service between Scuol-Tarasp and Chur is also complemented by freight trains and car shuttle trains transporting road vehicles. In 2019, an estimated 500,000 will travel through the largely single-track tunnel. The planners had assumed a volume of 400,000 vehicles a year. The increased use of the tunnel has prompted for a boost in investments on the part of the Rhaetian Railways.Business07.11.2019
Geneva builds biggest thermal exchange network in Switzerland
The cantonal authorities hope the Genilac project can cut 70,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per year by 2035.
When it is complete in 2035, the Genilac project, which cools and heat buildings in Geneva using lake water, will be the biggest thermal exchange network in Switzerland. Some 30 kilometres of water pipes will be laid, extending the network to the city centre, the airport, Grand-Saconnex, Bellevue, Pregny-Chambésy, the “Praille Acacias Vernets” district and the Geneva University Hospital. They will be connected to a CHF800 million ($805 million) new pumping station under construction. The cantonal authorities hope it can cut 70,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per year, or the equivalent released by 7,000 homes, by 2035.Business27.10.2019
A Swiss apple juice maker balancing profit with purpose
When two Swiss students went for a jog in the eastern Swiss region of St Gallen, they couldn’t help but notice the unpicked heaps of apples...
When two Swiss students went for a jog in the eastern Swiss region of St Gallen, they couldn’t help but notice the unpicked heaps of apples scattered across meadows, orchards and private gardens. Instead of letting them go to waste, they turned to another underused resource, people with disabilities, to pick the apples. Then they made juice. That was the genesis of Gartengold, a socially and environmentally minded company to the core. Its business model is firmly anchored on the three Ps – profit, people planet – known in management circles as the Triple Bottom Line. That business concept is gaining traction in Switzerland, where more and more companies are getting B Corp Certification, recognition that they are successfully balancing profit with purpose.![Swiss in Denver: Making sausages is in his blood]()
Business22.10.2019
Swiss in Denver: Making sausages is in his blood
Born in Switzerland, Eric Gutknecht came to the US with his parents. Today he runs a sausage factory in Colorado.
Born in Zurich, Eric Gutknecht came to the US with his parents when he was a little boy. Today he runs a sausage factory in Colorado. Gutknecht did two charcuterie-making apprenticeships in Switzerland. His professional experience includes teaching economics and working as a business analyst. In 2003, he and his wife, Jessica, took over the family sausage business in Denver. Today, CharcūtNuvo provides grocery stores and Swiss clubs all over the United States with traditional Swiss-style Bratwursts as well as more unusual varieties, like chicken-spinach and mac-n-cheese. The factory uses European production techniques and even some Swiss equipment. “We try to get our supplies from within a 500-mile radius,” says Gutknecht, adding that the meat, which comes from smaller farms, is not treated with antibiotics or hormones. “The challenge is getting it fresh. Sometimes we have to buy frozen.” The award-winning company has also launched an organic line. “I miss Swiss things like Ragusa and Rivella,” says Gutknecht, who hasn’t lived in Switzerland since his apprenticeship time. He has a 17-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter, so there is some chance of passing on the family business.