The Trisa Group also recorded a pleasing business development in the second year of the pandemic. The Group's structure and focus on different areas of activity and markets once again proved its worth, the company says. Overall, the Trisa Group achieved sales growth of 6.0 percent to 228.1 million Swiss francs.
Editorial - May 5, 2022
Products from Trisa also found pleasing sales in the second Corona year, according to the company's balance sheet. (Image: Trisa)
The Trisa Group - which includes Trisa Holding AG, Trisa AG, Trisa Electronics AG, Trisa Accessoires AG, Ebnat AG and Trisa Bulgaria GmbH - says it has responded quickly and well to volatile market dynamics and changing conditions. Restrictions and bottlenecks in the supply chains with huge traffic jams outside the world's major container ports as well as sharply rising raw material prices were just some of them. In order to cope with the significantly longer lead times, high flexibility and meticulous planning were necessary, the company says. The situation in exports was mixed, it adds. Uncertainties in the markets led to subdued demand in the first few months, while the second half of the year saw encouraging additional orders in all business areas. "We countered the continuing overvaluation of the Swiss franc and the unabated cost pressure with differentiating innovations on the market, active cost management across the entire value chain and further rationalization," Trisa writes in a statement to the media.
Innovations as a success factor
The need-oriented innovations appear to be very popular with customers. This is reflected in the 27 percent share of sales accounted for by products less than three years old. A strong market performance was achieved by innovations in the area of electromouth care with the latest generation of appliances and attachment brushes. Significant gains were also made in the household segment, both in the electrical and mechanical segments. Other sustainable product and packaging concepts in the areas of manual toothbrushes, interdental care, hair care and accessories also performed convincingly, according to Trisa.
Investing in the future
With investments amounting to 12.7 million Swiss francs, the Trisa Group has once again invested heavily with the aim of remaining internationally efficient and competitive. The funds flowed primarily into new products and machines as well as into digitization and automation projects. A great deal continues to be achieved and invested as part of the company's own digitization strategy. The introduction of a new ERP system, including a warehouse management system, and a high-performance smart factory system for optimum planning and control of production processes are cited as core elements.
Overcoming challenges together
The company is facing up to the current challenges and is relying on the great commitment of its teams. "We have approached the new year confidently with the Trisa Spirit annual motto 'Resilience - mastering challenges together'. This strengthens our resilience and deepens our ability to successfully face demanding situations. Qualities that will also stand us in good stead in the post-pandemic period. Leading in innovation, technology and quality, we want to continue to deliver top performance and create added value in the future," says Trisa.
Recyclables collector Mr. Green now runs on electricity
Thanks to a new partnership in the greater Zurich area, the logistics surrounding the well-known green recycling bags can now also be operated sustainably: The logistics company YEPP Logistics uses electrically powered vehicles for this purpose.
Editorial - May 4, 2022
Electrically powered vehicles from Yepp Logistics are now going on tour for Mr. Green. (Image: YEPP Logistics)
Sustainability starts on a small scale, i.e. in our own household. Returning recyclables to the cycle is important in order to combat the ever-growing mountains of waste. The recyclables collector Mr. Green has been making a notable contribution to this since 2009: the Zurich-based company collects 14 different recyclables from more than 10,000 customers in the cantons of Zurich, Bern and Basel - in green bags that have become part of everyday life in the city on the Limmat. Conventional recyclables such as glass, aluminum, batteries, pans and paper, but also plastic packaging, Tetrapaks and cork cones all end up in these green sacks - and are collected from the doorstep, professionally sorted and recycled. "With Mr. Green, recycling is not only easier, but also better and more efficient," says co-founder and CEO Valentin Fisler.
Intermediate step for future-proof logistics
Mr. Green's recyclables collectors in Zurich have now teamed up with YEPP Logistics Ltd. for this purpose - and can thus keep their ecological promise even better. The logistics and fulfillment professionals from Schlieren are now collecting the bags with a fleet of brand new electric sprinters from Mercedes-Benz. Initial experience was gained from August last year. This marks the beginning of a new chapter not only in the history of Mr. Green, but also in that of YEPP Logistics, according to the company. "We want to become the most sustainable partner for individual logistics and fulfillment solutions," holds Tullio Bucher, managing director and partner of YEPP Logistics. The electric Sprinter fleet, he says, is an intermediate step toward sustainable logistics. "And it must and should be as sustainable as possible." In line with technical developments, the larger vehicles will also be replaced over time.
Recyclables collector with further ambitions
Under the name Green Bird, the company is also currently building other projects and customers in the circular economy and, together with partners such as Mr. Green, is dedicated to optimizing current tours. "We want to promote the circular economy by offering circular logistics," Bucher explains, elaborating on how the green commitment will help the Logistics expert inspired: "Why shouldn't Mr. Green customers, for example, also have the option of receiving products from the web store or returning parcels when they regularly pick up their recyclables directly from their front door? Green Bird is not just an offer of environmentally friendly logistics solutions, but rather offers a connection to a network of like-minded partners who can benefit from each other and use synergies.
IFAT Munich 2022: Drivers of environmental and climate protection
The sustainable use of resources - and thus climate protection - is the central theme of IFAT Munich, which will be held from May 30 to June 3, 2022, at the exhibition center in Munich. More than 2500 exhibitors from 50 countries have announced their participation.
Editorial - May 4, 2022
IFAT Munich, the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management, opens its doors in Munich on May 30. (Image: IFAT / Messe München) International interest in the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management continues unabated. "Preparations for IFAT Munich are in full swing, all 18 exhibition halls and a large part of the outdoor area are occupied. This is a very strong development, even compared to the record-breaking trade fair in 2018," explains Stefan Rummel, Managing Director of Messe München. Around 2,500 exhibitors from more than 50 countries had registered by February, and a few more are likely to have joined in the meantime.
IFAT Munich with great international appeal
The lively response is no coincidence. The urgency of environmental, resource and climate protection is more firmly anchored in the consciousness of the global community than ever before. IFAT sees itself in the role of bringing together international decision-makers, experts and market players in one place to tackle the major challenges together. The core themes of IFAT Munich are "Circular Economy and Waste Management", "Water and Wastewater" and "Municipal Technology". Well-known brands will be exhibiting in all of these areas. In addition, there are international joint stands from Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the USA. Numerous national and international associations are also actively involved in the trade fair program, whether as exhibitors, with special shows, live demonstrations, solution tours and lectures.
Careful use of water
Water treatment and wastewater treatment are among the largest exhibition areas at IFAT Munich. Not only at many company booths, but also in the extensive lecture and discussion program, the recycling of water in industrial production processes - up to and including Zero Liquid Discharge - will be among the core topics. After all, water shortages are also a challenge for companies - even in the supposedly water-rich Alpine region. As a result of increasing periods of drought, the "blue gold" can also become a scarce commodity in this country, as has been shown time and again in the recent past. This is why the business community needs to think more intensively about the proper use of water. According to the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA), companies could, for example, make even more consistent use of water-saving technologies, rainwater or treated wastewater. Technologically, this is quite feasible. For example, an Audi plant in San José Chiapa, Mexico, already went into operation in 2016, where, according to the company, 100 percent of the wastewater produced is treated and then used as process water, in production and for watering the green areas of the plant premises. In addition to many other solutions already implemented in various industries, new fields of application for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) are constantly being developed. For example, a consortium including the Technical University of Dresden is currently working on the "Med-zeroSolvent" project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to develop innovative, energy-efficient methods for the wastewater-free production of dialysis membranes. Their production generates heavily polluted process water. Or a manufacturer of solar panels in Qatar is treating saline wastewater in such a way that it can be fed back into the production water cycle.
Plastics: Improving material cycles
Circular design, chemical recycling and political market control are other prominent topics at this year's IFAT. In this context, for example, the trade show will feature a "Process World Plastics Recycling" organized by the VDMA Waste and Recycling Technology Association. A special area will also present best-practice examples of recycling management in action. After all, the current life cycle of plastics is still anything but circular in many places. This is one of the messages of the report "Global Plastics Outlook: Economic Drivers, Environmental Impacts and Policy Options," which the industrialized nations' organization OECD presented at the end of February this year. According to the 200-page work, both the annual production of plastics and the amount of plastic waste have more than doubled worldwide over the past two decades. The latter amounted to 460 million tons in 2019. Only nine percent of this was recycled, while 19 percent was incinerated and nearly 50 percent was sent to landfills. The remaining 22 percent ended up in uncontrolled landfills, was burned in open pits or entered the environment.Reducing plastic waste is once again a core theme at IFAT Munich. (Image: IFAT / Messe München) In addition to the much-discussed environmental problems with micro- and macroplastics, plastics also have a significant carbon footprint: they contribute to 3.4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions throughout their life cycle. Closing material loops could significantly reduce this footprint. But this also requires a political roadmap and the necessary regulatory framework. Various industry associations are already in the "starting blocks." They cite recycling-friendly product design, the handling of exports of end-of-life plastics, an EU-wide end to the landfilling of plastic waste, and the expansion of disposal and recycling structures as target-oriented starting points. In addition, the market conditions for the use of recyclates must be further improved.
Necessary innovative spirit
But it also takes a lot of innovative spirit to be able to solve global environmental problems. Intensive research is being carried out around the globe. From the findings obtained at universities and research institutions, numerous committed young entrepreneurs are developing innovative business models with which they are seeking their place in the market. That's why IFAT offers such newcomers a forum to present their solutions. At the so-called Start-up Area, almost 50 up-and-coming companies from 16 nations will be presenting themselves in a separate area in Hall B4 at the Munich exhibition center. Their products and solutions cover key IFAT Munich topics: water and wastewater treatment, waste and secondary raw materials, and air pollution control and soil protection. On show, for example, will be sustainable asphalt additives made from recycled plastic, separators for microplastics from wastewater streams, a nanotechnology-based water treatment process and a biotechnological method for binding dust. More information: www.ifat.de The post IFAT Munich 2022: Drivers of environmental and climate protection appeared first on Organizer.
Economic crisis threatens a quarter of Swiss SMEs
Small and medium-sized enterprises in Switzerland are threatened by the economic crisis and expect things to get worse. This is shown by a current and representative survey conducted by the opinion research institute YouGov on behalf of the B2B platform operator Visable.
Editorial - May 4, 2022
Prices are rising, earnings are falling: More and more SMEs see themselves threatened by an economic crisis. In a survey, one-fifth of companies see inflation as an acute problem. (Image: Pixabay.com)
For 17 percent of SME decision-makers surveyed by Visable, war is the biggest threat to their company's business, and even more, 28 percent, see themselves threatened by an economic crisis. Seventy-one percent of participating SME decision makers fear that crises of the current magnitude will occur more frequently (47%) or much more frequently (24%) in the next three years. Strikingly, Corona is still perceived as a threat, with 16 percent of mentions, roughly similar to war. Cyberattacks and hacker attacks are mentioned by 12 percent. "SMEs are really struggling right now. One crisis is followed by another," says Peter F. Schmid, CEO of Visable. "The central issue for the next few years will be to make companies crisis-proof. Otherwise, prosperity in Switzerland and Europe will be threatened," Schmid said. In Switzerland and Austria, 217 people with decision-making authority in small and medium-sized enterprises took part in the aforementioned survey. Elsewhere, we have already reported on further results of the survey.
SMEs complain of sales losses
The threat posed by the crisis scenarios mentioned in the survey is real for SMEs in Switzerland and can be quantified in terms of lost sales: 37 percent of the SMEs surveyed say that their company has lost up to a quarter of its sales since the beginning of 2021 as a result of the major crises. One in five companies (20%) has suffered even higher sales losses.
In concrete terms, the companies are particularly affected by the massive rise in costs: Rising raw material and energy prices account for 34 and 29 percent respectively. And 30 percent complain about supply chain problems. HR departments are also still struggling with absenteeism due to illness and quarantine (28%) and shortages of skilled workers and labor (29%). Rising inflation is an acute concern for one-fifth of respondents (21%).
(Source: Visable)
"Energy costs in particular will become the bread prices of the 21st century," says Peter F. Schmid. "The problem affects the entire population directly (in the case of gasoline or heating) but especially indirectly (through rising production costs in industry). We must quickly and massively reduce our one-sided dependencies on energy and also raw materials. This is the only way to achieve resilience against crises," says the Visable CEO.
Short-time working and staff reductions are also among the measures
The measures companies are using to prevent the crises are not very pronounced and are quite diverse. Specifically, the most significant measure is staff reductions or wage cuts at 23 percent, followed by short-time working at 18 percent. Other precautionary measures include increased provisions at 13 percent, diversification of sales markets, investment in IT expertise and employee training for risk or crisis scenarios. As many as 16 percent of SMEs have operational emergency plans in the drawer for their own measures.
In addition, the survey shows reasonably clear demands on policymakers to increase resilience to crises. More than a third (34%) of companies would like to see tax cuts and other financial support. Thirty percent call for bureaucracy reduction and greater legal flexibility. Exactly one-quarter cite tougher measures against climate change and investment in environmental protection as demands.
All core markets threatened by economic crisis
The fact that the crisis is not only on the minds of SME decision-makers in Switzerland is shown by parallel YouGov surveys in Germany, Austria and France: everywhere, more than two-thirds of respondents expect more frequent crises in the next three years. The French are just slightly more pessimistic than the Swiss: In France, a total of 72 percent fear more frequent crises. In Germany, the figure of 68 percent is on a par with the Austrian result. Visable CEO Peter F. Schmid comments: "Fortunately, there have not been as many crises in Central Europe as there are at the moment for a very long time. It is worrying that more than two-thirds of all SMEs assume that the situation will get worse in such an acute situation. Those who are afraid invest less in the future."
Companies could solve many challenges by moving business units and processes into the digital space. For example, purchasing could be diversified via digital B2B platforms to address supply chain issues and rising commodity prices, as well as increasing sustainability awareness. According to the survey, 14 percent of Swiss SMEs are already implementing purchasing diversification as a preventive measure against crises.
First hydrogen forklift truck introduced in Switzerland
The first hydrogen forklift truck in Switzerland has arrived at Messer Schweiz AG and is in use with immediate effect. Hydrogen forklifts are said to be significantly more ecological and efficient than electric forklifts.
Editorial - May 3, 2022
Switzerland's first hydrogen forklift truck is in operation in Lenzburg. (Image: Messer Switzerland)
Together, Linde Material Handling and Messer Schweiz AG are introducing the first green hydrogen forklifts in national logistics in Switzerland. Electric forklifts have - according to reports - proven to be less efficient in recent years and will be replaced by H2 forklifts in the future.
Refueled in less than 5 minutes
The Linde hydrogen forklifts have a 1.8 kg hydrogen tank, which allows the industrial or logistics company to use these industrial trucks easily throughout the shift. The H2 forklift can be refueled in less than 5 minutes. This takes more than 2 hours for electric forklifts. H2 forklifts emit zero CO2 when in use. There is no need to dispose of the battery after around 6000, as is the case with electric forklifts. The fuel cells of the H2 forklift from Linde MH are supplied by the fuel cell giant Plug Power, which already supplies Amazon and, since 14 days, Walmart with their devices.
Long life
"We are proud to be the first in Switzerland to introduce a hydrogen forklift truck, so that Swiss logistics can work much more ecologically in the future," says Messer Schweiz CEO, Dr. Ing. Hans Michael Kellner. Linde is supplying the H2 forklifts and Messer Schweiz AG, Lenzburg, various types of H2 filling stations, including self-sufficient ones. With the help of, for example, solar cells and an electrolysis system, any logistics company can thus produce its hydrogen green on site, store it and compress it to the desired pressure. There is an economical solution for every operation. "H2 forklifts offer several advantages over other drive systems at once. It brings together the respective advantages of the different systems. You fill up as quickly as with a diesel truck and you're green like an electric truck. The long service life and operational reliability are further arguments. Even if the fuel cell fails, the module can be replaced within a few minutes," explains Kellner.
Digital and sustainable construction: FHNW strengthens expertise
The School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geomatics FHNW is expanding the fields of digitalization and life cycle assessment and has hired two new professors for the fall semester of 2022.
Editorial - May 3, 2022
Lukas Schildknecht (left) and Daniel Kellenberger bring additional expertise to the FHNW in the field of "Digital and Sustainable Construction". (Images: FHNW) The School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geomatics of the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW is further expanding its own expertise in the areas of digital and sustainable construction. To this end, it has established two new professorships, which will be taken up by knowledgeable experts with a high level of practical relevance and great innovative strength.
Focus on digital construction: Information Management
At the Institute of Digital Construction, which was newly founded in 2018 and has been growing rapidly since then, Lukas Schildknecht has been Professor of Digital Construction with a focus on information management since May 1, 2022. The environmental engineer and computer scientist had previously been involved as a research assistant and lecturer at the School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geomatics and the Institute Digital Building for five years. As head of the research product area, he built up the project acquisition and research activities of the still young institute and, among other things, led various projects on issues of construction information management on behalf of public and private partners. In his new position, he will continue to be part of the institute's management team and will focus even more on the management of complex data systems. "I am particularly interested in the interdisciplinary interfaces between information technologies and (digital) building models. Here we need compatible solutions for practice, for example through good integration platforms for harmonizing heterogeneous data sources," Schildknecht says. With the introduction of BIM, the construction industry is currently undergoing technological and methodological developments that took place in other industries more than ten years ago. It is therefore time to transfer the knowledge established in this way and to specify it for the construction industry without having to reinvent the wheel.
Focus on sustainable construction: Life Cycle Assessments in Construction
In addition to the digitalization of construction, the demand for sustainable construction processes is also gaining in importance for the School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geomatics FHNW. The Institute for Sustainability and Energy in Construction, which was realigned two years ago and is headed by Barbara Sintzel, has therefore created a new professorship in a field that is important for the turnaround in construction in Switzerland: life cycle assessment. For this position, the university was able to engage Daniel Kellenberger, an expert in sustainable construction and life cycle assessments. The cultural and environmental engineer was most recently a member of the executive board and head of the "Climate Protection and Energy Management" division of the interdisciplinary research and consulting company Intep and, among other things, worked on setting up the internationally renowned life cycle assessment database Ecoinvent. With his new position as professor for sustainable construction with a focus on life cycle assessments in the construction industry, he aims to establish the FHNW School of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geomatics as a center of excellence for life cycle assessments in the construction industry. "In the past decades, research on the energy-efficient and climate-friendly operation of real estate has been very successful. However, implementation often takes place without consideration of grey energy and corresponding greenhouse gas emissions. However, a consistent net-zero strategy can only be successful if the construction and building materials industry also makes a contribution. Life cycle assessments provide us with an important tool for this," says Kellenberger. He will take up his post on November 2, 2022. Source and further information: FHNW The post Digital and sustainable construction: FHNW strengthens expertise appeared first on Organizer.
The FFHS is a new cooperation partner in the MSc Business Informatics
The MSc Business Informatics is aimed at people with a bachelor's degree who want to be at the forefront of shaping the digital transformation. In September 2022, the already established master will also start at the Distance Learning University of Applied Sciences Switzerland (FFHS), as a cooperative offering of four Swiss universities of applied sciences.
Editorial - May 3, 2022
The FFHS participates alongside other universities of applied sciences in the MSc in Business Information Systems. (Image: Website FFHS)
The Distance Learning University of Applied Sciences Switzerland FFHS is the new partner university for the MSc Business Information Systems program, which is offered jointly with the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and the OST - Ostschweizer Fachhochschule. The master's program is held for all participants at the FFHS's new location, the Gleisarena Campus at Zurich HB. FFHS course director Stefan Eggel is delighted: "Through the cooperation of four universities, we are taking advantage of valuable synergies. Each school has its own focus areas that it can bring to the study program."
MSc Business Information Systems can be completed in four to six semesters
The MSc Business Information Systems comprises 90 ECTS credits and can be completed in four semesters while working, with a recommended workload of 60 percent. Depending on the modules taken, the program can be extended to six semesters and the workload increased accordingly to up to 80 percent. The core modules cover the subject groups Digital Transformation, Digital Enterprise Management and Data Driven Enterprise. In addition, there are elective modules that can be individually combined, as well as scientific work and projects. The master's degree is completed with a master's thesis worth 15 ECTS credits.
Classroom model and blended learning
The master will start in September 2022 and will be conducted in a face-to-face model with classes on Mondays and Tuesdays. In the future, a blended learning model combining online study and face-to-face classes will also be evaluated. The registration deadline for the start of the fall 22/23 semester is May 15. As a federally recognized university of applied sciences, FFHS has been offering part-time bachelor's and master's degree programs as well as continuing education in the fields of business, information technology, engineering, law and health since 1998. It has campuses in Zurich, Basel, Bern and Brig and employs around 150 academic and administrative staff and over 500 (part-time) lecturers. The FFHS currently has around 2900 students. In its research institutes, the FFHS also conducts application-oriented research in the areas of Web Science, Management & Innovation, and E-Learning in accordance with the performance mandate of the federal government.
Dr. Thomas Schmuckli new Chairman of the Board of Directors at Helvetia
At the ordinary Shareholders' Meeting of Helvetia Holding, the shareholders elected Dr. Thomas Schmuckli as Chairman of the Board of Directors. With Luigi Lubelli, the Shareholders' Meeting elected a new member to the Board of Directors. All proposals of the Board of Directors were approved.
Editorial - May 2, 2022
Thomas Schmuckli, new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helvetia. (Image: zVg / Helvetia)
After the Shareholders' Meeting of Helvetia Holding AG had been held without the physical participation of shareholders in the past two years, it was again possible to attend the 26th Ordinary Shareholders' Meeting on site at the Olma Messen St.Gallen. The 1810 shareholders present and entitled to vote (representing 64.8 percent of the share capital) approved the management report, the annual financial statements and the consolidated financial statements for 2021. They also discharged the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Management for their activities in the past financial year.
Secure retirement provision required for Switzerland
In her presidential address, outgoing BoD President Doris Russi Schurter addressed the need for reform in the pension system, which was both compelling and urgent due to demographic changes. "The challenge has long been known: We are living longer and longer. The baby boomers are retiring. That costs us more than we pay in. Also because we're getting almost no more interest," Doris Russi Schurter explained and immediately outlined a solution: "Save more, pay out a little less and a little longer in return, and work a little longer." In conclusion, she said: "Switzerland deserves a secure pension system.
Successful start to the new strategy period - dividend increased
Dr. Philipp Gmür, Group CEO of Helvetia, informed the Shareholders' Meeting about the 2021 financial year. Thanks to profitable growth, a substantial contribution from the Spanish company Caser and a very good investment result, Helvetia was able to significantly increase its profit and business volume. Helvetia also made a successful start to the new strategy period. helvetia 20.25 and is investing in customer convenience in particular, the report continues. Thus, the successful business model of Smile, the digital lifestyle brand in Switzerland among insurers, is now to be launched in European country markets as well. The launch will take place in Austria. The aim is to establish Smile as the leading online insurer in this market by the end of the strategy period.
The Annual General Meeting approved a dividend of CHF 5.50 per share (previous year: CHF 5.00). With this dividend increase of 10 percent, shareholders will benefit from the good financial year 2021 as well as from the successful acquisition of Caser and the associated strengthening of earnings power and dividend capacity.
Dr. Thomas Schmuckli elected as President
The shareholders elected Dr. Thomas Schmuckli as the new Chairman. Dr. Thomas Schmuckli has been a member and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helvetia Holding AG since 2018. In addition, he has led the Board of Directors of Helvetia's anchor shareholder, Patria Genossenschaft, since 2019. He will relinquish this mandate as of May 13, 2022. As announced, Doris Russi Schurter, the previous Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, did not stand for re-election due to a stroke of family fate. Dr. Thomas Schmuckli paid tribute to her services to Helvetia at the Shareholders' Meeting: "Doris Russi Schurter has played a decisive role in the further development of Helvetia into a European financial services provider. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to thank Doris Russi Schurter most sincerely for her many years of service to Helvetia."
Farewell with thanks for her services: Doris Russi Schurter did not run for re-election. (Image: zVg / Helvetia)
The shareholders also elected Luigi Lubelli as a new member of the Board of Directors. He lives in Spain and has many years of operational and strategic experience in the insurance industry in Italy and Spain, which are important country markets for Helvetia. Due to the term limit for members of the Board of Directors, Prof. Dr. Christoph Lechner did not stand for re-election.
Furthermore, the Annual General Meeting approved the total amounts of the fixed compensation of the members of the Board of Directors as well as the fixed and variable compensation of the Group Executive Committee.
Integration figures of the IV offices stabilize at a high level
In the second year of the pandemic, IV offices again report high integration figures. Almost 22,000 people were integrated into the primary labor market. This is reported by the IV-Stellen-Konferenz (IVSK) on the basis of the annual statistics on successful integration.
Editorial - May 2, 2022
The integration figures of the IV offices remain at a high level even in the pandemic years. (Graphic: IVSK)
With 21,828 successfully integrated persons, the 26 cantonal IV offices were able to record a slight increase in the integration figures of 0.7 percent in 2021. This stabilization at a high level could not be taken for granted in the second year of the pandemic, according to a media release from the IV-Stellen-Konferenz (IVSK). The almost 22,000 people who were integrated benefited from the principle of "integration before pension". They were either able to keep their current job (14,062 people) or find a new job in the general labor market (7,766 people). This shows that the measures of early detection and early intervention are effectively applied by the IV offices. After all, reintegration into working life is the core task of the IV.
Encouragingly stable development of integration figures
Florian Steinbacher, President of the IVSK, is very pleased about the stable development. "We could not assume that the good result of the previous year would be repeated. The dedication and commitment of the employees at the IV offices are unbroken." In addition to the nearly 22,000 people integrated into the first labor market, there are 824 who were integrated into the so-called second labor market. "We must not forget that behind the numbers are individual fates and stories. If we have made a contribution to people experiencing an improvement in their situation, we are very pleased," adds Florian Steinbacher. The success stories are also written by the employers and the institutions, without whose support the integration would not work.
Teenagers and young adults
The IV revision that has now come into force will in particular optimize IV measures and the integration offers for adolescents and young adults, it says. The IV supports this target group on their training path with a wide range of vocational measures. This is reflected in the steadily increasing number of benefits granted, the IVSK added. Last year, 15,894 people in Switzerland were undergoing initial vocational training supported by the IV. This development should be viewed positively and underlines the integration idea of the IV.
The Board of Directors has appointed Samuel Meyer as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank Cler. He has been Head of Sales and a member of the Executive Board since November 2019. Samuel Meyer will assume his new function on May 1, 2022.
Editorial - April 29, 2022
Samuel Meyer, new CEO of Bank Cler as of May 1, 2022. (Image: zVg)
Samuel Meyer becomes the new CEO of Bank Cler. At the same time, he will become an Associate Member of the Executive Committee of Basler Kantonalbank. In his new role, Samuel Meyer will continue to head the Sales division. With this move, Bank Cler wants to emphasize the importance of customer focus and proximity in its future positioning, according to a media release. Bank Cler Ltd. is headquartered in Basel. Its offering is focused on the needs of private and real estate clients as well as private banking. In the 2021 financial year, the bank generated net interest income of CHF 181.3 million.
Clear focus on sales
The choice of Samuel Meyer as CEO of Bank Cler represents "a clear signal for the future orientation of Bank Cler as a distribution bank," according to the statement. In making its selection, the board of directors said it attached importance to a great deal of experience in the banking business, strength of implementation and a pronounced customer orientation. Meyer brings exactly these prerequisites with him. Together with his management team, he has successfully developed the sales department over the past two years and focused the sales organization even more strongly on customers, Bank Cler continues to write. Samuel Meyer will take up his position as CEO on May 1, 2022. He succeeds Mariateresa Vacalli, who is leaving the bank due to her nomination to the Board of Directors of Swiss Post Ltd.
Samuel Meyer started his career at UBS in 2002. After an all-round internship, he first became Head of the UBS Ahornhof branch. He then managed various branches in the Basel-Stadt area before becoming Head of Private Clients UBS Rayon Basel Aeschenvorstadt at the end of 2017 and was appointed Deputy Head of Private Clients UBS Basel Region at the beginning of 2018. From August 2018 to October 2019, he was Head of Private Clients at Basler Kantonalbank BKB and Deputy Head of Sales Private Clients BKB. Since November 2019, he has been Head of Sales at Bank Cler. Samuel Meyer is married and father of four children.
Successor from the existing management
In addition to the areas of sales and finance and risk, a third business area is being created to strengthen sales. This comprises units responsible for the development, management and support of sales. The Board of Directors of Bank Cler has initiated an evaluation process for the management of this business area. This person will also become a member of the Executive Board at the same time. A communication on this will follow as soon as the decision has been made.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Basil Heeb, is convinced that with Samuel Meyer, Bank Cler has nominated the ideal CEO for its future direction and planned growth. "I am very pleased that we have been able to recruit Samuel Meyer as a successor from the existing management team. With his extensive experience in the banking business, his high level of customer orientation and his entrepreneurial thinking, Samuel Meyer is the ideal candidate for this position."
On the roof of Lyreco's logistics center in Dintikon, Aargau, the company produces its own solar power. The new photovoltaic system, built by partner Romande Energie SA under a contracting model, can generate up to 1,072,120 kWh per year. Just under 40 percent of this is used for Lyreco's own needs.
Editorial - April 29, 2022
From April 2022, solar power will be produced on the roof of Lyreco's logistics center in Dintikon, Aargau. (Image: Lyreco)
Lyreco has been using renewable electricity at its Dintikon site for around ten years. Now, in line with Lyreco's sustainability strategy, a photovoltaic plant is being built on the roof of the logistics center in Dintikon. Around 3000 solar panels on a total area of 5424 m2implemented by partner Romande Energie, will supply the Dintikon site with ecological electricity from solar energy from April 2022. The newly constructed plant will be able to generate 1.1 gigawatt hours of solar power per year, which is equivalent to the demand of 450 apartments. The Lyreco logistics center will use around 40 percent of this for its own use, with the remaining 60 percent flowing directly into Romande Energie's solar power grid. The solar plant is designed for a useful life of 30 years. According to Romande Energie, it will use the latest generation of solar panels, which are 15 to 20 percent more efficient than older models.
Sustainability is firmly anchored in Lyreco's corporate philosophy. That is why the company says it is consistently committed to further minimizing its ecological footprint and reducing CO2 emissions. This is to be achieved, for example, with environmentally friendly transport via rail, by E-Van or e-rickshaw - or with the robust and climate-neutral reusable boxes made from recycled material, which are used up to six times on average. The company's goal is to reduce CO2 emissions in Switzerland by 15 percent by 2024 compared to 2019. Ecologically produced electricity from solar energy is intended to bring the company an important step closer to this goal.
procure.ch takes over the Higher Technical School for Foreign Trade
The professional association for buyers, procure.ch, is taking over the HFA (Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft) with retroactive effect from January 1, 2022. Among other things, the takeover is part of the succession plan for the HFA, which was previously family-owned.
Editorial - April 29, 2022
Two institutions are merging: the procure.ch trade association is taking over the Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft HFA. (Image: zVg)
For the past two years, the Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft (HFA) in Aarau and procure.ch have been strongly represented in the Swiss market with a joint educational offering, the course for foreign trade specialists with a federal certificate. This positive collaboration will now be comprehensively expanded, according to the two organizations. Retroactive to January 1, 2022, procure.ch, the professional association of buyers in Switzerland, will take over the Swiss College of Foreign Trade. The takeover is part of the succession plan for the HFA, which was previously family-owned and characterized by a correspondingly lived culture and commitment to quality. The takeover by procure.ch is intended to secure both the continuation of the previous company culture and the successful market presence in the long term. The previous owners of HFA will remain associated with procure.ch and HFA. The current Chairman of the Board of Directors, Urs Angliker, will continue to directly oversee projects until the end of 2023 and thus support the newly appointed operational Managing Director, Fabian Angliker, as required from May 1, 2022. The HFA brand will remain fully intact. The cooperations with procure.ch will be expanded.
As the The HFA's positioning as a provider of training in the foreign trade environment is strengthened by the the Education provider around the procurement, procure.ch ideal, as it says in the communication. The services for members will be expanded. The joint market presence will be strengthened and HFA will be managed as an additional, independent brand. All employees will be taken over, as both organizations will continue to be run in parallel. As a result, the understanding of quality as well as the expertise will remain fully intact. Both organizations are pleased about this logical and positive step into the future.
