Swiss Bertschi Group is Well Prepared for the Future

At the general meeting of the Bertschi Group on July 4, 2020, shareholders were informed about the current developments. The company has managed the first wave of Corona well, also thanks to the advanced digital transformation. The Board of Directors Kurt Haerri and Jörg Berner is expanding.

(Dürrenäsch) The Bertschi Group, which operates globally in chemical logistics, has so far managed the Corona crisis well. The early and successful handling of the challenge by Bertschi China has helped. Likewise, the high investments made in the last two years in digital transformation allowed 80 percent of office jobs to be relocated to home offices within a few days without compromising quality. Digitalization is currently being accelerated further. The focus on combined transport has enabled uninterrupted transport during the phase of border closures in Europe.

The health and safety of employees has always been the top priority at Bertschi, especially during the Corona period. “Thanks to organizational precautions, heightened awareness and diligence of all employees, as well as a comprehensive home office structure and separate shifts in operational processes, we have managed the crisis to date without any infection cases in the group,” said Jan Arnet, CEO of the Bertschi Group.

Furthermore, the group management and the Board of Directors have secured the long-term liquidity of the group with additional bank loans based on financial scenarios for 2020 and 2021. The very robust financial base and the excellent rating of the company by banks have made this possible under favorable conditions. “We have achieved our goal of not only ensuring long-term liquidity but also providing enough leeway to proactively seize opportunities that the market offers during the crisis,” said Hans-Jörg Bertschi, Executive Chairman of the company.

European Traffic Down by 20 Percent

As a result of the Corona crisis, Bertschi’s business volume in the most important European traffic has declined by nearly 20 percent since April. This was primarily due to the drop in demand in the automotive and durable consumer goods sectors, which use many chemical products. The recovery of these two sectors will take longer, possibly until the end of 2021. The Corona crisis also opens up new opportunities. Many customers want to diversify and strengthen their supply chains based on their experiences, and increasing sustainability is becoming more important to them. With new offerings, Bertschi aims to seize these opportunities and compensate for the traffic losses. Jan Arnet emphasized, “Bertschi is also striving to proactively seize new market opportunities during the crisis and invest in innovative and sustainable customer solutions. This applies to both the European market and our global services, where we see significant growth potential in the future.”

The business performance of the Bertschi Group in the first five months of 2020 is satisfactory considering the significant challenges. However, the path back to normality will take some time, and there are also risks of further setbacks. “We expect that global chemical demand will not return to pre-crisis levels until the end of 2021. However, we also see short-term opportunities in the market and can implement the necessary investments very quickly thanks to our robust financial situation,” said Hans-Jörg Bertschi.

Two New Board Members

With an eye on the future, shareholders at the general meeting on July 4, 2020, decided to expand the group’s Board of Directors to include Kurt Haerri and Jörg Berner.

Kurt Haerri has been with Schindler since 1987, currently serving as Senior Vice President. From 1996 to 2003 and from 2017 to 2019, he worked for the company in China, where he led the business in new installations, among other things. In 1996, he completed an Executive MBA at the University of St. Gallen. He was President of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) from 2006 to 2014 and is currently a board member. Kurt Haerri taught part-time at ETH Zurich in the Executive MBA program for international supply chain management from 2004 to 2019. He is 58 years old and lives in Birrwil (AG). His many years of experience in the Chinese market and in global supply chain management can provide new impulses for the Bertschi Group.

With Jörg Berner, the Board of Directors is being complemented for the first time by a member of the third generation of the Bertschi family. He graduated with a Master’s degree from the University of St. Gallen in 2013 and worked as an Investment Manager at Invision in Zug from 2013 to 2016. Since 2016, he has been working as a Project Manager for the Bertschi Group on strategic projects. In 2018, he helped establish the new company location in Houston (USA) for the acquired subsidiary Elite International Logistics. Jörg Berner’s entry into the Board of Directors corresponds to the succession plan and the Bertschi family constitution of 2009, which aims to facilitate the transition from the second to the third generation with a multi-year transition phase between the generations.

With this expansion, the Board of Directors continues to consist predominantly of external members. The previous external board members Alexander Krebs, Boy Litjens, and Bruno Sidler, as well as family members Brigitta Berner and Hans-Jörg Bertschi, were re-elected at the general meeting for another two-year term.

About the Bertschi Group

Bertschi is a globally active logistics service provider for the chemical industry, specializing in the logistics of liquid and bulk products. The family-owned company, headquartered in Switzerland, was founded in 1956 and generates annual sales of around 988 million Swiss francs. 3,100 employees provide high-quality logistics services at 77 locations in 38 countries and support customers on-site.

Bertschi owns 37,100 tank and silo containers, 1,100 trucks, and 30 container terminals. The company is the market leader in intermodal chemical transport by rail, road, and water in Europe and a leading global provider of tank container transport and complementary logistical value-added services for the chemical industry. Important locations outside Europe include Shanghai, Singapore, Houston, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Dubai, Al-Jubail (Saudi Arabia), and Istanbul.

Photos: © Bertschi Group

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