Jubil

project involved building a slide so
that it floats in a channel through a
building and then goes down a chute
of 20 m.
Engineering in Switzerland, production
abroad: Does that also apply
for Bartholet Maschinenbau?
No, the opposite is actually the case.
We view the production location of
Switzerland as a trump card and
have no plans to get rid of this card.
We are operating in a market that
has the most stringent demands
when it comes to the safety of the
passengers to be moved. From the
drawing board to production, close
interaction between those involved
is needed – and highly qualified specialists
who are also able to master
difficult tasks.
Particularly in technical professions,
the Swiss labour market is
considered to have dried up. Do you
have any problems recruiting the
right people?
Not so far, we haven’t. Our company
headquarters are located in a region
with a long tradition in engineering.
But we are aware of this problem
and that‘s why we focus on apprenticeship.
Today we employ 10 trainees
in different specialists‘ fields and
we intend to increase this number
to 25.
You are a member of the Cobinet
Group. What was the motivation be-
«I anticipate increasing growth rates
for the coming years.»
hind this move?
Cobinet basically grew out of a common
initiative. We would like to offer
a pool of technical expertise from
different companies, particularly
abroad. This has the great benefit
for customers that they can draw on
a variety of competences very quickly
but nevertheless only have to deal
with one contractor.
How is this idea being received by
the market?
We are still in the development
phase. But in particular our participation
in trade fairs has fully met
our expectations so far. I am very
optimistic.
How do you see the future development
of Bartholet Maschinenbau
AG?
Our business strategy basically aims
to continue to work with several pillars
of business in the future too.
In addition to passenger transport
systems, in other words amusement
park systems and ropeways,
contract production, precision form
construction for concrete elements
and other business segments of
our subsidiaries will also play a
role. This makes our company as a
whole more resistant to upturns and
downswings in the markets in which
we operate.
We recently achieved a breakthrough
in ropeway construction. We proved
that we can fulfil the most stringent
statutory requirements and are also
able to introduce technical innovations.
That makes me very optimistic.
I anticipate increasing growth
rates for the coming years. Our
potential with the amusement park
systems is also far from exploited.
We have just taken over a new product
and the company behind it,
Tschu-Tschu mini-trains – a triedandtested,
innovative product rich in
tradition with more than 1,000 units
on the market. Information can be
found on www.tschu-tschu.de
Are you conscious of the negative
effects of such rapid growth?
Our feet remain firmly on the ground.
But we have not yet exhausted our
existing potential. And particularly
with the Cobinet Group, even with a
heavy workload, we always have the
option of cooperating with partner
companies.
How many employees do you think
you will employ in ten years’ time?
The global workforce of the entire
Group currently lies at 180; 115 of
these are employed at our headquarters
and production site in
Flums. I consider a doubling of this
figure to be utterly realistic.
Interview
21