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SWISS BUSINESS NEWS

 

 

SUMMER 2002

 

 

 

Top of the News

 

State Secretary David Syz of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs declared the Location: Switzerland program to be a mean, lean and highly successful investment promotion program which had succeeded in bringing 175 projects to Switzerland in the course of the first five years of its existence. This figure does not include a significantly higher number of investment projects that found their way to Switzerland through the efforts of others. At an April 25 Press Conference in Berne, the State Secretary went on to laud the Location Switzerland program and team for its impressive return on investment, now essentially half-way into its ten-year existence.

 

Also in Switzerland, Mr. Eric Scheidegger was named as head of the Location: Switzerland program and successor to Mrs. Barbara Rigassi, effective June 1, 2002. Mr. Scheidegger was the economic advisor to SECO and to Federal Counselor Pascal Couchepin since 1998. Prior to his SECO post, he was the financial correspondent for the NZZ in Vienna. He will have the title of Ambassador and will be a member of the SECO Board of Directors. The Location: Switzerland N.A. team wishes him well in his new assignment.

 

 

 

Wins and Updates

 

Nobel Biocare, the Gotenburg, Sweden-based manufacturer of dental implants and dental prosthetics, has established a Swiss holding structure to be listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange. A company statement notes the move supports continued efforts to increase profitability, sustain long-term market leadership and create value for shareholders. Benefits of a Swiss holding structure include strengthening its competitive position, further widening access to international capital markets and enhancing liquidity of shares as well as a tax level similar to other multinational Swiss domiciled companies.

 

The European division of Autodesk, Inc., in April opened its new Executive Briefing Center (EBC) in Switzerland. Situated within the existing Autodesk SARL Development facilities in Neuch?tel. Second in size to the company's San Rafael, California, headquarters, the briefing center is the first of its kind outside the United States.

 

Davisco Foods International, Le Sueur, Minnesota, a leader in the dairy food industry and pioneer in whey protein isolate research, has established its European headquarters in Switzerland. Staffing at the company's offices in Geneva is expected to total 4 and handle sales, marketing and distribution planning throughout Europe.

 

The Gillette Company, a worldwide leader in the grooming, portable power (Duracell) and oral care businesses (Oral B), is relocating its European headquarters to Switzerland. The move to Geneva will be completed in 2003 and involves transitioning personnel from the present headquarters near London. The Company will also recruit locally to round out its new European management team with an anticipated total headcount of about 120 by 2003.

 

Aluminum giant Alcoa has increased its presence in Switzerland by establishing its European headquarters in Geneva, where staffing is expected to reach 56. Lausanne will remain the European Service Center with staffing is at 90 and expected to grow. Alcoa has been in Switzerland since 1962.

ICN International, a subsidiary of California-based ICN Pharmaceuticals, has established its global headquarters in Basel overseeing operations throughout Europe Asia, Africa and Australia. The company ranks 4th in Swiss-based pharmaceutical companies in terms of sales.

 

MDS Pharma services one of the world's largest contract research organizations, is nearly doubling the size of its bioanalytical facility in Zurich to 32,000 square feet.

 

Architectural firm Meridian Design Associates with offices in New York and Miami has established a presence in Geneva through an affiliation with DPX Architects.

 

Philip Morris International, a subsidiary of Manhattan based Philip Morris Cos. Inc. has confirmed the move of its headquarters from Rye Brook, N.Y to Lausanne. Philip Morris opened its first offices in Lausanne in 1963 and has since then served as the corporate home for the EMEA Region. With this announcement, a "few dozen" employees, including the company's senior employees and its legal staff will make the move to Switzerland. Philip Morris International had revenues of over $26 billion last year accounting for about 29% of the revenue of its parent company.

 

California-based entrepreneur Fredy Heimberg, who hails from Seeland, Switzerland, has launched Alpliving as his company's first back-to-basics retreat for the North American market. The retreats target busy professionals and families, and involve activities centered on Swiss village life, farming and nature, and take place in the Bernese Oberland.

 

The drug delivery systems unit of Minneapolis based 3M has formed an alliance with Novartis Pharma AG to explore future manufacturing opportunities for new Novartis inhalation products.

 

In what is being called the largest drug development deal in Canadian history, Isotechnika, Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta, and Roche Pharmaceuticals have agreed to co-develop the Canadian company's innovative transplant drug, ISA(TX)247. In exchange for worldwide marketing rights, Roche will contribute US$215 million to the development of the drug.

 

 

Other News

 

Ciba Vision, the Atlanta-based eye care unit of Novartis has acquired the worldwide license to the ophthalmic surgical products of Dallas, Texas based Presby Corp.

 

The securities arm of U.S. life insurer Prudential Securities acquired the Geneva branch of Standard chartered Grindlays Bank Ltd. Prudential indicated that the Swiss acquisition will help it increase assets and revenue in the marketplace.

 

Canadian-based Lakefield Research Ltd. was just acquired by Swiss-based Societe Generale de Surveillance Holding SA. Lakefield is a leader in the research and testing of minerals and metals and will further augment the scope and size of the world's largest testing and inspection company.

 

Switzerland jumped three places to position seven, edging ahead of Hong Kong and Ireland, in the World Competitiveness Yearbook (2002) just released by the International Institute of Management Development. The study commented that Switzerland remains an excellent place to do business, particularly noting the nation's economic fundamentals, the government's commitment to efficiency and transparency and its overall "quality of life." The US repeated as number one.

 

 

 

News from Location Promotion Switzerland