Bertschi Group ‘well positioned for the future’ and is expanding Board of Directors
The Bertschi Group said it cannot escape the impacts of COVID-19. It said shareholders were informed about current developments at the Annual General Meeting on 4 July, 2020. It said: “The company handled the first wave of coronavirus with aplomb, thanks in part to its advanced digital transformation, which is to be further accelerated.”
The company now aims to proactively seek out opportunities during the crisis and continue to invest in innovative customer solutions. Elsewhere, the Bertschi Group’s Board of Directors has been expanded to include China expert Kurt Haerri as well as Jörg Berner, the first member of the third generation.
The Group’s major investments in its digital transformation over the past two years have enabled it to shift 80% of its office-based staff to home office settings within days, with no impact on quality. Digitalisation efforts are currently being further accelerated. The focus on combined transport, in which block trains cross the national borders rather than trucks with drivers, has enabled smooth transport operations during the border closure phase in Europe.
It said the health and safety of employees is always the top priority, but particularly during the coronavirus outbreak.
Jan Arnet, CEO of the Bertschi Group, said: “Thanks to organisational precautions, a high level of awareness and great care on the part of all employees, as well as a comprehensive working-from-home structure and separate shifts in operational processes, we have so far navigated the crisis without a single case of infection within the Group.”
Furthermore, he said, based on the financial scenarios for 2020 and 2021, Group Management and the Board of Directors have secured the Group’s long-term liquidity with additional bank loans.
Hans-Jörg Bertschi, Executive Chairman, said: “The Group’s robust financial footing and its outstanding rating by banks facilitated favourable borrowing conditions. In addition to long-term liquidity, we have achieved our objective of attaining sufficient room for manoeuvre to proactively take advantage of opportunities offered by the market even during the crisis.”
He said Bertschi wants to seize opportunities with new services and thus compensate for transport losses and added that Bertschi Group’s business performance over the first five months of 2020 has been satisfactory in view of the major challenges it faced: “The road back to normality will take some time, however, and there is a continued risk of further setbacks. We do not expect global demand for chemicals to return to pre-crisis levels until the end of 2021. However, we do see short-term opportunities in the market and can implement the necessary investments very quickly thanks to our robust financial situation.”
For more information visit www.bertschi.com
13th July 2020
