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A YEAR TO REMEMBER
THE BERTSCHI GROUP has reported sales of some CFr 900m ($1.0bn) for 2020, some 9 per cent below its 2019 results, but only 5 per cent down when adjusted for exchange rate movements. Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bertschi says that, thanks to the proactive measures it took, it was able to “end the year on positive note, both operationally and financially” and that, in light of the progress made with vaccinations and the growth being shown in Asian markets,
Group. “Thanks to government support measures and the ongoing vaccination of the population in the industrialised countries, the global economy should be boosted even further from the middle of 2021.” In light of that optimistic outlook, Bertschi is planning to make significant investments, both in China and in Europe, and has appointed Marc Houtermans as the managing director of the Solutions business unit to strengthen the group management team.
particularly evident in the automotive industry, where demand collapsed. This led to a reduction in demand for primary chemical products, resulting in a substantial decline in sales in Bertschi’s core business of chemical logistics. Demand picked up from the third quarter, driven by the end of the first lockdown and the rapid recovery seen in Asia. The primary concern for Bertschi was to ensure the safety of its employees. “Thanks to the advanced digitalisation of our work processes, which enabled home office for a large part of the workforce, and the early implementation of protective measures at the workplaces, we have been able to offer our employees a safe working environment at all times,” says Jan Arnet, Group CEO. Indeed, Covid-19 accelerated the existing process of digital transformation within the Bertschi Group, making business processes more efficient, secure and customer-friendly.
it is confident for 2021. “We are assuming that the positive trends seen in the last quarter of 2020 will continue this year. Asia, and China in particular, have largely overcome the pandemic and are currently showing impetus for growth,” says Hans-Jörg Bertschi, chairman of the Bertschi
LOOKING BACK The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and its rapid spread across the globe had a significant effect on Bertschi’s financial results. Imposed lockdowns resulted in a drop in global demand for durable consumer goods. This was
The customer-facing element of Bertschi’s digital systems was expanded to provide end-to-end visibility over increasingly complex supply chains, often involving a combination of road, rail and sea movements. Elsewhere, Bertschi invested in its assets, adding 1,200 containers to bring its fleet up to
MARKET • NOT SURPRISINGLY, 2020 WAS A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR THE BERTSCHI GROUP BUT THE SWITZERLAND-BASED MULTIMODAL SPECIALIST REMAINS CONFIDENT FOR 2021
HCB MONTHLY | MARCH 2021
