“Great opportunities”
In conversation with Fabrizio Bacciarini, head of sales at Fraikin Switzerland. The Swiss branch of the commercial vehicle rental firm Fraikin wants to grow in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland. For this it has brought Fabrizio Bacciarini, last head of Eaton’s Zurich branch, into the driver’s cab. The ITJ asked him about his plans.
Mr Bacciarini, after many years with firms from the transport, logistics and mobility sectors, especially from French-speaking Switzerland, you joined Fraikin in December last year. What are your tasks there?
My main tasks are to continue Fraikin’s excellent work in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, to consolidate our operations there, to serve existing customers better in the future and, of course, to continue to grow.
In previous positions, I often worked in similar situations, in which I was tasked with further developing activities in German-speaking Switzerland for companies that are based in French-speaking Switzerland.
So what attracted you to your new employer, and how does Fraikin score with its many customers?
It was mainly Fraikin’s business model and the opportunity to shape the company’s future in Switzerland that convinced me. Fraikin’s offer is unique because we have the right solution for every need, be it a long, medium or short-term rental requirement. Our customers get an all-round carefree package from us.
Fraikin manages its clients’ fleets for them. The latter actually only provide the drivers, who are their own employees, as well as the fuel. Everything else, including insurance, replacement vehicles, vehicle service, repairs and much more, is included. This allows our customers to concentrate on their core business.
How is Fraikin positioned ? How large is your market share in Switzerland, especially in German-speaking Switzerland?
Fraikin has been present in Switzerland for almost 20 years, specifically since 2006 in French-speaking Switzerland and since 2010 in German-speaking Switzerland.
As a native of the Italian-speaking Swiss canton of Ticino I’m pleased that we also have customers in my home canton, and also focus attention on our clients there. However, we see the greatest opportunities for business in the German-speaking regions.
How important is the Swiss market, compared to others that Fraikin operates in?
Switzerland is important. Compared to other countries, we’re in the middle of the pack in terms of clients and vehicles. Switzerland is a very innovative country in the field of mobility, which is a very valuable characteristic for our whole group.
How did things go last year?
The Swiss market has grown by around 10% annually, year after year – in 2023 too. Despite supply bottlenecks we’ve managed to remain on course for growth, mainly thanks to the fact that we operate our own vehicle fleet, which allows us to remain flexible and offer clients the right solutions.
What do you expect for 2024?
We expect to consolidate in this business segment and for the company to further develop positively.
What challenges does the vehicle rental segment face?
There are three main challenges, in my opinion. For the time being, keeping supply chains intact remains an important challenge, even if this issue has improved somewhat of late. Then there’s the electrification of vehicles, as a key element of the energy transition. Thirdly, we want to convince companies that want to buy their vehicles to rent them from us.
How did the tests of fully-electric refrigerated units go, which you planned a year ago? (See page 35 of ITJ 27-30 / 2022.)
The units have been tested by various clients, and our experiences have shown how the vehicles can best be deployed. Of course, this is more complex than with a conventional diesel-combustion engine. This is where Fraikin’s strength lies – in helping customers find the right solution for their needs.