‘Hill people’ keep their word
Brigl and Tisa improving services in the Italy–Switzerland trade. In September the family-run forwarders Brigl Spedition, from Bozen (Italy), and Tisa Spedition, from Widnau (Switzerland), improved their joint services. ITJ editor-in-chief Andreas Haug spoke to Tisa CEO Dr Michaela Adami-Schrott and its head of HR and programme manager, Domenico De Monte, and to Brigl’s managing director Andreas Goggi and its operations director Andrea Corona.
How did you two forwarding firms find each other as business partners?
Michaela Adami-Schrott (MAS): Brigl’s been our top partner for Italy since the very start. This was owed to business relations at the time at the top management levels of the two family enterprises.
What connects your two companies?
Andreas Goggi (AG): I think it’s important to be connected as people in our digital world. I think it’s equally crucial that a business has a face. We’re local – and yet we’re connected to the entire world, thanks to our membership in networks. For me we have five key issues in common – namely our traditions, family management, professionalism, continuity and quality.
MAS: Yes, at both Tisa and Brigl, the owners are directly involved in running the firms. You can feel that in our customer services. Sure, some players may offer similar services at lower costs, but when you book with us, reliability is included.
“All-round customs-clearance package.”
MAS: We also offer key expertise in the customs field. Both of our companies have their own customs offices at all passes, including – this is an absolute USP – one at the Reschen Pass, and in Bozen, Varna, Wolfurt, Widnau, St Margrethen.
How is this reflected in your services?
MAS: We offer departures in both directions several times a day. Our standard door-to-door delivery times stand at 48-72 hours, and we offer our customers an ‘all-round carefree customs-clearance package’. All of our employees on both sides speak Italian and German – the customer service staff as well as the drivers.
Please gives us some details concerning the number of employees, offices and vehicle in your fleets.
AG: Brigl is turning 100 in 2025. A lot has happened in this time, and so I consider us and our now 112 employees to be a rock in the surf. One of our great strengths is our regional presence. We run six centres in South Tyrol, three of which are logistics warehouses.
Originally, Brigl was an intermediary as a forwarder, but in recent years we’ve also become a transporter more and more. We now operate a small fleet that’s steadily expanding. We’re in the process of becoming a holistic logistics services provider.
MAS: The situation is similar for us, with 120 employees working in nine offices – except that we’ve ‘only’ been in business for 34 years. We’ve also been on the road as a transporter for four years, and with 22 vehicles today we carry out about 30-40% of services with our own fleet.
How are the volumes between Italy and Switzerland developing?
Andrea Corona: Switzerland’s weak exports these days mean volumes from Italy to Switzerland are significantly larger.
“Intelligent scheduling is key.”
What goods do you transport?
MAS: We transport everything that fits, including special shipments that require special service and quality.
AG: No single group of products dominates our capacities.
What challenges do you face?
Domenico De Monte: New laws, such as the one for radiometric control in Italy, cause longer transit times and higher costs.
MAS: Together we find ways to offer ‘silent transport solutions’, that is to say without the customer noticing any difficulties.
AG: South Tyroleans and the Swiss are ‘hill people’ – a handshake counts as a handshake in our business relations, which have already been in place for so long.