Swissterminal’s fiftieth anniversary
In the beginning there is always the founder, sometimes a pioneer - and next to him a strong partner. In the case of the family business Swissterminal, it was Alex Mayer in 1972 who foresaw that containers would cause a revolutionary transformation in the logistics market and started his company in Basel.
In addition to a container, a caravan stood on the site as an office, where Jeanette Mayer assisted her husband with bookkeeping, telephone service and customer care. Today, this modest beginning has grown into a multinational company with over 170 employees, currently eight locations in Switzerland and France and a European network. The global player DP World joined Swissterminal in January 2020 with the acquisition of 44% of the shares.
The heart of the company beats in the border region of Switzerland, France and Germany near Basel. In cooperation with partners, intermodal connections by rail and Rhine have long since been added to the transhipment, distribution, and warehousing services, on which supply chains from Benelux to northern Italy are based.
Gilbert Stimpflin, president of "Euro Rhein Ports", made it clear at the 50th anniversary celebration in the Ottmarsheim terminal how closely the French side is linked to the family business. CEO Roman Mayer did not miss the opportunity to review the entrepreneurial spirit of the past 50 years - and to thank his mother with a fitting floral tribute. (cd)