immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: business

  • Novavest completes capital increase

    Novavest completes capital increase

    Novavest has completed a further capital increase from existing authorized capital, the real estate company informs in a message . Specifically, 642,619 new registered shares were subscribed at the subscription price of 42.05 francs each during the subscription rights trading between June 14 and 23. Novavest intends to use the approximately 27.0 million francs it has brought in to expand its portfolio of residential properties.

    During the capital increase, existing shareholders of Novavest Real Estate AG were granted the right to purchase one new share for every eleven registered shares already held. The offer was also met with "great interest from both institutional and private investors," writes the company. As a result, Novavest was able to expand its shareholder base.

    After the capital increase, Novavest's share capital will amount to 207.4 million francs, the announcement further explains. Just last December, Novavest raised around CHF 28.6 million in a capital increase. These funds were also used to expand the company's own real estate portfolio. At the end of May, the company then lowered the nominal value of its shares by 1.65 francs to 26.90 francs.

  • PriceHubble expands to the Czech Republic

    PriceHubble expands to the Czech Republic

    PriceHubble is planning to focus on Central and Eastern Europe, the Zurich-based PropTech company, which specializes in real estate valuations for companies, informs in a press release . To this end, PriceHubble has taken over the Czech PropTech Realtify. The start-up company founded by Vladislav Kochetov in Prague in 2019 offers services for residential property professionals. Kochetov should manage the company, which will now operate as PriceHubble Czechia, also under the PriceHubble umbrella and, in particular, be responsible for the growth of the Zurich-based PropTech company in Central and Eastern Europe, PriceHubble writes.

    The takeover is intended to strengthen and expand PriceHubble's position, Julien Schillewaert explains in the press release. "PriceHubble is without a doubt one of the fastest growing PropTech companies in Europe," the PriceHubble CEO is quoted as saying. "There is strong growth potential in Central and Eastern Europe and the integration of Realtify into our team enables us to accelerate our market expansion in the region." With the takeover, PriceHubble is now in Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium , Czech Republic, Slovakia and Japan are active.

  • UBS joins forces with Invesco

    UBS joins forces with Invesco

    UBS and the American Invesco Real Estate have agreed on a cooperation. Together, they offer UBS clients access to Invesco's global real estate mandates. This will make it more efficient for UBS Global Wealth Management's private customers to include this asset class in their portfolios, according to a media release from the major Zurich bank.

    The new offer will primarily invest in Invesco's direct real estate strategies, but also in listed real estate stocks, co-investments and direct real estate. With assets under management of 63.3 billion dollars in direct real estate investments and 19.9 billion dollars in listed real estate values, as well as more than 580 real estate professionals worldwide, Invesco is "the only manager with comparable strategies in the USA, Europe and Asia", so UBS.

    "This offer was specially structured for UBS and its clients in order to offer them stable and attractive regular income over the long term," said Marty Flanagan, President and CEO of Invesco, quoted in the press release. According to Bruno Marxer, Head of Global Investment Management at UBS, this partnership underscores the bank's commitment to providing its clients with exclusive access to solutions from leading partners.

  • Peach Property completes capital increase

    Peach Property completes capital increase

    Peach Property Group AG has successfully completed the placement of unsecured, subordinated mandatory convertible bonds, the real estate company, which specializes in properties in Germany, informs in a message . Due to the strong interest, the nominal amount of the bond has been increased to 180 million francs, it says there. The funds raised are to be used to finance recently acquired residential properties in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bremen as well as for further company growth.

    The bonds are to be converted into newly issued registered shares of the group by the due date on December 23 at the latest. The initial conversion price is set at CHF 55.00 and the nominal value of the share at CHF 1.00. The conversion will increase the company's share capital by around 3.2 million shares or 25.7 percent. The shares should be able to be traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange in a few days.

  • Poenina Group takes over two companies

    Poenina Group takes over two companies

    Poenina Holding AG buys two companies: Längle & Staub Sanitärplanung GmbH , based in St. Gallen, and Christian Jost AG , based in Chur. The building services group from the Greater Zurich Area announced the signing of the corresponding contracts in a press release . The takeover will take effect on June 30th.

    Both companies will continue to operate under their own names. Längle & Staub has six employees and an annual turnover of around 1 million francs. The business will be continued by the previous managing director Jürgen Längle. Längle & Staub offers specialist planning of sanitary and building technology systems, from which the Poenina Group would like to benefit.

    Christian Jost AG has 14 employees and an annual turnover of around 3 million francs. The family business offers services in the areas of sanitary, heating and ventilation technology. According to a press release, the company will be managed with immediate effect by Giacomo Lecchino, the managing director of Willi Haustechnik AG, which is also part of the Poenina Group and has its headquarters in Chur.

    "We warmly welcome the employees of both companies and look forward to working with them," said Jean Claude Bregy, CEO of Poenina, in the press release.

  • BKW takes over IT company ngworx

    BKW takes over IT company ngworx

    The BKW Group from Bern has bought ngworx. The energy company wants to merge the Zurich IT company with its subsidiary swisspro Solultions , according to a media release . Together, the companies are to expand the IT division of BKW Building Solutions into a holistic IT provider. "We can also expand our geographic presence in this technology-driven business," Mathias Prüssing, CEO of BKW Building Solutions, is quoted in the press release.

    Ngworx AG was founded in Zurich in 2013 and offers network consulting, engineering and integration services for business customers in Switzerland and Europe. With just under 20 employees, the company has practical experience and knowledge in the area of networks and security. According to a press release, the ngworx management team will remain with the company and will help shape the development of the IT division of BKW Building Solutions.

  • Nova Property increases capital for real estate funds

    Nova Property increases capital for real estate funds

    Nova Property has successfully completed a capital increase for its Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund, the company acting as fund management company informs in a release . During the capital increase carried out from May 25 to June 4, a total of 760,414 new shares were issued to existing shareholders and new investors at a subscription price of 108.80 francs each. A new share could be acquired for every three subscription rights.

    The capital increase was "significantly oversubscribed", explains Nova Property in the announcement. In total, it brought in new funds totaling 82.7 million francs for the Swiss Central City Real Estate Fund. Nova Property intends to use the funds to further expand the property portfolio. The fund, which is traded over the counter by Bank J. Safra Sarasin, holds real estate in central locations throughout Switzerland.

  • Construction trader HGC takes a stake in Urdorf start-up

    Construction trader HGC takes a stake in Urdorf start-up

    The trading cooperative of the Swiss Builders' Association ( HGC ) participates in Cloudworks AG , based in Urdorf. The company operates the PropTech start-up umbaumanager.ch, which was founded in 2019. The digital platform carries out the entire conversion process in digital form, according to the media release on the partnership. She leads the homeowner through the entire process of the construction project, from the first cost estimate, through the obtaining of offers, the award of contracts and construction management to any defect management.

    Umbaumanager.ch has been working with a network of qualified craftsmen and suppliers since the start. The HGC was one of the first partners of umbaumanager.ch and is now participating in the operating company Cloudworks, according to the announcement. "With the network and know-how of HGC as a service provider for everything to do with construction, our platform can be expanded further," the founders of Cloudworks AG and developers of umbaumanager.ch, Faton Mati and Christian Vogt, are quoted as saying:

    The HG Commerciale cooperative, founded in 1899, supplies the Swiss construction industry with materials. "We at HGC are further expanding our digital competence with our participation and can thus offer our craft customers a clear added value", Martin Tobler, CEO of HGC, is quoted in the announcement. The HGC has around 800 employees.

  • DBS Group partners with Intercity Group

    DBS Group partners with Intercity Group

    The DBS Group and the Intercity Group want to combine their locations and competencies in real estate management, inform the two partner companies in a message. The respective branches of the companies are now appearing under the IntercityGribi brand. The DBS Group intends to use the cooperation to strengthen its market position in German-speaking Switzerland.

    Within IntercityGribi, Gribi Bewirtschaftung AG from DBS and Intercity Bewirtschaftung AG from Intercity will act as two independent legal entities, the communication further explains. As part of the partnership, the DBS Group takes over half of the Intercity Bewirtschaftung AG. All other real estate services from DBS and Intercity remain unaffected by the cooperation.

    "This step is a milestone for the DBS Group on the way to becoming one of the leading real estate managers in Switzerland," DBS Group CEO Christophe Hubschmid is quoted in the press release. "Even in view of the acquisition of Lucerne contrust immobilien ag by the DBS Group on May 27, 2021, the comprehensive presence of the group represents a considerable competitive advantage." Strengthen your own company.

  • HB-Therm builds new headquarters in St.Gallen

    HB-Therm builds new headquarters in St.Gallen

    HB-Therm is the “world's leading manufacturer of temperature control units for the plastics processing industry”, as an article in the “Tagblatt” reveals. With its 150 employees , it produces its products, which are sold in more than 50 countries, exclusively in St.Gallen. The various departments are housed in four buildings around the St. Fiden train station. This will change with the new headquarters in St.Gallen-Winkeln. HB-Therm is investing 60 million francs in the new building; the groundbreaking ceremony recently took place.

    With the new building, however, not only the departments will be brought together under one roof. In addition, HB-Therm will increase its production capacities. 100 of the employees work in St.Gallen, and there will be space for 200 jobs in the future. From the move planned for 2023, more optimal process flows should then be made possible in the future. When choosing the location, it was always clear that HB-Therm would stay in St.Gallen. "We feel very comfortable here, we will stay here", CEO Reto Zürcher is quoted as saying, who also emphasizes that the company will build "the future" with the new headquarters. This is underlined by the targeted Minergie standard for sustainable building, a solar system with a peak output of 300 kilowatts and charging stations for electric vehicles.

    This commitment to a future in St.Gallen is described by Samuel Zuberbühler, Head of City Promotion, as a “strong symbol for the business and workplace”. He is pleased "that the jobs are being preserved and even new ones are being created," he is quoted in the "Tagblatt" newspaper.

  • Procimmo realizes capital increase

    Procimmo realizes capital increase

    Procimmo SA has raised around 70 million francs on the capital market for its real estate fund Procimmo Swiss Commercial Fund 56, the asset manager of collective real estate investments informs in a message . According to her, the capital increase was significantly oversubscribed. The company sees this as "a clear vote of confidence on the part of investors in the fund," says the press release.

    The 64 million francs that have been brought in are intended, on the one hand, to reduce the fund's debt financing ratio. On the other hand, Procimmo wants to use the new capital for the continuation of existing construction projects, is explained in the communication. The company is also planning further property acquisitions.

    The funds brought in correspond to 594,128 new fund shares, explains Procimmo. A total of 2,970,643 shares are currently held by 56 investors. As of the end of 2020, the fund consisted of a total of 33 properties in the cantons of Vaud, Geneva, Friborg, Jura, Neuchâtel and Valais. The announcement puts his total assets at CHF 487.8 million.

  • Jakob Stark presides over Lignum

    Jakob Stark presides over Lignum

    Lignum held its spring meeting online at the end of April, according to a media release from the umbrella organization for the Swiss forest and timber industry. Economy Minister Guy Parmelin also sent a word of greeting and referred to the potential of wood. On the one hand, building owners and architects in Switzerland would increasingly rely on wood and, on the other hand, forests and wood would contribute to the achievement of the federal government's energy and climate targets. There is an enormous demand for the material worldwide.

    Lignum is now managed by Jakob Stark. The Thurgau Council of States has taken over the presidency from Sylvia Flückiger. On her departure, former National Council President Ruedi Lustenberger gave the laudation and underlined that the wood industry had benefited from Flückiger's work in terms of both forest and wood policy.

    The new President Stark sees more and more areas of application for wood as a material in the future. Not only in the building sector, but also in the infrastructure sector, for example in bridge construction, as he says in an interview. In addition, there would also be opportunities to use wood together with concrete: “Modern building is hybrid, you mix.” As a competence center for the use of wood in construction, Lignum would be of major importance for a positive future of wood in Switzerland. In addition, wood has the advantage in terms of climate policy, "that the wood used binds a lot of CO2 and can thus make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gases and slowing global warming, and that is still very cost-effective," says Stark.

  • LafargeHolcim purchases in Greece

    LafargeHolcim purchases in Greece

    LafargeHolcim has strengthened its Heracles group in Greece. The Zug-based building materials manufacturer bought Halyps Domia Ylika, namely its large aggregates business and two ready-mixed concrete plants, from its competitor Heidelberg Cement. As stated in a media release from LafargeHolcim, this acquisition will strengthen the position of the Heracles Group in the flourishing metropolitan area of Athens with its important infrastructure projects.

    "I am excited about the opportunities and growth prospects of this acquisition in the Attica region in central Greece," said Miljan Gutovic, Region Head EMEA, in the press release. "With our leading range of sustainable building solutions such as the green concrete ECOPact, it will also support us in our pursuit of net zero."

    The acquisition will offer Heracles customers an expanded product portfolio of aggregates and concrete solutions that are suitable for all construction projects. This April, for example, the Heracles Group launched its ECOPact range of green concrete with a reduced CO2 footprint.

  • BKW, AEK and onyx are merging their networks

    BKW, AEK and onyx are merging their networks

    BKW Energie AG in Bern, AEK Energie AG in Solothurn and onyx Energie Mittelland AG in Langenthal will all operate under one roof on January 1, 2022. The merger of the three distribution network operators of the BKW Group is to be approved at the general meetings of AEK and onyx next year, according to a media release .

    The locations in the areas of Emmental, Oberaargau, Seeland, Oberland, Jura and Solothurn are to be retained, as are the more than 600 jobs in the areas of energy, buildings and infrastructure.

    The employees are to develop the largest distribution network in Switzerland in the future. For this purpose, a place for new, future-oriented cooperation models in the areas of energy and infrastructure will be created in Solothurn.

    The merger of the networks is a reaction of the companies to a changing market environment in the course of the energy transition, according to the media release. So there are increasingly high power peaks when owners of electric cars connect their cars for charging at the same time.

    In addition, more and more consumers who produce electricity themselves are feeding their surpluses into the grid. This leads to higher costs. These additional costs are to be cushioned through closer coordination, standardization and automation of the previously independent networks.

    The networks from BKW, AEK and onyx supply one million people with electricity. They include 425,000 connections and 22,000 kilometers of network along the Aare from the Grimsel to Solothurn and in the Jura.

  • PSP Swiss Property has a good start to the year

    PSP Swiss Property has a good start to the year

    According to a statement from PSP Swiss Property , the Zug-based real estate company generated real estate income totaling CHF 77.4 million in the first quarter of 2021. Compared to the same period in the previous year, this corresponds to growth of 4.6 percent. Operating expenses remained at the previous year's level at 13.2 percent.

    The operating result (EBITDA) excluding real estate successes and valuation differences amounted to 78.5 million francs in the quarter under review, 23.9 percent more than in the first quarter of 2020. The profit without real estate successes rose by 28.5 percent year-on-year to 61.8 million Francs too.

    At 88.8 million, net profit was 85.3 percent higher than in the previous year. The real estate company attributes the sharp rise to higher rental income, profits from the sale of development projects and condominiums, and a portfolio revaluation of CHF 33.2 million.

    The balance sheet value of the portfolio on the reporting date at the end of the quarter was CHF 8.641 billion, compared to CHF 8.577 billion at the end of 2020. In the quarter under review, PSP Swiss Property sold the Seestrasse development project in Kilchberg ZH and 13 floor units in the Residenza Parco Lago project in Paradiso near Lugano. The vacancy rate rose from 3.0 to 3.1 percent due to renovation work, among other things.

  • Sika raises the bar

    Sika raises the bar

    Sika closed the first quarter of 2021 with record sales of just under 2.0 billion francs, the Zug-based building materials group announced in a press release . In a year-on-year comparison, this corresponds to growth of 10.2 percent. Sika writes that growth of 12.6 percent was achieved in local currencies. The announcement puts organic growth at 11.1 percent.

    All market regions of the globally active group contributed to the positive development. In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa), a year-on-year increase in sales of 13.2 percent in local currencies to 914.7 million Swiss francs was achieved. The Americas region grew by 6.2 percent in local currencies. In the Asia / Pacific region, sales in local currencies rose by 25.8 percent to 422.8 million Swiss francs. In business with the automotive industry (Global Business), growth of 2.7 percent in local currencies was achieved after a minus in the previous year.

    "In the new year we were able to seamlessly build on our strong performance from the fourth quarter of the previous year", Paul Schuler, chairman of the group management, is quoted in the announcement. As a consequence of the development, Sika is adjusting its growth targets for the year as a whole upwards. Instead of the 6 to 8 percent originally communicated, the aim is now to achieve double-digit sales growth in local currencies. The margin on the operating result (EBIT) is also to be increased to 15 percent for the first time this year. In the previous year, an EBIT margin of 14.4 percent was achieved.

  • Energie Zukunft Schweiz takes over Broenner AG

    Energie Zukunft Schweiz takes over Broenner AG

    According to a press release, Energie Zukunft Schweiz AG has taken over Broenner AG from Lucerne. The project developer for renewable heating, photovoltaics and energy efficiency is thus expanding its portfolio to include Broenner AG's competencies in the field of building technology: process energy for industrial and commercial customers, planning of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and cooling as well as heating networks.

    Thomas Birrer, founder and managing director of Broenner AG, is satisfied with this succession plan. It offers employees a perspective "from which our customers also benefit, since we can bring our competencies into a larger network".

    According to the managing director of Energie Zukunft Schweiz AG, Aeneas Wanner, Birrer and his employees impress “with their high level of competence and innovative strength. With their specialized know-how, they are an ideal addition to our rapidly growing team. This puts us in an even better position to support our customers holistically in the implementation of the energy transition. "

    The location and all jobs are to be retained. In addition to the previous branches in Basel, Lausanne and Zurich, Energie Zukunft Schweiz will thus have a new location in Central Switzerland in Neuenkirch.

  • LafargeHolcim becomes Holcim again

    LafargeHolcim becomes Holcim again

    At this year's General Meeting, the Board of Directors will propose that the name of the LafargeHolcim Ltd. in Holcim Ltd. to change, informs LafargeHolcim in a message . The aim is to increase the “efficiency and impact” of the globally active company and build on “the legacy of the group”. The various LafargeHolcim brand names will remain unaffected by the group's name change.

    The company, which was founded in Holderbank AG in 1912, had been operating under the name Holcim since 2001. After the merger with the French building materials manufacturer Lafarge, the group was renamed LafargeHolcim in 2015.

    In addition, the general assembly on May 4th is due to vote on the relocation of the headquarters from Rapperswil-Jona to Zug. This will complete the restructuring of the Group's office locations, which was initiated in 2018, writes LafargeHolcim.

    In addition, upcoming changes to the Board of Directors will be communicated in the notification. Its Vice President Oscar Fanjul has decided to resign, LafargeHolcim informs. Fanjul was nominated for the Board of Directors by Lafarge in 2015. He had "played a central role in the successful merger of Lafarge and Holcim and made a significant contribution to making the company the leading global provider of building materials and solutions that it is today," said Chairman of the Board Beat Hess in the press release.

    Jan Jenisch, who has been CEO of the Group since September 2017, is also to be elected to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting. This serves to ensure continuity in management, explains the group.

  • Despite the pandemic, Switzerland is attracting companies

    Despite the pandemic, Switzerland is attracting companies

    The location promotion by the federal government, regions and cantons can look back on a successful year, explains the Conference of Cantonal Economics Directors ( VDK ) in a press release . Once a year, it compiles statistics on the number of foreign companies relocating to Switzerland. According to the latest VDK survey, a total of 220 foreign companies settled in Switzerland in 2020.

    Compared to the previous year, this corresponds to a decrease of 9 percent, explains the VDK in the announcement. The new settlements booked in the previous year would have created 1168 jobs but at the same time 11 percent more jobs than the settlements in the previous year. Even with the new jobs forecast for the next three years, the value of 2019 was exceeded by 21 percent with an expected 3,583 jobs.

    As in the previous year, most of the settlements in the year under review came from the ICT and life sciences sectors. In terms of origin, French, American and Chinese companies in particular were drawn to Switzerland.

    The national location promotion aims to advertise, above all, value-added and innovative companies, writes the VDK. The communication refers to the “successful cooperation” between the federal government, regions and cantons. In addition, the VDK emphasizes the role of the Swiss Business Hubs. These representations of the official Swiss organization for export promotion and location promotion, Switzerland Global Enterprise ( S-GE ), are active abroad as part of the Swiss embassies or consulates general.

    The task of the Swiss Business Hubs is to “market Switzerland as a leading innovation and technology location” and to identify “companies with settlement potential”, explains the VDK. S-GE will present specific settlement projects to the regions and cantons, "which will then campaign for a settlement in their canton in a federal competition". Align Technology is mentioned in the announcement as an example of success. The American medtech company is run by former ABB boss Joe Hogan and relocated its European headquarters from the Netherlands to Rotkreuz ZG in the reporting year.

  • Thomas Hasler is to lead Sika

    Thomas Hasler is to lead Sika

    According to a statement from Sika , the globally active Zug-based building materials group was able to post new record values for operating profit and consolidated profit in the 2020 financial year. Specifically, the operating result at EBIT level rose by 7.1 percent year-on-year to 1.13 billion Swiss francs. At the same time, consolidated profit increased by 8.8 percent to 825.1 million francs. Sales grew by 3.4 percent in local currencies to 7.88 billion Swiss francs.

    "In 2020, the distribution business and our refurbishment business in particular proved to be particularly resistant to crises," Paul Schuler is quoted in the press release. In the opinion of the Sika CEO, the group will benefit from the growing demand for environmentally friendly products in the future. "A large part of our sales is already generated with technologies that provide customers, the environment and society with sustainable benefits," explains Schuler. For the current year, Sika is aiming for sales growth of between 6 and 8 percent in local currencies.

    Schuler will hand over his position to Thomas Hasler at the beginning of May. The current head of Global Business and Industry at Sika has been with the Zug-based building materials group for 32 years, the press release explains. Hasler joined Sika as a research chemist for industrial adhesives and in 2011 took over as head of automotive worldwide. The designated CEO has been a member of the Executive Committee since 2014. The current CEO, Paul Schuler, will be proposed for election to the Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting in April.

  • Westhive wants to expand further

    Westhive wants to expand further

    Westhive sees an increasing demand for flexible office space. The Zurich-based provider, founded in 2017, therefore plans to open new locations in Basel, Zurich-Stettbach and Zug at the beginning of 2022. Geneva is to follow a year later, Westhive writes in a statement. The location there is to be set up in the new Alto Pont-Rouge and cover an area of 4500 square meters. It will also have its own fitness center, two restaurants and an event conference center.

    A total of around 1,000 jobs will be created at the four locations on 10,000 square meters. "All locations have a high proportion of private offices, for which we are seeing the greatest demand," Westhive co-founder Andreas Widmer is quoted in the press release.

    Westhive continued to see strong growth in 2020. The number of tenants has risen by over 50 percent. "We are seeing continuous demand for flexible offices and workplaces, even now that the home office is mandatory," says Widmer. "But most of all we are pleased that we have lost practically no members."

  • Quality-tested PropTech solutions and motivated talents

    Quality-tested PropTech solutions and motivated talents

    Facchinetti is targeting the DACH region (Switzerland, Austria and Germany) with his new idea: "Our aim is to support small and medium-sized companies in innovation management," explains Facchinetti.

    This decision is based on the finding that in companies with a manageable team size, day-to-day business does not leave the necessary resources to obtain the necessary information about the fast-moving innovation landscape and to make well-founded decisions. On the one hand, a selection of quality-tested innovations is intended to simplify the selection of value-adding solutions in the innovation jungle that has become opaque. On the other hand, PropTechMarket is building a qualitative talent pool with motivated and innovation-minded specialists who want to contribute their skills in the real estate and construction industry.

    «Above all, we want to buy our customers time. Time so that specialists can use their skills again where they contribute to the successful future of the company. We believe in the conscious interaction between people and technology, ”says Facchinetti. "With the right coordination, the possibilities for efficiency increases, new customer experiences and sustainability-promoting measures are enormous, especially for smaller companies." PropTechMarket's offerings are currently focused on the areas of object visualization and facility management. In a next step, further business areas of the real estate cycle are to be added.

  • Sika purchases in Russia

    Sika purchases in Russia

    Sika is buying up the Russian manufacturer of mortar products Kreps LLC, informs the Zug-based building materials group in a press release . The company, with annual sales of around 15 million francs, specializes in the production of tile adhesives, plasters and floor leveling compounds. The notification does not provide any information about the purchase price.

    The new addition is intended to strengthen Sika's position in the region. "Kreps offers a broad product portfolio and an expanded geographic presence for mortar in the Russian Federation," Ivo Schädler, Regional Manager EMEA at Sika, is quoted in the press release. "Together with the improved access to the sales channel, we get a platform to further expand and strengthen our position in this market." The new acquisition has production sites in Saint Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, both regions in which Sika was previously not represented with its own locations.

    With the takeover, a training center operated by Kreps and “well-equipped” production laboratories will also be owned by Sika, the press release explains. According to her, the transaction has yet to be approved by the local antitrust authorities.

  • MoneyPark wins Zug pension fund

    MoneyPark wins Zug pension fund

    MoneyPark can add another mortgage partner to its portfolio: it will sell and manage mortgages for the Zug pension fund in the future. "In particular, we promote energy-efficient buildings and offer special conditions for sustainably built or energy-efficient properties," said the head of asset management at Zuger Pensionskasse, Fabian Steiner, in a press release from MoneyPark.

    MoneyPark is thus expanding its range of over 150 providers to include "another important player", it says there. "With access to over 150 financing providers, including a range of pension funds that is unrivaled in Switzerland, we offer our customers the broadest range of mortgages in Switzerland," says Stefan Heitmann, CEO and founder of MoneyPark.

    Investing in the mortgage asset class will not only benefit mortgage borrowers, but also insured persons, emphasizes MoneyPark. The Zuger Pensionskasse can safely and sustainably diversify its investment portfolio and, unlike bonds, expect a positive return.

  • Schneider Spannagel Architects is now called LUMO

    Schneider Spannagel Architects is now called LUMO

    The Schneider Spannagel architects' office in Döttingen has had a change in management to review its market presence. After the age-related resignation of a member of the management, the company's appearance was checked. The result was a complete redesign of the brand with a new name and a new, modern logo: LUMO Architekten AG . The down-to-earth architecture firm Schneider Spannagel became LUMO Architects, understood as a contemporary, agile studio.

    In amedia release from the advertising agency Megura AG in Baden, which was entrusted with the “total renovation of the brand presence”, it is said that the new name LUMO stands for “light, uncomplicated, modern, open”. That corresponds to the values and working methods of the office as well as the architectural style of the realized buildings.

    In addition to the new name and logo, including a new website, Megura also designed letterheads, signage and the like. The lightness and joy of experimentation of the new company, according to Megura, is evident in digital media: The reduced logo allows the distinctive four letters to move around the room, so that new combinations are created over and over again.

    LUMO Architects is staying at the old headquarters of the company, which was founded in 1973 and has been redesigned and expanded several times, in Poststrasse in Döttingen.

  • Privera is reorganized for the year 2021

    Privera is reorganized for the year 2021

    Privera combines the two complementary services “Letting Management” and “Trading” in the new “Marketing Switzerland” area. Marcel Frick, previously Head of Letting Management Switzerland, is in charge of the newly created organizational unit and thus combines the marketing expertise of the two departments. The rental management, as well as the trade, however, continue to act as an independent strategic service line of Privera.

    In addition, the Center Management division was renamed Retail & Site Management as of January 2021. This better reflects the diverse range of services in the area. The management of shopping centers also includes retail marketing, the coordination of tenants' associations and the management of complex areas that include retail, office and residential space. Dieter Sommer says: "We are convinced that these adjustments will help both our customers and our company."

  • Lidl is planning branches for the future

    Lidl is planning branches for the future

    Lidl Switzerland had already committed itself in 2014 to make the operation of its branches more sustainable, informs the retail company in a message . After all, the energy consumption of 150 Swiss Lidl branches corresponds to that of a medium-sized city in the country. The savings potential is correspondingly large.

    New branches are to be implemented as early as this year with the help of an innovative energy concept, the communication further explains. "It is very important to us that our future locations are future-proof and sustainable with regard to building materials, energy consumption and technology", Reto Ruch, Chief Real Estate Officer of Lidl Switzerland, is quoted there. Lidl Switzerland is working with Empa to develop this energy concept.

    In a first step, the two partners will analyze the energy consumption of the existing branches. As a result, optimization measures should then be derived from this. At the same time, Empa and Lidl want to test alternative energy systems with the help of computer simulations. "Our goal is to help Lidl Switzerland with our research work to further improve sustainability, continue to reduce emissions in the future and optimize energy management," explains Empa researcher Curdin Derungs in the press release.

  • Poenina takes over Kälte 3000 AG

    Poenina takes over Kälte 3000 AG

    Bündner Kälte 3000 AG will belong to Poenina Holding as of March 31, 2021, the building services group from the Zurich economic area informed in a message . According to her, the relevant contract was signed on January 15th. The notification does not provide any information about the purchase price.

    "With the acquisition of Kälte 3000 AG, we are continuing our growth strategy in the core competence areas of heating and cooling," said Jean Claude Bregy, CEO of the Poenina Group, in the press release. The new acquisition, which specializes in services for refrigeration technology, has, in addition to its headquarters in Landquart, branches in Samedan GR, Untereggen SG and Regensdorf ZH. The company's annual turnover is estimated at around 15 million francs.

    The previous directors Ronny Berry, Robert Gadient and Pius Gruber will also manage Kälte 3000 AG under the Poenina umbrella. The company will also continue to operate under its old name, informs Poenina in the announcement.

  • Aventron and HIAG found solar company

    Aventron and HIAG found solar company

    Aventron and HIAG team up: Their new joint company, HIAG Solar AG, wants to expand the production of solar power on the roofs of HIAG properties in the long term. HIAG holds 49 percent of the joint venture, aventron 51 percent. Aventron CEO Antoine Millioud finds an “optimal connection”: “HIAG has very large roof areas in Switzerland and aventron has proven expertise in the planning, implementation and operation of high-performance solar systems.”

    As stated in a press release from HIAG, HIAG Solar AG wants to become a major solar power producer in Switzerland in the medium term and gradually expand its capacity. 65,000 square meters of space are currently available for photovoltaic modules. They should generate around 10 mega-watt peak power.

    The aim is to produce 10 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. This corresponds to a CO2 equivalent saving of 4.2 million tons. The first four systems are already being planned. They should start operating this year and next.

  • LuzernPlus President Michèle Graber resigns

    LuzernPlus President Michèle Graber resigns

    Michèle Graber, who has chaired LuzernPlus since January 1, 2020, has decided to resign. Your resignation as of December 31, 2020 is due to time constraints. Her main job is to lead the inter-company courses for dental assistants in Central Switzerland. She has also been a member of the Lucerne Cantonal Council since 2011. The effort that the Presidium entails, the work as a cantonal councilor and, in particular, the additional workload as a result of Corona were not compatible with each other in the long term.

    «I was very happy to support the LuzernPlus community association. The time resources that I can make available to the association under the given conditions, however, cannot be reconciled with my high demands on the quality of my work. That's why I decided to focus on fewer tasks, ”says Michèle Graber. “I got to know a very dynamic association whose goals I was very happy to support. Regional cooperation is one of the strengths of our region and it should definitely be expanded. "

    André Bachmann, board member of LuzernPlus, regrets the resignation. «We would like to thank Michèle Graber for her careful work. With her friendly manner she gave the association a face ». Bachmann continues: “In particular, the connection with the Cantonal Council was very important for our association. We appreciate that Michèle Graber will remain connected to our association. We wish Michèle Graber all the best for her professional and private future. "

    The search for a successor is ongoing

    André Bachmann, previous board member, takes over the presidential duties on an interim basis. In addition, the Board of Management immediately initiated the search for a successor. "We will carefully set up the process for succession planning and inform our delegates about the planned steps by the end of 2020." Bachmann continues: "The replacement election is expected to take place at the delegates' meeting in April 2021."