Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann about Ferrum
«A head start of a century over Silicon Valley»
One hundred years! An impressive figure which inspires deep respect – particularly in the fastpaced times we live in. New companies are founded at increasingly short intervals, peaking within a few years and subsequently disappearing from memory altogether. This is naturally also connected to the new, infinitely volatile digital world.
As its name implies, Ferrum has a great deal to do with hardware. Hardware designed to defy the onslaught of time. And this although software is also playing an ever larger, more decisive role at Ferrum. However, the company's core focus is placed on rock solid machinery. And, as the former head of a construction equipment firm, I know very well that quality in terms of machinery is simply non-negotiable. Companies active in this segment who fail to excel rapidly drop out of the running. They are unable to relate their corporate history, as Ferrum does on the following pages with justifiable pride.
However, premium quality is not the be all and end all within the life of a firm. A sense of proportion is also essential in order to fuse the continually changing expectations of an extremely demanding clientele with state-of-the-art technological developments to form an innovative, solid product which can hold its ground on the market. Ferrum repeatedly demonstrates and consolidates these skills, benefiting, in the process, from the «savoir-faire» of its employees. Decades of experience have also been flowing successfully into the dual training program pursued by Ferrum's young professionals, which the company has now maintained for generations. As Federal Councillor and Minister for Economic Affairs, I am always particularly proud to be able to congratulate a company like Ferrum AG and its staff on their centenary. I'd like to see oneof these Silicon Valley high fliers emulate your achievements! And should one of them actually succeed in clocking up a couple of decades' worth of lifespan in the next 50 to 70 years, Ferrum will still be a step ahead.
