Winner of the Prix SVC Ostschweiz 2024: Zindel United

On March 7, 2024, the SVC (Swiss Venture Club) awarded the Prix SVC Ostschweiz to exemplary small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for the eleventh time. Marco Fritsche hosted the award ceremony in the Olma exhibition halls. The event offered the 900 invited guests from business, science, politics and the media insights into the impressive and diverse entrepreneurship of the region.

"Design. Build. Living"

Five companies were in the final this year for what is probably the most important business award in Eastern Switzerland: the Emil Egger Group, Huber Fenster AG, Nussbaum Matzingen AG, Märchenhotel AG and Zindel United. This company from Maienfeld, managed in the eighth generation by Andreas Zindel, was finally awarded the first prize. "Design. Build. Live" is what Zindel United stands for: its products and services cover the entire life cycle of a building: from the idea to financing and planning, the demolition and renovation of existing buildings through to new construction, maintenance and the necessary logistics. As a logical response to climate change and scarce resources, Zindel United consciously works in a circular economy with a focus on local raw materials. With the first verifiably CO2-neutral concrete in Switzerland, it is making a relevant contribution to achieving the 2050 climate targets. "Zindel United is implementing its vision - developing complete solutions from ideas for future generations, inspiring people and protecting the environment in the process - in an exemplary and pioneering way," said Andrea Fanzun, jury president, in his laudatory speech. The company has around 500 employees and generates sales of 160 million Swiss francs.

Märchenhotel AG and Huber Fenster AG in second and third place

Second place goes to the unique 4-star fairytale hotel for families with children. The hosts, Nadja and Patric Vogel, and their 55 employees are committed to ensuring that families can enjoy a "fairytale break" in Braunwald. Märchenhotel AG has developed into one of the largest tourism employers in the canton of Glarus and has already won several awards in the "Best Family Hotels in Switzerland". The clear focus on families is proving to be a recipe for success, with room occupancy rates of around 90 percent over the year, as the owner couple explained. There are even guests who "borrow" their children to spend some time at the fairytale hotel...

Bronze goes to the fifth generation of the family-run Huber Fenster AG from Herisau. The family business specializes in high-quality windows and individual façade elements. The company offers non-standard solutions and focuses on aesthetics with foresight. The company considers its more than one hundred employees, who are managed by the three brothers Matthias, Pascal and Sebastian Huber, to be the most important factor in its success.

Diploma ranks go to the Emil Egger Group and Nussbaum Matzingen AG

The diploma rank was awarded to the Emil Egger Group from St. Gallen, a renowned force in the logistics industry. Specializing in general cargo, heavy lift and warehouse logistics, the company stands out in particular for its expertise in handling oversized goods. Emil Egger holds the leading position in the heavy goods logistics sector in Switzerland and is also one of the top 20 crane service providers in the entire German-speaking region. 

The family business also received an award Nussbaum Matzingen AG headquartered in Matzingen, which develops sustainable and innovative aluminum packaging solutions for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food and industrial sectors and manufactures them in an environmentally friendly manner. High-quality monobloc cans are produced in three plants in Switzerland and Germany and sold worldwide. With its in-house development 100%-Nucan-PCR, it has succeeded in reducing CO2 emissions by 96%.

Source: Swiss Venture Club