Evatec AG wins the Prix SVC Ostschweiz 2020

Actually, the award ceremony of the ninth Prix SVC Ostschweiz 2020 should have taken place on March 5, 2020. However, the corona virus put a big spoke in the organizers' wheel: the event had to be postponed. "However, cancellation was never an issue," said OC President Christoph Zeller. "The finalists deserved a worthy award ceremony". On August 19, 2020, the time had come: in strict compliance with the hygiene rules imposed by the FOPH, the award ceremony could be held live after all. However, the number of guests present was limited to 300, the audience had to be seated at tables, and the traditional Apéro Riche following the award ceremony was replaced by a dinner. Exhibition stands of sponsors and prize winners had to be dispensed with. But the main thing was: finally a live event again.

Cross-section of the economy of Eastern Switzerland

The six finalists, who were selected from 150 companies in eastern Switzerland by a 13-member jury of experts headed by Andrea Fanzun, therefore had to wait a little longer than usual. The selection of companies was quite impressive: traditional crafts such as winegrowing (Davaz Holding AG) met classic toolmaking and mechanical engineering (Heule Werkzeuge AG, Zünd Systemtechnik AG), life sciences (Integra Biosciences AG), consumer goods (Glatz AG) and high-tech (Evatec AG) - all in all, a representative cross-section of the Eastern Switzerland corporate landscape.

Evatec AG: From management buyout to specialist in thin-film technology

Evatec AG ultimately won the race. "A unique success story" is how jury president Andrea Fanzun described the development of this company, which came into being in 2004 as a management buyout of Unaxis, when co-founders Andreas Wälti (now CEO) and Marco Padrun (now CTO) started out with five employees. Today, the company employs more than 450 people worldwide, around 300 of them in Trübbach. The jury president commented: "These figures deserve respect and recognition. Responsible for this are an entrepreneurially competent management team, highly qualified employees and the highest quality in the construction of coating systems for thin films in the semiconductor, optics and optoelectronics markets. 380 granted and 200 pending patents testify to the innovative strength of the company, which convinces customers all over the world with its developments and products.

Pipetting technology - also in favor of Covid 19 research

Second place went to Integra Biosciences AG from Zizers, which impressed the jury not only with its "outstanding market position" but also with its consistent customer orientation and its distinctive culture of innovation. The company is a recognized innovation leader for electronic pipettes and, with 280 employees today, develops, manufactures and sells high-quality laboratory equipment for the precise dispensing of liquids - an area that is currently "booming" in connection with vaccine research, for example. Third place went to Zünd Systemtechnik AG from Altstätten. The globally active family business, which specializes in the development and manufacture of digital flatbed cutting systems, employs 400 people worldwide, 210 of them at its headquarters in the Rhine Valley.

Family businesses that are leaders in their fields

The other finalists and award winners of the evening were Davaz Holding AG (Fläsch, viticulture and wine trade, among others the Rimuss brand belongs to this group of companies), Glatz AG (Frauenfeld, manufacturer of high-quality sunshades and shading systems) and Heule Werkzeug AG (Balgach, global technology leader in the field of bore machining).

Next Prix SVC Ostschweiz in 2022

Despite the smaller setting, the awards ceremony, moderated by Marco Fritsche, was exciting right to the end. Those people who could not attend due to lack of space were able to follow the event via livestream. In addition, the TV station TVO will broadcast a special program on August 23, 2020. The awarding of the tenth Prix SVC Ostschweiz will take place on Thursday, March 10, 2022 - hopefully then again on the usual grand scale.

More information: Swiss Venture Club