Fratelli Matasci SA wins Phoenix Award for long-term entrepreneurship
On October 5, 2021, the Tenero-based winery and wine shop Fratelli Matasci SA received the Phoenix Award 2021 for long-term Swiss entrepreneurship. The award comes fittingly on the occasion of Fratelli Matasci's 100th birthday this year.
The Phoenix Award for Long-Term Swiss Entrepreneurship will be presented for the second time after its premiere in 2020 and honors Swiss SMEs that have mastered the continuity of their company for a century or more by means of successful succession planning. The aim is to give them the visibility and the "stage" they deserve.
In business for 100 or more years
SMEs that have successfully ensured the survival of their company over such a long period of time have already had to overcome several crises such as world wars and economic crises and rise anew like the "Phoenix from the ashes". Potential prize winners are therefore Swiss SMEs that are celebrating their hundredth "birthday" this year or have been entered in the Swiss Commercial Register for one hundred years. From these companies, an expert jury and a jury advisory board with representatives from science, entrepreneurship and the media determine the winner of the Phoenix Award in a multi-stage process. The evaluation focuses on the companies' innovative and disruptive capabilities, their team performance, and their contribution to society and the national economy.
The prize was created by the initiative, which has been in existence since 2018, of the Successor bus.ch. This is a unique information campaign for SME entrepreneurs on the subject of business succession. Since its launch, the Nachfolgebus.ch initiative has received cantonal support from the Office of Economic Affairs and Labor of the Canton of Zurich.
Fratelli Matasci SA makes a contribution to society and the economy
The jury's decision in favor of Fratelli Matasci was particularly influenced by the fact that the company plays an important role both as a pioneer of Ticino Merlot throughout Switzerland and as a major customer of Ticino winegrowers and thus as a promoter of the preservation of winegrowing in the Ticino valleys. At the same time, the company secures jobs in the value chain from cultivation to trade. Furthermore, in the eyes of the jury, Fratelli Matasci is in the best sense a typical representative of Ticino entrepreneurship, which extends traditional wine craftsmanship, which is in constant development, with a cultural contribution and adds an additional note to the enjoyment of wine. All of this has been carried on for a hundred years by a family that today works together in the third and fourth generations.
"As a pioneer, Fratelli Matasci opened the gates for Ticino Merlot beyond the cantonal borders to the whole of Switzerland. Thanks to warm hospitality and creativity, the arc in the further development spans from the vine to art, and the company continues to go its very own way today. Held together by an emotionally strong family, Fratelli Matasci has reached the fourth generation and is well positioned to write a next century of company history. This contribution is a stroke of luck for every region, both from a social and an economic point of view," said Giacomo Garaventa, summing up the verdict of the jury and the jury advisory board in his laudatory speech.
Congratulations from politics and business
Mario Matasci, member of the second generation of the family business, accepted the award with great pleasure on behalf of all family members and employees. The award certificate was presented by Carla Kaufmann, initiator of the Phoenix Award, together with entrepreneur, succession expert and jury advisory board member Giacomo Garaventa. In addition, Christian Vitta, member of the government and director of the Department of Finance and Economy of the Canton of Ticino, Graziano Crugnola, deputy mayor of Tenero-Contra, as well as representatives from winegrowing, tourism and culture, among others, personally conveyed their congratulations on this entrepreneurial award.
"Receiving this unexpected award today rounds off our 100th anniversary in a successful way. It recognizes the success of our company and thus the work and philosophy we all share as a family business. At the same time, I see this Phoenix Award as a motivating prelude to the next 100 years," are the fitting words of Mario Matasci, who accepts the award.
More information about the company: www.matasci-vini.ch
