20-year anniversary of a. hartrodt Switzerland

For two decades, a. hartrodt has been present on the Swiss market. "We started with two people," says Gabriela Aebi-Tövishati, Business Development Manager at a. hartrodt Switzerland in Muttenz near Basel. The sea freight volume has multiplied rapidly – to around 2,500 TEUs per year. At the same time, the number of employees has increased to eight. In the Alpine republic, a. hartrodt mainly offers sea freight, many customers come from the food or machinery industry. "Our service involves door-to-door deliveries including customs consultancy and special transports," explains Aebi-Tövishati.

Global port know-how

Throughout the world, consumers appreciate Swiss chocolate and cheese - and the supply chains for these products require in-depth knowledge of ports, authorities and customs logistics. The Swiss experts at a. hartrodt can rely on the international network of the family-owned company, including 18 offices in mainland China. Aebi-Tövishati gives the example of cheese being imported to China: "If you clear customs in Shanghai, it goes quickly and relatively well. In some provinces this can take up to several weeks."

Close to customers

Because of its central location in Europe, Switzerland can use numerous seaports. "For the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, we often go via Genoa or La Spezia," says Aebi-Tövishati. The Ligurian ports are very well connected by rail. "Transit times and price are crucial. We always look for the best option for the customer," says the manager. For the Western part of Switzerland, this could be Fos-sur-Mer near Marseille, while the North-Range ports are usually preferred for the German-speaking parts of the country. "We are positioned very close to our customers, and particularly small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from this," she emphasises.

In September, Aebi-Tövishati takes over the management of a. hartrodt Switzerland from Peter Hofer, who will retire at the end of the year. His successor will return to growth after corona and wants to develop air freight: "In the future, the number of employees is to increase to twelve, possibly with a further location in Switzerland.