One family, six generations, 155 years of innovation and continuity. Responding with foresight and courage to the changing zeitgeist, the Berlinger Group, once the first mechanical cotton weaving mill in the Toggenburg region, has developed into an internationally successful company. Where fabrics were once woven and bias binding was made, high technology products are now manufactured: software and hardware, on the one hand for monitoring sensitive pharmaceutical drugs, which are exported to over 180 countries. And on the other hand, for the safe transport and storage of doping samples of athletes from all over the world. With over 100 employees, and subsidiaries in the USA and the Netherlands, the company’s motto is “Feel safe”. Safety is the top priority for both pharmaceutical and anti-doping products.
Trust and continuity as the basis for market leadership in Europe
“As a global market leader, we work closely with the major national and international sports federations in combating doping,” says Andrea Berlinger, owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Berlinger Group. She cites trust, security and continuity as the basis for the Swiss SMEs being the market leaders in all key markets. Last year, Berlinger Special AG produced around 250,000 “BEREG Kits” for blood and urine samples from athletes from over 120 countries on its modern production line in Ganterschwil.
Robust technologies as a recipe for success in Africa
Patient safety is a major issue in the temperature monitoring of drugs and medical devices in complex international clinical trials. Berlinger launched an integrated digital temperature monitoring solution for this in 2019 and has established a considerable value creation network with renowned partners within a short time. According to Thomas Bechter, CEO of the Berlinger Group, “personal contacts and the continuity as a family business are also a key to success for innovative data aggregation and analysis - especially in the USA, the most innovative research location worldwide.”
The family as a persuasive argument in India
Among other things, Berlinger products also ensure that vaccines produced in India reach their destination in excellent condition. The CEO describes how Berlinger was able to convince the manufacturers of its temperature monitoring systems: “As a family business, the personal contact with our owner family scored decisively in India, as the companies we work with are likewise family businesses.” Thanks to its prudent market analyses, personal contacts, the cultivation of partnerships and a smart growth strategy, Berlinger is now represented in over 180 countries and is one of the three largest suppliers worldwide in the field of transport monitoring. Good reasons to be nominated for the Export Award 2020.
