Internal: Archive

Winterthur takes commanding share of Czech pensions market

This content was published on Jan 23, 2001 The purchase of VOPF will cost Winterthur SFr114 million ($70 million). Through the acquisition of VOPF, Winterthur will attain a market share in the Czech Republic of more than 25 per cent and will be number one in the rapidly expanding Czech pension fund market. In 1995 Winterthur was one of the first foreign companies…

Sabena board makes restructuring conditional on union approval

This content was published on Jan 23, 2001 The airline, which is 51 per cent controlled by the Belgian government and 49 per cent by Switzerland’s SAirGroup, announced plans for a restructuring programme last October designed to slash costs, including cutting 500 jobs, in order to restore profitability. Trade union representatives, who met with Sabena management on Monday, said they were optimistic about…

Swiss embassy gives young people spray cans and a voice

This content was published on Jan 23, 2001 This colourful means of expression may seem a surprising way for the supposedly staid Swiss to celebrate. But Switzerland does have a tradition of graffiti art, epitomised by the so-called “Zurich sprayer”, Harald Nägeli. Four graffiti artists have been busily transforming the garage under the embassy building in Montagu Place into an underground gallery of…

Safety improvements needed in 26 railway tunnels

This content was published on Jan 22, 2001 The study, released on Monday, found that the vast majority of Switzerland’s 689 railway tunnels were safe and allowed for the possibility of a speedy evacuation in the event of fire. However, it found that longer tunnels of three kilometres or more were less safe. The report said improvements needed to be made in a…

Begging for food in richest Swiss city

This content was published on Jan 22, 2001 The children are well aware that on this day, the guild of millers, bakers and confectioners are holding a remembrance service and enjoying a meal together. In response to the calls from the young, the guild members throw down pastries, oranges and little sausages from a balcony. There are more treats in store for the…

Sales up for Sia Abrasives

This content was published on Jan 22, 2001 No precise figures for 2000 have been released, but the company said in a statement that sales grew faster than its main markets, which it said strengthened by between two and three per cent. The coated abrasives and abrasive systems group’s 1999 sales were SFr204.7 million ($125 million). Sia also expected 2000 earnings before interest…

Syngenta sells some Nordic fungicide businesses

This content was published on Jan 22, 2001 Israel’s Makhteshim Agan Industries will pay Syngenta SFr8.5 million ($5.2 million) for the Corbel, Tilt Top, Tilt, Stereo and Turn brands of fungicide. The agreement covers Denmark, Sweden and Finland where the combined 2000 turnover for these brands was about SFr14 million. Makhteshim Agan Industries bought the sales rights to another fungicide, Nimrod, from Syngenta…

Gene switchboard reveals its secrets

This content was published on Jan 22, 2001 The researchers, who are collaborating with the Academy of Sciences in Moscow, are investigating the behaviour of regulatory elements which control the behaviour of genes. These elements act as insulators or walls, blocking the transfer of information from one side of the wall to the other. They are usually believed to insulate a gene against…

The business outlook

This content was published on Jan 21, 2001 Lonza presents its full year figures for 2000 on Tuesday. Analysts expect an increase in net profit of 26 per cent on the back of last year’s economic recovery. However, the outlook for the current year though is less impressive, with net profit expected to grow 14 per cent. The company ‘s stock has shown…

The business week in Switzerland

This content was published on Jan 20, 2001 If the deal satisfies US regulators, Nestlé will gain a 40 per cent share of US sales. That would make it market leader in the US, although worldwide it Mars still holds the top spot. The pet-care business is an increasingly important part of the food sector, with annual sales increasing by around 6.5 per…

Internal: Archive

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Winterthur takes commanding share of Czech pensions market

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Sabena board makes restructuring conditional on union approval

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Swiss embassy gives young people spray cans and a voice

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Safety improvements needed in 26 railway tunnels

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Begging for food in richest Swiss city

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Sales up for Sia Abrasives

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Syngenta sells some Nordic fungicide businesses

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Gene switchboard reveals its secrets

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The business outlook

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The business week in Switzerland

Popular Stories

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