Lending a helping hand
2020 has been dominated by the global impacts of the coronavirus. But as in every crisis, there were many examples of collaboration and support. One of them was the donation of protective equipment from the Wuxi government in China to Bühler in Uzwil.
China put lockdown measures into effect to curb the spread of the coronavirus at the end of January while Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) was underway. This is a time when people travel to join their families to celebrate this important holiday. “Restrictions came into play in the middle of Chinese New Year, catching everyone by surprise, Initially, it was a very uncertain time,” explains David Wang, President Bühler Group Asia. “The entire Bühler team of over 3,000 people was spread across different locations with their families. But they quickly adapted and learned to work within the new conditions. We received a lot of support.”
Though many businesses in China found it difficult to resume production amid the Covid-19 outbreak, Bühler’s offices in China – like many multinational enterprises – were able to resume part of the production thanks to the strong support of the parent company along with a clear plan of action. “Within a very short time, we formed remote teams to keep our businesses going,” said Connie He, Human Resources Director, Bühler China. “When we received supplies from Uzwil for the safety of our teams, the first groups were able to resume production work. The support from the headquarters fully demonstrates the strength of unity at Bühler.”
While the situation in China was stabilized, the number of confirmed cases in many other countries, including Switzerland, was growing in the Spring of 2020. To support the global fight against Covid-19, the Wuxi Municipal People's Government and the Wuxi Industrial Development Group sent 30,000 disposable surgical face masks, 500 sets of medical protective clothing, and 500 sets of ordinary protective clothing to Bühler’s Wuxi offices for further shipment to Uzwil. Glued to each box there was a message to Bühler: “Though mountains and rivers separate us apart; under the same sky we stand.”
On April 7, 2020, the boxes with supplies arrived in Uzwil. Stefan Scheiber, CEO at Bühler Group, and Daniel Egy, Head of Business Unit Chocolate & Coffee, and member of the Global Corona Steering Committee at Bühler, went immediately to the delivery location to see the delivery in person. “I am overwhelmed by this gesture of solidarity and friendship from the Wuxi government and our joint venture partner,” said Stefan Scheiber. “I am very thankful that even in challenging times we can rely on our strong business relations. I am also inspired that caring for each other extends across all borders. Like the leaflet on the boxes said: under the same sky we stand.”
As a next step, Daniel Egy and his team made sure that the supplies were sent to the locations. The equipment was used in manufacturing and logistics and service in Uzwil and other locations.
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