Although 2020 was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fribourg Development Agency (FDA) has never supported as many company projects as it did last year. A total of 54 companies (35 in 2019) carried out an expansion project or decided to establish new operations with the support of the FDA. These projects will create more than 500 new jobs over the next five years (290 in 2019). At the same time, the FDA team has been heavily involved in the preparation and implementation of the emergency measures and economic recovery plan related to the pandemic.<\/p>\n
“My team has done a tremendous job over the past year”, commented Jerry Krattiger, Managing Director of the FDA. “We have achieved a very good result in corporate projects even though, at the same time, we have been very heavily involved in the development and implementation of a wide range of Covid support measures from the canton and the federal government.”<\/p>\n
More generally, Switzerland, and Western Switzerland in particular, remains highly attractive to international investors. Globally, foreign investment has declined by about 30%, but in Switzerland it has increased”, continued Jerry Krattiger. Under these conditions, we can look to the future with caution, but also with confidence.” He also pointed out that the canton of Fribourg also had a record year in terms of creation of new companies.<\/p>\n
One of the 54 projects was carried out by the US company Tiffin Metal Products (TMP). Founded in 1903, TMP has been a tenant of Schumacher Ltd since the end of 2020. The company, based in Ohio, has chosen Schmitten as its first location outside the USA. This international expansion is designed to expand distribution channels, accelerate growth and serve the company\u2019s customers worldwide. Tiffin is known for its spiral chutes (SST\u2122 Gravity Chute), used for example in Amazon, Fedex or UPS logistics centers.<\/p>\n
Testimonial from Matt Dysard, President of Tiffin Metal Products<\/strong><\/p>\n