On the go for 160 years
In conversation with André Strebel, CEO, Schneider Transport. Schneider Transport has exemplified transport reliability ever since it was established in 1865. André Strebel, who’s been with the firm since 1991 and was appointed CEO in 2018, spoke to ITJ editor-in-chief Andreas Haug about Schneider’s milestones, its courageous decisions and modern foci – and how not to lose sight of employees and customers, even in today’s digital age.
Congratulations on 160 years of company history, Mr Strebel! What does this anniversary mean to you personally?
I’m very proud. So many traditional companies have been merged or bought up over the years in Switzerland. The fact that Schneider Transport has been an independent business for 160 years is much more than just a number. The figure represents generations of people who have worked here with heart and soul.
We’ve been and will always remain a reliable partner and a secure employer, as well as a sort of home for many. The company became fully aware of its special status 60 years ago, when employees recorded their memories in a centenary book. Today, we employ more than 1,150 people working in 75 locations worldwide.
What’s the secret to such longevity in an ever-changing industry?
Longevity isn’t stagnation. We’ve always developed – without forgetting our roots. Our culture of trust in customers and employees has shaped us.
We’ve also always managed to react flexibly to crises and changes – with quick decision-making options, whether it was with 50 or 1,000 employees on our staff. We made mistakes, of course. It’s just important to learn from them.
What, in your opinion, were the most important milestones in the history of Schneider Transport?
We’ve come a long way from our horse-drawn carriages to today’s digitalised processes. As early as the end of the 19th century, we already organised consolidated shipments, for example, and exported cheese to Tsarist Russia.
In the 1990s we founded subsidiaries, followed by a successful management buyout in 2008. In 2014/2015 we strategically repositioned the company with the support of the firm ‘Invision’ – this led to the strongest growth in the company’s history. We managed to grow significantly organically and acquired twelve companies in Switzerland, Europe and the USA.
The latest stage of our ‘buy and build’ strategy saw the integration recently of Nord-Transport and its 30 employees – a truly perfect match [see also ITJ Daily of 17 April 2025].
At the same time, we invested massively in our modern brand identity, social media, IT and communication, upping staff from three to 27 specialists.
Which may have been the most formative historical phases?
We’ve experienced boom phases and difficult times – such as the banking crisis of 2008, or the outbreak of Covid-19. We managed to absorb many challenges, also thanks to our broad portfolio.
“We’ll continue to invest in developing skilled workers and promoting young talent.”
We flew in thousands of e-bikes from Taiwan, chartered planes with protective masks and equipped our staff with home office laptops at very short notice.
That was definitely one of the most formative phases of the last 25 years – not only operationally, but also personally.
How has Schneider repositioned itself strategically in recent years?
In 2024 we rejuvenated our management teams. Today we have a good mix of experienced and young hands on board. In 2019 we launched Fibs in Asia (Founded in Basel, Switzerland), which now has no less than 250 employees working in 25 centres in nine countries.
What are the biggest challenges facing a traditional transport firm today?
Globalisation, volatility, geopolitics, technological upheaval – they all require constant adaptation. Thanks to our size and flexibility we can always react quickly.
What differentiates Schneider Transport from its competitors?
Our employees and our customers are more than just numbers to us. We value personal relationships, flexibility and quality. The spectrum of goods we handle ranges from cut flowers to heavy goods, from blood plasma to luxury brands.
How are you setting your course for the coming decades today?
We’ll continue to pursue our ‘buy and build’ strategy and invest in sustainability, digitalisation, automation, developing skilled workers, promoting young talent, customer orientation and service quality.
A delegation from Schneider will be present at the Transport Logistic trade fair in Munich too, to find out about the latest developments, innovations and trends in the industry.
What are your concrete projects and visions for the next five to ten years?
We want to make everyday work more efficient, not in order to cut jobs, but to use resources sensibly. IT solutions and AI offer opportunities – but we have to be careful. What has distinguished us for 160 years will continue to drive us – reliability, vision and a focus on people.