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Federal Councillor Beat Jans in Rupperswil
The Swiss Logistics by ASFL SVBL training center in Rupperswil recently hosted visits from Federal Councillor Beat Jans, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police, Jérôme Cosandey, head of the Directorate of Labour at SECO, and Aargau government councillor Dieter Egli.
Even better than lithium-ion
At the world's largest industrial trade fair in Hanover, with 3,000 exhibitors, a young company called BTRY from Dübendorf won a startup award sponsored by the logistics provider Hermes. The founders impressed the judges with an ultra-thin, fully flexible energy storage system that is intended to enable numerous new applications.
Large containers for the «Jaguar»
At Claas in Bad Saulgau, machines for forage harvesting and headers for the forage harvester, which proudly bears the name " Jaguar ," are developed, tested, and manufactured. More staging area was needed at the assembly lines. Bito assisted with the switch to the large SL 86 hoppers.
System change at the drying tower
Automation, as mentioned, doesn't have to be complicated. Even simple, repetitive logistical processes can be carried out automatically with high-lift pallet trucks like the EXV iGo. Forklift manufacturer Still successfully implemented this at DP-Supply, a subsidiary of Deutsche Milchkontor DMK.
«Logistics Townhouse» for the city
It was just one of the numerous presentations at the German Material Flow Congress, which took place in Dortmund these days in parallel with the IFOY Test Camp: It was dedicated to a concept by Carl-Friedrich Rico zu Knyphausen, Managing Director & Co-Founder of Logivalue GmbH in Berlin: A « Retail Town House » for the city center.
Social responsibility
The production of razor blades was once a sharp business – today, Schmalz is the world market leader in vacuum technology, and its executives are committed to sustainability, education, and regional development . For this, they have now been awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg.
Swiss Packaging Award
Well packaged is half the battle. Submissions for the Swiss Packaging Award are open until May 15th. The award for the best packaging solutions is presented in the categories of sustainability, convenience, design, marketing, technology/construction/machine systems, and reusable packaging .
800 visitors at the test camp
Many participants of the test camp also took the opportunity to attend the 33rd Material Flow Congress – held for the first time in Dortmund – under the direction of Professor Johannes Fottner. A total of around 800 visitors came to Dortmund's Westfalenhalle to view approximately 100 innovations.
With my back against the wall
The shift to rail freight through the Alps has suffered significant setbacks recently. According to BLS Cargo, the main culprits are the dilapidated German infrastructure and the numerous line closures and construction sites along the north-south corridor. This is also impacting personnel policies.
Kion and Siemens together in a parallel universe
Kion will be the first company in Europe to use Siemens' new simulation software " Digital Twin Composer " , thereby also seeking a degree of independence from the US market, where NVIDIA has so far been the dominant solution for merging the digital and real worlds in smart warehouses.
Social responsibility
Social responsibility
The production of razor blades was once a sharp business – today, Schmalz is the world market leader in vacuum technology, and its executives are committed to sustainability, education, and regional development . For this, they have now been awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg.
W. Schmalz, W. Kretschmann, K. Schmalz (from left)
Kurt Schmalz and Wolfgang Schmalz received the Order of Merit of Baden- Württemberg from the long-serving Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann. The state's highest honor recognizes their entrepreneurial achievements as well as their long-standing commitment to society.
Kretschmann awarded the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg to the brothers, who have shaped the economy and society in the Northern Black Forest for decades. Kretschmann said: " With their achievements, their talents and their personalities, with their professional ethics and their understanding of their duties, they have rendered outstanding service to our community, to Baden-Württemberg. "
Long-term commitment
Together, Kurt and Wolfgang Schmalz transformed the family business J. Schmalz from the grandfather's razor blade factory into today's successful provider of modern automation solutions. Kurt Schmalz has been the company's managing partner since 1984, and his son Johannes Schmalz joined the management team in 2025. Wolfgang Schmalz served as managing partner from 1990 to 2017 before stepping down from operational responsibilities. Today, he is a shareholder and chairman of the advisory board.
The medium-sized company relies on solar energy, wind power, and other renewable energy sources. Kurt Schmalz is a co-initiator of the Campus Schwarzwald in Freudenstadt, a center that imparts expertise in digitalization, leadership, and responsible business practices. For almost two decades, he has also served as Vice President of the Northern Black Forest Chamber of Industry and Commerce and is active at the national level in the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce. He also actively supports social projects such as the work of the Diakonie Dornstetten-Glatten- Schopfloch.
Vice President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Wolfgang Schmalz drew on his experience for many years as a member of the state government's advisory board for sustainable development. He also participated in the " Dialogue on the Future of Germany " under former Chancellor Angela Merkel and in the Economic Initiative for Sustainability. Together with his wife Esther, he founded the Schmalz Foundation, which supports projects worldwide, including a photovoltaic plant in Namibia.
