Bulle, Switerland. (Rolex, Vaulruz Castle and, body parts)

 

Back in 2024 Rolex announced the planned construction of a massive $1.2 billion dollar manufacturing and production campus in Bulle, Switzerland. It was a major coup for Bulle, a city of 24,000, located about two hours from Geneva where Rolex is headquartered.  So, I decided to check out how it's progressing. 

Wow, it's huge. It's being built on the outskirts of Bulle next to a freeway.

When finished in 2029, this Rolex campus will house five buildings totaling over a million square feet of space and employ over 2,000 people.

Before construction the Rolex site was farmland.

This is the head office for Liebherr International, a privately-held company manufacturing all kinds of construction equipment. Back in 2002 when I was cycling around the world visiting corporate headquarters I stopped here for a visit and was disappointed in my reception. It's big with over 50,000 employees and over $14 billion in revenues.

If you look to the left of the building and in the distance you can see some of the construction cranes at the Rolex construction site.  So? Well, Liebherr is the world's largest builder of those construction cranes and none of the eight cranes are theirs. 

Liebherr's cranes are very distinctive: yellow color and the name "Liebherr" in big black letters atop the cranes.

Hans Liebherr (1915-1993), born in Germany, started Liebherr in Germany but moved its headquarters here to Bulle. Why? To avoid paying German inheritance tax. 

Behind headquarters is a large factory employing 2,000 people manufacturing diesel engines. No wonder Bulle named a street after him. 

Here's the story I wrote about my visit back in 2002:

It's taking a big chance but, I've elected to start my latest European trek with a visit to Liebherr-International AG, a privately-held company with over $3.8 billion in revenues. It's always nice to start off on a positive note but privately held companies are a totally unpredictable breed of animal. Some are obsessively super secretive and then again, some are at the other end of the spectrum where they're much more open than publicly held companies. You also can't believe what the media writes about them. I remember the extensive and gracious tour received at Cargill (Minneapolis, MN), the world's largest privately held company with over $49 billion in revenues and a reputation for being closed-mouthed. Later, the local media interviewed me and were amazed Cargill gave me the time of day let alone a tour of their suburban headquarters (which by the way is a gorgeous facility). Then again, what I do is essentially pretty harmless.

Liebherr, with over 19,000 employees, does business around the globe and it's a sure bet that you've seen their products in action but never took notice. Next time you pass a construction site or cargo pier (especially in Europe) make note of the various construction and container cranes, hydraulic excavators, crawler tractors and wheel loaders because there's a good chance that the name Liebherr will be stamped on the sides. Liebherr is also one of the world's largest manufacturers of gear shaping machines and produces a wide range of products and components for the automotive, transport and aerospace industries. Throw in the fact that more than 7,000 Liebherr appliances leave its factories each day (refrigerators, freezers, and wine storage coolers) and it owns and operates six high-end hotels in Ireland, Austria and Germany-and you've got yourself quite a company.

Getting to Liebherr's headquarters requires cycling 25 scenic miles from Lausanne through picturesque farmland to Bulle, a town of 10,000 inhabitants. From Bulle one has spectacular views of the majestic Swiss Alps because the town is located near the base of the mountains. Thirty miles up the mountain from here and you'll find yourself in Gstaad, one of Switzerland's most famous ski resorts.

Fronting a freeway about a mile from downtown Bulle is where I find the brown four-story head office of Liebherr. The building has the early 1970's look to it with the name "Liebherr" in large letters atop the front side. Some kind of large manufacturing facility extends from the rear of the building for about a half block. The immediate area is comprised of light industrial concerns but on the other side of the freeway it's beautiful farmland with cows grazing and crops soaking up the warm sunshine.

Entering the lobby area the smell of stale tobacco is in the air as I check in with the receptionist. While she calls to find out who my contact person is I scan the lobby area. The most noticeable item is the large engine on display with part of it sliced off to give one a look at its insides. Five large plants are scattered about and it looks like life is good for them because they've grown higher than the ceiling and are now growing in a bent position. There's a glass display of machine parts, a table with six chairs topped with two vases filled with fresh roses and, six ugly-looking brown sofa chairs surrounding a coffee table. No magazines, newspapers or reading material is in sight. Several framed pictures showing Liebherr construction products being used line the wall. The receptionist sits in a room with a sliding glass partition she can open or close. On the wall next to where visitors check in with the receptionist hangs a framed picture of a man. There's no name identifying this man but it's most certainly someone from the Liebherr family, 100% owners of the company.

After a five minute wait out walks Claude Ambrosini who says he has no idea what I'm doing. I tell him what I do and how I mailed an introductory letter three weeks earlier to Hans Liebherr, Chairman of the Board. He excuses himself and says he'll try to find out where the letter ended up. Ambrosini is a nice guy and the title on his business card reads " Swiss Certified Accountant/Controller Officer". He's back in a few minutes and the news isn't good. They can't find the letter and Ambrosini says one of the directors told him, "they usually don't participate in things like this". Ambrosini is due in a meeting shortly and says he's sorry he can't be of more help. At least I find out who's the mystery man in the framed picture; it's Hans Liebherr, who founded the company in 1949 and passed away seven years ago. The son now runs the company. Why is the company headquartered here in Bulle? Unfortunately I never got to ask but I'd wager it's either because there's tax benefits involved or it's simply a matter of Liebherr family members living somewhere nearby in this scenic valley.

This train at Bulle's train station, called the "Chocolate Express" transports people about five miles to the town of Broc. What's there? The factory for Callier chocolate. 

The Callier factory has been turning out delicious chocolate since 1878. It's a big tourist attraction. 

I've been doing this blog since 2010 and stopped by Callier in 2016 (go to blog archive back in September 24, 2016 under the heading ("Bulle, Callier chocolate"). I mention this because that 2016 story has the most visits or "hits" of all my postings. Why? Could it be because there're an astonishing number of chocolate aficionados? 

Or, is it because of the conversation I overheard and wrote about between a British mother and her young daughter in the Callier gift shop? A busload of Muslim women covered head to toe with only slits for eyes entered the gift shop and the young girl innocently asked her mom: "mommy, why do those women hide in their clothes?" The mother replied: "that's how they have to dress where they come from".  The young girl then asked: "why don't the men have to dress like that?"

I'm in Bulle's main town square and I've seen this statue multiple times but never knew the story on why this man is here. Thanks to a new plaque I now know the story.

It's Nicolas Chenaux (1740-1781). He led 2,500 insurgents during a popular revolt against the authorities of Fribourg, a nearby city (17 miles away). It didn't end well for Mr. Chenaux as he was betrayed, assassinated and dismembered. He was doomed to oblivion until he became a symbol of freedom.

Just so you know, back in those days dismembered meant having the body chopped into pieces. Then, they would take an arm, leg--whatever and hang the body parts on a rope in neighboring villages/towns as a warning. 

A few miles out of Bulle I spot this castle up on a hill. Better check it out.

Getting closer.

That's the entrance to Vaulruz Castle. What's with all the kids outside?

Baby sheep are hanging out in the field across from the castle. 

Vaulruz Castle dates back the the 14th century. Nice big interior courtyard.

The village of Vaulruz owns the castle and it can be rented out for seminars etc...  

The castle wasn't built for strategic purposes but, for the benefit of a wealthy feudal lord. Over the years it served as prison and orphanage. The later would explain why there's a dormitory with a 120 beds and, what all the the kids are doing here: it's a Boy Scout and Girl Scout overnight getaway.

Here's the backside of Vaulruz Castle.

What's the view from the castle? Snow-capped mountains. 

I'm on the edge of town in Chatel St. Denis and happy to fill my water bottle from this fountain spewing out ice cold water. In the winter they turn the fountains off. So, it's back on---maybe Spring is on the way!

That chapel in the background dates back to 1684.