Bobst 125 Years TOGETHER, Like a Light That That Make Us Such a Unique Group
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Special Anniversary Edition Bobst Group SA FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS 2 SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION L ONG terM hat is special about BOBST cares about what is important overcame so many perils. By reacting BOBST that has made to other people because we embody quickly and calmly – but with convic- our company such a tangible, human values and a passion tion – we have curbed the harmful success over the years? for growth and innovation. As you read medium-term consequences and WCan we remain a technology leader, with this supplement, which walks you upheld our market growth strategy. strong human values, in a globalized through the 125-year history of our The number of machines sold has world? What does our future hold ? company, you will realize that BOBST risen every year since 2011. We sold has gone through both major triumphs 400 more machines in 2015 than in When I travel around the world, our and sometimes profound hardship. We 2011, a total of 1,400 units, while customers often ask me these ques- see the world as an ever-changing maintaining relatively stable revenue tions, as do our employees and place, and we are fully aware of our despite the highly negative impact of investors. It’s a complex and thrilling responsibility for thousands of the strong Swiss franc. subject! My answer has gradually been families and thousands of customers. forged through meeting people or being With this in mind, our company’s We need to understand that the in a specific environment, as I try to entrepreneurs have always bounced sacrifices that we are forced to make stand back from a short-term reality back, with a firm conviction that a due to the urgency of these crisis and imagine the medium or long-term better future lay ahead. Even in the situations eventually benefit us all. to build a meaningful response. worst situations, human respect, “Your success is my success,” the old innovation, perseverance and the family adage goes. It holds true in This conviction comes from experi- ability to challenge ourselves have both challenging circumstances and ences, sharing and observations made always prevailed. in day-to-day relationships between over the past few years in a rapidly co-workers. What works well inside changing world plagued by uncertainty. the company can be felt outside the “The BOBST DNA is made up of strong, company, at home and by our suppli- deeply rooted values.” One characteris- ers, investors, shareholders and other tic is the professional conscientious- “ The BOBST DNA social partners. This includes our ness that permeates through our customers, whose earnings impact businesses and our behavior. It is a is made up of future orders. The difference between drive to see things through, assist our strong, deeply good performance and excellence lies customers, help our co-workers and precisely in living our values at all think about the long-term. We should rooted values” times and respecting the interests of be proud, because this approach all. That is our priority for building the stands out in a world where profits, future. careers and materialistic values seem to dominate over other, more funda- When we are faced with sudden These firm principles, which make our mental, values like family and relation- economic downturns, like the cur- company so strong, will be one focus ships. Have we forgotten the essence rency crisis at the beginning of 2015, of our “BOBST – One Group around of our lives and the origins of our I think back to the determination of the world” campaign, which is set to history? those who came before us and take place on March 23, 2016 at all of 3 Bobst Group SA never goes out. Every day, 24 hours a I would like to sincerely thank you all. “ Your success is my day, somewhere in the world, some- Now... let’s celebrate together! one from BOBST is watching over success” things! You all play a precious role in making our Group sites. The occasion will also this company work, creating our give us the chance to celebrate these future and sustaining the values Jean-Pascal Bobst 125 years TOGETHER, like a light that that make us such a unique Group. CEO Bobst Group SA 4 SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION ENGINEERING AND GRAPHIC ARTS HWO it all began FOR JOSEPH BOBST Joseph Bobst was trained The young employee noted that printers as a typographer before settling in Lausanne had to order their supplies in Lausanne. He eventually from other cities in Switzerland, as no distributors operated in their own town. opened a store selling graphic In 1890, he set up an office in his apart- arts supplies and ended up ment including a stock of supplies to turning it into a prosperous sell. While still working for his employer, business. he developed his business, before ope- ning his own shop in 1893. Joseph Otto Bobst (1862–1935) was In 1886, he married Marie Hægler born in Balsthal in the German-spea- (1864–1933), a young girl from his king canton of Solothurn. Trained as hometown. The couple had six children: a typographer, he settled in Lausanne Marie (1887), Otto (1889), Nelly (1891), at the age of 21 to learn French and Anna (1895), Henri (1897) and work for the Edouard Allenspach Elisabeth (1899). printing workshop. 1890 1893 1897 1904 1891 1892 1894 1895 1896 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 FOUNDING OF THE SHOP BIRTH OF NEW OFFICES BOBST COMPANY OPENING HENRI BOBST IN LAUSANNE Joseph Bobst begins distributing Having left his job, Joseph Bobst Henri Bobst is born in Lausanne on Joseph Bobst prospers, printing printing ink produced by the German officially lists his printing supply December 19, 1897. He would a catalogue, selling supplies and firm Schmidt Brothers from company with the Commercial become the talented technician and repairing machines. The company Bockenheim near Frankfurt. Registry on January 5, 1893. visionary who drove the Group’s moves into bigger offices and a industrial development. store located on Place de la Gare AO CKN WLEDGED du Flon. AS A professional Joseph Bobst founds the Lausanne chapter of the Swiss Association Legend of Printing Professionals. G ROUP MILESTONE TECHNOLOGICAL innovation ACQUISITION 1893 1900 Rudolf Diesel patents his Paris inaugurates compression-ignition engine. its Metro Line 1. 5 Bobst Group SA B RAILLE printer first MAJOR success for bobst 1915: Henri Bobst invents a press that can print the dots of the Braille alphabet on both sides of the same page. 1908 1915 1917 1918 1905 1906 1907 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1916 1919 REPAIR BRAILLE THE BOBST A JOINT STOCK WORKSHOP PRINTING PRESS TRADEMARK COMPANY Three technicians are hired to At age 18, Henri Bobst develops The economy recovers shortly after repair machines on-site for the first rotary cylinder press that the end of World War I. Joseph Bobst customers. The workshop sells could print the Braille alphabet and his sons are confident. They second-hand machinery and using embossed dots. His inventive found the joint stock company manufactures printing tools, interpointing system can print on J. Bobst & Fils SA and present their roller printing presses and the front and back sides of the page carton board machines at the Lyon mobile lifts. without crushing the dots. The The cog logo becomes the International Fair. machine turns out several thousands company’s emblem as a of sheets per hour and is one of the machine builder. first of many legendary successes for BOBST. 1908 1912 1915 The first Ford Model T The Titanic passenger 2 Einstein completes the publication comes off the assembly E=MC liner sinks on April 15. of his theory of relativity. line in the United States. 6 SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION TOUGH TIMES H ardshiP and years OF EXILE in France At the end of World War I, board business to the French BOBST went through a turbulent company Marinoni in 1924. Otto Twist of fate period. To avoid bankruptcy, it and Henri Bobst were taken on In 1936, when Marinoni began to by the buyer and left to work in experience its share of financial sold its technical assets to a Strasbourg. At age 62, Joseph woes, J. Bobst & Fils SA bought French builder. Bobst stayed on in Lausanne, alone. the carton board machinery department that it had sold to the Joseph Bobst and his sons were The company founder was forced company 12 years earlier. It also counting on international business to let go of several employees, and opened its first entity abroad, a recovering so that they could sell the the mechanics workshop ran at sales office in Paris. carton board machines which they low capacity. Marinoni transferred had designed during the war. But as its production to Switzerland in 1927 borders reopened, the competition to cut costs. Henri Bobst came from French and German machines – back to Lausanne in 1932 as head fueled by the devaluation of the of the technical office. His brother French franc and German mark – Otto remained in France and grew fierce. To avoid going bankrupt, became sales director of Marinoni’s J. Bobst & Fils SA sold its carton Paris headquarters. 1921 1924 1926 1934 1920 1922 1923 1925 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 MR2BA CARTON BOBST SELLS R ESTRUCTURING of SUCCESS OF BOARD CUTTING ITS ASSETS BOBST WORKSHOPS THE AUTOVARIABLE MACHINE Under pressure due to competition To avoid bankruptcy, the company At the Leipzig Trade Fair in 1933, Joseph Bobst designs a new type of from France and Germany, reduces its joint stock capitalization Henri Bobst signs an agreement machine featuring automatic shears J.