I meet Andrea Gehri in the showroom in Porza. In the short wait I start browsing among marbles and coverings of all kinds. I am struck by the similarity of stoneware to wood, incredible…

«It is a product that has evolved enormously in recent years, not only is it practically identical to wood, but even to the touch it is difficult to tell the difference».

It’s been a long time since I was here, I have to say that there have been many changes. But I would like to start with you, with your Nordic origins…

(Smiles) "Not everyone knows, in fact my father was German, originally from the Black Forest, while my mother was from Ticino. They met, think about it, in Cureggia and... they were together all their lives."

Why did your father move to Ticino? Also because we are talking about the post-war period…   

"To tell the truth, it's a rather sad story, at least initially. When my father was twenty-two, he was diagnosed with a serious lung problem. In Germany they had suggested that he undergo surgery, a major operation, also because they wanted to remove part of the organ. Fortunately, my father turned to another doctor who suggested he change the climate and so he chose Ticino, almost by chance. It was 1953, 1954, after the Second World War, and in fact for a German to come to a foreign land was not an easy thing, also because he didn't speak a word of Italian."

Your company has reached the third generation, does this mean that your father was already active in the coatings sector?

"Exactly, he was the first and I must say, not because he was my father, he was appreciated by many for his skill and desire to work. When he arrived in Ticino he was a Master tiler, he started first as a simple worker and then, after many sacrifices - in those days you also worked on Saturdays and Sundays to make ends meet - in 1968 he opened his own business as an independent. He had no shortage of work and in 1970 he founded a sole proprietorship and continued to grow. The romantic part of this story is that the first company my father worked for was located exactly here, on this land, where we are now and which he himself had purchased in 1981. I tell you all this to understand how many steps have been taken, with patience, a lot of willpower and sacrifices. I often reflect on it, especially in an era where frenzy and wanting everything right away reigns."

This is a real problem, which does not only affect young people, but all of us. Did you realize all that your father was doing?

"No, as often happens, we realize what our parents have done through their children. I was born in 1964, I always saw my father as a person who was little present in the family, not because he lived an unruly life, but because he dedicated his entire life to work and this was the family balance, as in many other Ticino families. In my opinion, it was his immense passion for work that gave him success. I often think about it, also because a post-war German was seen as a Nazi in Switzerland, and yet he did not give up, he worked hard and well, he earned the trust of the Ticino people, he became one of them with humility, grateful for the opportunity that Ticino offered him."

Your story is different, but you can feel that desire to get involved, to give the best of yourself…

"My journey began a long time ago. For me, being able to follow my father was always a great motivation, I spent every free moment with him. So, during the summer holidays, I spent two months on a construction site. A situation that is unthinkable today (he smiles) also because I was six, seven years old. That's how I fell in love with being outdoors, seeing the passion and skill with which people worked on a construction site, I have beautiful memories linked to those moments. This is to tell you that mine was not really a career choice, I already knew that this would be my path and I followed it in a certain sense in a natural way, without forcing anything".

But you also wore a jacket and tie, so it wasn't all a given...

"Yes, also because I saw the problems my father had to face, so after compulsory school I obtained a commercial high school diploma and then I worked until I was twenty-one in a trust company. Even then it was no longer enough to just be a good craftsman, I immediately realized that you also needed to have administrative skills. Today I would make the same choice again."

Does this mean you've been wearing overalls since your twenties?

«Exactly, I put them on to start my apprenticeship as a tiler. I wanted to work my way up, a bit like you do in the hotel industry and other artisan professions, you start from the bottom to get to the top, but in this way you never lose sight of everyone's work. I think it's impossible be the head of a company without knowing the work your employees do. In any case, I was able to finish the apprenticeship quite quickly, also because I already had a high school diploma. You know what? I like being on a construction site more than in the office… that's the real me."

Maybe also because in craftsmanship you can also breathe a lot of art, I think of your mosaics, the particular poses of stones, marbles...

"Absolutely yes, the craftsman must be able to work with his own hands and this gives an added and unique value to the work you do. Being able to see the progress of the work, how it was done is a unique feeling. My advantage now is that, knowing the profession I can go to the construction site and recognize certain problems, they are an added value for the company, also for what concerns the operational part, finding solutions, being able to advise the customer correctly and in person".

If your father saw you today…

"I think it would express great satisfaction, when I joined the company at 25 we were seven, eight people, today we are eighty and I feel like saying that together with my team, we have done a good job. This is also because I have never stopped putting myself on the line, I have never stopped, when I was already the head of the company I continued my studies, I obtained the diploma of company manager for small and medium-sized enterprises and then I concentrated on the practical part, becoming a Master tiler and expert federal expert. I am not saying all this to boast, but to make it clear that success is not eternal, it must be continually cultivated, never taken for granted. After completing my training, I was also the national president of the Swiss Tile Association for seven years and the Ticino one for 11 years, I had the opportunity to meet many people, to interact with them, also creating important knowledge and synergies and, believe me, being able to compare yourself with professionals in your same sector is very important and, then I conclude, we must ensure that this constructive comparison continues in the future so as not to lose this immense value of knowledge that no book can compensate for».

As we have already mentioned, you have reached the third generation in the company, are both of your children present?

"No. My daughter Deborah has been with me for five years, together with my wife Manuela, while my son, let's face it, has not (yet) become passionate and has chosen to grow in the insurance sector. He is following his path and if tomorrow he were to change his mind... well, there will always be a place for him here. I am of the opinion, just like my father, that we should not influence our children and make sure they follow their own path and their own beliefs."

But didn't your daughter do an apprenticeship?

(Laughs) «No, she has a higher commercial education and a Bachelor in communication and marketing and she manages everything that is showroom, purchasing and sales in the company. I must say that her presence is of great help to me, also because it is an area, that of communication and marketing, that I have a hard time following».

I imagine you haven't had much time for family in the past either...

"My wife Manuela would say that I have been a little (a lot) absent, obviously when you are professionally busy it is difficult to reconcile family and work, but I am not saying that this is right. Also because a different balance would be desirable, at least for future generations. But I was lucky to have a woman at my side who supported me and dedicated herself completely to the family, even if today she works here with us; therefore, it is also thanks to her if I have been able to follow other passions and grow with the company. I cannot hide the fact that the commitment put into the profession has been a lot, for me, as for all those who start a business and want to develop it; nothing comes by chance".

We must say, however, that you have an enterprising nature, that you were not satisfied with the job, you did much more…

«I think you're right, it's a question of character, I'm very curious, I like to feel useful, to learn every day, that's why I've been involved at the association level, both at the cantonal and federal level and this requires a considerable commitment of time».

Can you explain “wanting to feel useful” better?

"I love my country from which I have always received a lot, for this reason I feel like giving back in terms of commitment, without any particular interest. This vision explains my choices, let's think about the Chamber of Commerce, where I entered as a member of the presidential office representing the Ticino artisan sector and never, I repeat never, would I have thought of becoming its president one day. These are the constellations and opportunities that happen in life... and they must be seized".

It's a role that you like a lot, that naturally requires a lot of commitment, but that at the same time gives you a vision of how Ticino is actually doing...

"There are many fears related to the future, this is true, but then there are also very encouraging data and we all have to look at these. Ticino has a small economy, but a very lively one, very varied and there is a lot of competence in the different roles, an important wealth that is very often underestimated. We think that Ticino has 350 inhabitants and offers 000 jobs, it is an extremely high proportion even in relation to other cantons. I therefore feel like saying that our economic substratum is extremely strong, resilient, it has been able to overcome moments of important crisis; therefore, there are solid resilience capacities".

What are the evolving sectors that will shape the future of Ticino?

"Our hubs, let's think about the future one in Bellinzona, the Swiss Innovation Parc, a hub of excellence where, in addition to the life sciences, which are already a consolidated reality, there will be space for other innovative sectors. We have researchers, students who come from all over the world, but this is just one example...".

There is often talk of a brain drain from Ticino, especially because the salaries offered are not competitive with the rest of the Swiss cantons…

"We are a border region and this brings advantages and disadvantages. We do have pressure on wages from neighboring Italy, where wages are lower, but if we want an economically advanced Ticino we need manpower that we cannot find in our territory, this is the reality. Let's think for example of the social health sectors, construction, gastronomy and commerce. If it is true that we have 78 cross-border workers, it is also true that Ticino needs to be able to employ these people. Then we can always discuss which areas we want to encourage or discourage, but that is another question."

Also because from what I understand it is difficult to find qualified workers in various sectors, as well as apprentices…

"Yes, that's right, we are struggling to find qualified personnel and the feeling is that salaries will increase also because Italy is erecting barriers to protect its younger workers... it is clear that they are experiencing the opposite phenomenon: we are grabbing their young people, perhaps the best ones, also because there are many well-trained professionals. The feeling is that in the construction sector many quality profiles are deciding to stay in Italy, where salaries are rising, because not everyone is willing to endure hours of traffic and traffic jams every day, quality of life is increasingly becoming a factor that is taken into consideration by the younger generations, as is free time".

And for apprentices?

"You have to want to get your hands dirty, you have to know that in summer it's hot, in winter it's cold, but the satisfaction of doing manual work is great, of course it takes a lot of passion and I don't know to what extent our young people have it... this saddens me a little, also because there are professions that really risk disappearing because there are no young people willing to preserve ancient arts and practical knowledge".

What is your and have you had a relationship with politics, also because you could have been a viable candidate for many parties?

«I have never dedicated myself much to politics, even though I have always been interested. I had a very light path behind the scenes: I was on the city council in Pregassona and then in Cadro, but when the decisive moment came to go to the City Hall... I took myself off. I prefer my role as president of the Chamber of Commerce, it is much more qualifying, also because it allows me to speak to politics without being a politician and therefore also to be free from political labeling. I speak about reality, I speak to everyone, from left to right, and this is priceless, also because politics is declining, there is a polarization of right and left, the balance that has always been represented by centrist policies that have made Switzerland's fortunes is missing; therefore, organizations like the Chamber of Commerce can truly make an important, balanced and substantial contribution to the resolution of certain territorial, social and economic problems».

So do we need to renew local politics?

"Absolutely, the politician must deal with elections, with numbers, and thinks in terms of the results he wants to obtain, a move against citizens also because this attitude distracts him, sometimes, from real problems. Problems cannot be addressed with excessively electoral ends, we must find concrete solutions. Sometimes, our democratic system par excellence, even becomes an obstacle to the growth of our country. We have enormous times, bureaucratic burdens are continually increasing and this represents a problem for our economy, also because entrepreneurs must have time to dedicate themselves to their work and not mainly to paperwork".

Switzerland is currently under pressure on several fronts, including natural disasters. People are afraid that there is no money to rebuild, that is all that is being talked about… I don’t understand, we are in Switzerland, we can also afford to open new credits…

"We are too Swiss, the Swiss have always been used to spending what they have available, a concept that has its logic. We just have to be careful that this discussion does not turn into: more taxes to be able to spend more, this would be the decline. But it is true, almost incredible I would dare say: in the area of ​​natural disasters there is no national fund and I myself discovered it a few weeks ago. Obviously there are corrections to be made, and this must be done as soon as possible and not by weighing on the pockets of taxpayers. It is not possible that we do not have public funds to restart the Vallemaggia, the Val Bavona and the Mesolcina, where it will take years to revive local businesses and maintain an attractiveness for the future. The valleys are our gardens, a precious gift to protect and safeguard".

Ticino still has a lot to do, to improve, to strengthen, in short, if I understand correctly, we cannot afford to stand still…

"Exactly, we already have many strengths compared to other nations, I think of security, political stability and therefore we must strengthen our economic propensity towards innovation and improve the position of Ticino, of Switzerland, on the international level, also because we are recognized as a strong country. We still have many cards to play, we are between Zurich and Milan, we will never be able to compete with these two economic realities, but we can do and offer what they do not have. Our great opportunity is called Swiss Innovation Park, the Innovation park that will be built on the site of the former Officine, a unique platform for the collaboration of researchers, technology companies, startups, called to develop projects and test sustainable and innovative ideas. This project will develop skills that today, in Ticino, do not exist, it will be an important opportunity for our young people, I say all this to make people understand how important it is to think long-term and above all to have a vision for the future".

So we need more courage or we need to stop being somewhat negative and believe in it, with conviction....

"Maybe both. You have to believe in what you do, to the very end, you have to have the desire to progress and we have to have the courage to ask politics to create framework conditions for the development and general well-being of the territory, without these premises we will struggle to evolve".

It struggles to evolve, it struggles to find young people willing to get their hands dirty, it struggles to understand that success is not a condition, but a continuous work, which implies sacrifices, as well as a lot of passion. Yes, because only through passion can you reach excellence.