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In 1952, Walter Felix founded the transport company “W. Felix Transporte” as a sole proprietorship in Zwingen, Switzerland. In 1976, the current managing director and chairman of the board, Hanspeter Felix, son of Walter, joined the company. In 1994, the sole proprietorship Felix Transport was converted into a corporation, and just in time for the 70th anniversary celebration that took place over the weekend, Hanspeter handed over the management of the company to his son Fabian and daughter Manuela Felix. Over the years, the small business has developed into a well-established transport company in Northwestern Switzerland.
(Arlesheim) Located in the Laufental valley between Basel and the Swiss Jura, Felix Transport AG was founded in Zwingen in 1952. This is where the transport company has its roots and where it initially gained its regular customers. Hanspeter Felix, the outgoing managing director and former owner of Felix Transport AG, recalls: “When I started in my father Walter’s company in 1976, we transported 80% paper, and our main customer was the then-paper mill in Zwingen.”
Harmonious Transition from Father to Son
Hanspeter Felix began as a driver in the company and primarily drove to Northern Germany until 1984. “Then I switched to dispatching, where I stayed until 1998,” he reflects. At heart, Hanspeter has remained a driver; even after taking over the company in 1998, he frequently returned to the cabin to conduct transports himself.
This year, just in time for the 70th anniversary, Hanspeter is handing over the company to his two children, Fabian Felix, who will take over the majority of shares and become managing director, and his daughter Manuela, who will manage the transport administration and is also a member of the board. Father Hanspeter will continue to serve as chairman of the board at the request of his children.
Father Hanspeter (left) hands over the “steering wheel” of Felix Transport AG to his children Manuela (center) and Fabian (right)
Regarding the transition, Fabian Felix states: “Since my operational entry in January 2019, we have been preparing for the handover. With my father’s support, I have gradually taken over the management but have always been able to rely on his advice. That was also the reason we wanted him to continue leading the board so he can contribute his many years of experience.” Father Hanspeter has already practiced retirement earlier this year and took a two-month break.
The transition from company founder Walter Felix to Hanspeter was somewhat different back then, less harmonious: “My father had difficulty letting go and struggled with the fact that I wanted to establish myself in the general cargo sector. This initially led to some verbal disputes, but I prevailed, and we were successful with the strategy,” Hanspeter recalls.
After handing over the management, Hanspeter Felix intends to continue making a few more trips with the truck. In recent years, he has personally undertaken aid transports to Kaliningrad, Serbia, and Romania. This year, shortly after the outbreak of the Ukraine war, he was in Hungary, at the border with Ukraine, with a semi-trailer full of aid materials.
From Paper Transporter to Logistics All-Rounder
When Hanspeter took over the company, there was an initial shock: “Barely had I taken over the company when the paper mill in Zwingen, our largest customer, informed me that production would be shut down. Overnight, we lost an important part of our business,” Hanspeter Felix still recalls with dismay.
Until the late 1990s, Felix Transport primarily transported paper
“We were able to recover quickly because we had already gained new customers in general cargo. Within two years, we had more than compensated for the loss in revenue. In 2006, we moved into our current terminal in Arlesheim as a transshipment base. This also marked the gradual beginning of our logistics activities,” Hanspeter describes the company’s development.
He cites milestones from his time as owner and managing director: “In a negative sense, of course, the shock when the paper mill in Zwingen was shut down. In a positive sense, the purchase of our current site in Arlesheim in 2017 and the countless business and sometimes friendly relationships with customers. But what has made me happiest is that my children joined the company in 2019 and are now following in my footsteps in the third generation.”
Fabian Felix Initially Had Other Career Plans
The idea that son Fabian would one day join the company was far from his mind at the beginning of his career. “In my youth, it was not my goal to enter my father’s company; I wanted to forge my own path, but I always kept the option open. I initially completed an apprenticeship in banking and furthered my education to become a business economist at FHNW. After that, I also worked for a while at a large logistics service provider in project and sales. I enjoyed it there, but I realized that the decision-making processes were long and the organization was slower than I was used to at home. Thus, the desire to transition to Felix Transport AG grew stronger.”
In 2019, the time had come; Fabian joined the company operationally. As a member of the board, which he has been part of for seven years, he was already familiar with the company’s processes. However, it was not a leap into the “cold water,” as initially described. Now he is taking over the management.
The Future Brings Several Challenges for Transport and Logistics
For Fabian Felix, the task now is to prepare Felix Transport AG for the upcoming challenges. “There are many issues awaiting us. On one hand, a new transport software is currently being rolled out that meets today’s digital requirements. On the other hand, we need to address measures related to energy/sustainability discussions, such as the use of vehicles with alternative drives and their refueling/charging infrastructure,” Fabian notes. In May, Felix Transport acquired two brand new Volvo FH-LNG (liquefied natural gas) tractors and has had good experiences with them so far. “We will need to continue monitoring the market. Hydrogen is currently not a topic for us because there is no refueling station in the Basel region, and we do not have the operational area for it at the moment.”
Another important task Fabian Felix sees is in employee management and recruiting new, good employees, especially drivers. Felix Transport AG has been a training company for years and is exemplary in training both drivers and logistics newcomers, currently with 13 apprentices.
Felix Transport AG stands on solid ground in its 70th year and can face the many challenges of the present with optimism.
Two Volvo FH-LNG (liquefied natural gas) trucks have been part of the fleet since May 2022
70 Years of Felix Transport
Last Saturday, a grand celebration took place at the premises of Felix Transport AG in Arlesheim to mark the 70th anniversary of the company and the handover of management to the third generation of the family, with 600 invited customers, suppliers, and friends of the house.
After a welcome by Hanspeter Felix, government councilor Thomas Weber delivered greetings from the government of the canton of Baselland. Jürg Röthlisberger, director of the Federal Roads Office ASTRA, gave an engaging keynote speech on mobility topics. Reto Jaussi, director of the national transport association ASTAG, praised the decades-long and good cooperation with Felix Transport AG and especially Hanspeter Felix. The company is a role model in the industry, as it invests heavily in the future and is currently training another 13 apprentices.
Business Handover – FELIX FOR FUTURE
After the served appetizer, moderator Benjamin Bruni invited Hanspeter, Fabian, and Manuela Felix to the stage for a talk. Hanspeter Felix, the former owner and managing director, shared stories from his 46 years in the company. He leaves with a very good feeling, knowing that the company will be in good hands with his children. Since he will continue to serve as chairman of the board and wants to drive more kilometers with his own truck, he will remain with the company, albeit more in the background. He symbolically handed over a truck steering wheel to his two children, who will take over the company.
After the talk, the guests were kept in suspense with music, and the excitement grew. The second highlight of the evening was just around the corner. To great applause and many astonished faces, a MAN vintage truck with a wonderful 70-year anniversary trailer featuring images from the last decades and a big thank you to Hanspeter Felix drove in. Next to it, the first Mercedes Actros electric truck from Felix arrived, driven onto the premises by Jürg Lüthi, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Switzerland AG, and handed over to the Felix family.
Surprise at the celebration: Mercedes-Benz Switzerland handed over a brand new E-Actros to Felix Transport AG
Following the two LNG trucks, Felix Transport AG is expanding its sustainability fleet under the motto “Felix for Future” with its first electric truck. This will be deployed on routes to the Mittelland and the Jura. Thanks to the charging at the solar facility built in spring, which covers around 60% of the total site’s energy needs, the electric truck is expected to be operated profitably over the coming years. Fabian Felix also stated: “As a company, we have a social obligation to invest in future-proof technologies and are absolutely convinced of this path. Nevertheless, diesel will remain our number one drive type in the medium term, as there are many political questions surrounding electricity supply, a lack of refueling/charging infrastructure, and the need to avoid dependencies on foreign countries.”
With music and a surprise gift from the employees to Hanspeter Felix, the evening was celebrated appropriately.
600 guests celebrated the 70th anniversary with Felix Transport AG
About Felix Transport AG
Felix Transport AG has been family-owned by the Felix family since its founding in 1952. Fabian Felix leads the company in the third generation. Today, 130 employees work at the transport company at the locations of Arlesheim, Zwingen, and Laufenburg/AG, including 13 apprentices.
In the transport sector, Felix Transport AG offers both general cargo transport as well as partial and full loads domestically and internationally. The special transport sector includes refrigerated and pharmaceutical transports, as well as trade fair, event, or crane transports. For their execution, 67 trucks, 4 vans, and 75 trailers and semi-trailers are available.
For logistics services, Felix Transport AG has around 30,000 m2 of warehouse space in Arlesheim (2 locations), Grellingen, and Breitenbach.
In Zwingen and Arlesheim, Felix Transport AG operates a truck wash that is also open to third parties.
With a solar system on the roof of the logistics hall, Felix Transport AG covers 60 percent of its own electricity needs
All photos: © Felix Transport AG
