Hansruedi Richner elected to the Swiss Supply Chain Hall of Fame

The jury of the Swiss Supply Chain Hall of Fame has unanimously elected Hansruedi Richner, the co-founder of Metzger + Richner AG, now M+R Spedag Group, and long-time president of Spedlogswiss, posthumously as the 20th member of the Hall of Fame. The award will be presented at the 9th Swiss Supply Chain Hall of Fame Gala on September 18, 2024, at the Verkehrshaus in Luzern. The 21st member will also be announced there.

(Basel/Muttenz) In 1952, the two Swiss, Roger Metzger and Hansruedi Richner, founded the logistics company Metzger+Richner Transport AG in Basel. The young company initially focused on road transport with efficient customs clearances between Germany and Switzerland and gradually expanded its service portfolio across Europe. By the mid-1970s, the company already employed around 150 staff with offices in Basel, Schaffhausen, Zurich, and Geneva.

After the sudden passing of Roger Metzger, the shares were transferred to Hansruedi Richner, who continued to run the company alone from 1975. A new era began in 1979 with the acquisition of SPEDAG SPEDITIONS AG, an established Basel logistics firm founded in 1928, which had built its strengths in overseas business. The establishment of Spedag South Africa marked the first branch on the African continent. The organization subsequently operated as M+R Spedag Group.

The following years saw rapid expansion of the group. In Switzerland, the company grew to become one of the largest logistics firms, focusing on land, sea, and air transport, as well as achieving a leading market position in textile logistics. From this specialization in textile logistics, the group ventured into East Asia. Convinced that supply chain management only works when there are employees on both sides of the supply chains, the group began establishing a network of its own branches in 1985, initially in the East Asian region, with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. The acquisition of PL-Shipping in 2010 also brought India into the fold.

His legacy remains in good hands

After half a century of unwavering commitment to the company group, founder Hansruedi Richner transferred the operational leadership of the group to his son Daniel Richner in 2001. The generational change was completed in 2006 when Daniel Richner also took over all company shares and the chairmanship of the board of directors. In February 2017, Hansruedi Richner passed away knowing that his company was in good hands and that its culture, based on customer proximity and high logistics expertise, would endure for a long time.

Photo ©: Swiss Supply Chain Hall of Fame