Rodania
Encyclopedia
Rodania is a Swiss manufacturer of wristwatches.
The company was founded in 1930, in Grenchen, Switzerland
, home to many other famous Swiss brands.
Currently the international sales and distribution offices are located in Wemmel
, just outside Brussels, Belgium.
The company has branches in Switzerland, and France
.
Soon the watches of the company proved to be successful and the company was growing fast.
The company had an excellent reputation and was famous for its slim lines and pocket watches.
In order to support the growth the company opened sales offices in New-York, Montreal, Caracas, Madrid and Brussels.
Being a polio victim, this young Swiss immigrant was determined to make his Belgian mission an absolute success.
Although leading the Belgian branch was meant to be only something temporarily, his marriage to the Belgian Simone Verlinden made him stay permanently in the country.
They held offices in the Lombardstreet, in the heart of Brussels in those early years.
Later Rodania sales offices moved to a mansion in Wemmel.
The couple have three children: Christiane, Daniël and Belinda.
They all started working in the family business.
By the mid nineties the factory in Grenchen was only a fraction of what it used to be and bankruptcy was imminent.
Having become absolute market leader in Belgium, the Aebi family could not afford the brand to disappear and came to the rescue.
They bought the brand, licenses and all copyrights this way ensuring the brand's existence.
Following this operation the Brussels office became the international sales and distribution center.
Also, they started exporting the watches again.
The company wants to maintain its position in the Belux but also has bigger international aspirations.
The family therefore decided to attract foreign capital by means of Belgo-Dutch investment group BV Capital Partners.
The family sold the company to this investment group and is no longer shareholder.
The company was founded in 1930, in Grenchen, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, home to many other famous Swiss brands.
Currently the international sales and distribution offices are located in Wemmel
Wemmel
Wemmel is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality only comprises the town of Wemmel proper. On January 1, 2006 Wemmel had a total population of 14,774. The total area is 8.74 km² which gives a population density of 1,690 inhabitants per km².The...
, just outside Brussels, Belgium.
The company has branches in Switzerland, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
1930-1950
The company was founded by the Baumgartner family back in 1930.Soon the watches of the company proved to be successful and the company was growing fast.
The company had an excellent reputation and was famous for its slim lines and pocket watches.
In order to support the growth the company opened sales offices in New-York, Montreal, Caracas, Madrid and Brussels.
1951-1980
The Brussels branch was placed under the supervision of Mr. Manfred Aebi.Being a polio victim, this young Swiss immigrant was determined to make his Belgian mission an absolute success.
Although leading the Belgian branch was meant to be only something temporarily, his marriage to the Belgian Simone Verlinden made him stay permanently in the country.
They held offices in the Lombardstreet, in the heart of Brussels in those early years.
Later Rodania sales offices moved to a mansion in Wemmel.
The couple have three children: Christiane, Daniël and Belinda.
They all started working in the family business.
1981-2000
As for all Swiss watch brands, the invasion of cheaper watches equipped with quartz movements from Japan and the Far East, were a severe threat to the brand and although the Swiss management fought hard to get a grip on the situation, business was shrinking rapidly.By the mid nineties the factory in Grenchen was only a fraction of what it used to be and bankruptcy was imminent.
Having become absolute market leader in Belgium, the Aebi family could not afford the brand to disappear and came to the rescue.
They bought the brand, licenses and all copyrights this way ensuring the brand's existence.
Following this operation the Brussels office became the international sales and distribution center.
2001-2006
Under the supervision of the Aebi family, the Rodania brand maintained its position as an important player in the Belux and successfully opened a subsidiary in France.Also, they started exporting the watches again.
Present
After the retirement of Manfred en Simone Aebi, the children took over the business from their parents and assumed directorships within the company.The company wants to maintain its position in the Belux but also has bigger international aspirations.
The family therefore decided to attract foreign capital by means of Belgo-Dutch investment group BV Capital Partners.
The family sold the company to this investment group and is no longer shareholder.