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The train manufacturer Stadler Rail achieves order records and comments on its production facilities in Belarus.
Incoming orders of CHF 5.6 billion and a record order backlog of CHF 18 billion – Peter Spuhler, head of Stadler Rail, is very satisfied. “This shows that the trains can hold their own in tough international competition.” But, Spuhler adds, after two years of the pandemic, things have not calmed down. The price of raw materials continues to rise.
Current situation belongs to entrepreneurship
“I think that the whole current situation, including with Ukraine and Russia, is part of entrepreneurship,” says Spuhler. You have to look for solutions and take immediate measures. “We are actually very confident that we can turn the corner with the appropriate measures”.
Partial withdrawal from Belarus
“There are red lines,” says Peter Spuhler. “If supranational organizations decide to impose sanctions, then of course we comply.” But he is still of the opinion that companies like Stadler Rail have to make their contribution to advancing the democratization process in countries like Belarus.
According to the annual report, Stadler Rail has decided to move part of its production from Belarus to the EU in Poland and back to Switzerland. “As it looks now, electronic components can no longer be exported to Belarus from the West as of June 4 due to the sanctions,” says CEO Peter Spuhler. This means orders have to be shifted to the EU. However, Stadler Rail does not want to give up the location in Belarus entirely.
Democratization also means economic integration.
“As a comparatively small company, we can make our contribution to democratization if we train employees in the West and they learn our language,” says the entrepreneur. According to Spuhler, democratization also means economic integration.
We are not world policeman
“Supranational organizations such as the EU, UNO, OECD and the like should make political decisions about sanctions,” says Spuhler. Entrepreneurs also have a responsibility towards fathers who work for them. “We don’t produce for just any dictator, but for the general public,” Spuhler continues.
“For these reasons, I think it would be wrong if we just like that – I don’t care – would run away”. Stadler Rail is therefore refraining from a complete withdrawal from Belarus, which is closely allied with Russia.
Glad about Russia’s past decisions
Stadler Rail has been running double-decker trains in Moscow for a number of years, and there are 16 trams in St. Petersburg. “We have certain service orders here,” says Spuhler. “So we are only very weakly involved here – thank God, one has to say,” said Spuhler literally.
Around twelve years ago, they thought about how they wanted to approach the countries of the former Soviet Union. Stadler Rail has opted for a plant in Belarus and not in Russia. Now CEO Peter Spuhler hopes that Belarus will not be directly involved in the war. He adds: “We hope that Belarus will not also make this big mistake that the Russian government has now made.”