Dr Esther Kissling will take over the management of L. Kissling, the gear manufacturer steeped in tradition. Assuming her post as the new CEO, she will be taking up managerial duties alongside her brother, Martin Kissling, who heads the Engineering, Diagnostics, and Purchasing Departments and presides over the Executive Board.
Her knowledge of gear technology is firmly established, as it was her grandfather and father that built the company and guided it to become a successful mid-sized company with a prestigious reputation in the Swiss machinery industry.
Esther Kissling received her degree in forestry from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and in 1985 was awarded a doctorate in technical sciences, receiving the title of Dr sc. techn. Following this, she held several forestry positions and spent six years as the City of Zurich’s Senior Forestry Officer. This was a diverse operation with more than 60 employees.
Afterward, she managed a large division of the Reformed State Church of Zurich with over 100 staff members for 6 years. Armed with many years of managerial experience and having recently concluded studies in small and mid-sized company management, she is now taking over the family business.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KISSLING COMPANY
In the 1960s and 70s, Kissling conquered the ski regions of Europe and America. Today, Kissling has a 20-30% share of the global market. All gearbox parts including the cogwheels were manufactured from its own shop floor until just a few years ago. In the 1990’s, the company decided to outsource most of the production of component parts in order to remain competitive. In 1999, the Executive Board engaged an experienced, external executive officer from the machinery industry Werner Edelmann, who holds an engineering degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH).
KISSLING GEARS – NOT JUST FOR ROPEWAYS
Kissling is one of the pioneers in ropeway drives, becoming famous and successful with them. But thanks to the innovative capacity of the Kissling Company, many exciting projects with demanding technical requirements take shape in other industries, such as in the food, paper, plastics and chemical industries.
Today, for example, the fastest and tallest roller coasters in the world are equipped with Kissling technology. Special projects for testing stations and turbo systems are being carried out at an increasing rate. This mainstay will be further expanded in the coming years.
THE COMPANY IS MOVING
The property held for 50 years on Schaerenmoosstrasse in Zurich, which is completely equipped to handle its own production, will be sold in the fall of 2009. In March 2008, the Kissling family purchased a new property in Bachenbuelach near Zurich, which is better designed for the company’s current structure. The new site is just 10 kilometers north of the current location. The employees and owners are looking forward to the move, which will take place in December 2009.