Portrait Hans Tschudin
Hans Tschudin has seen a lot of the world. As an installation engineer, he worked in many different countries across the globe and then spent 23 years in Uzwil, where he was responsible for the installation engineers worldwide. On April 1, 2021, he took his well-deserved retirement after 49 years and 352 days with Bühler.
Ariane Stillhard, March 31, 2022
When Hans Tschudin began his apprenticeship as a mechanical engineer in milling at Bühler in April 1971 upon his father’s request, he couldn’t have guessed that he’d spend the next 50 years of his life with the same company. A few years after successfully completing his apprenticeship and retraining as an installation engineer, Hans Tschudin was allowed to start up a plant for Bühler in Saudi Arabia as a junior installation engineer. For one and a half years, he lived at the customer’s site. At that time, the rules were still very strict, and a visit home was only allowed after six months.
Back in Switzerland, he got married immediately. He had maintained his relationship throughout his time in Saudi Arabia with letters. “It was a wedding for Bühler,” he says with a grin, “so my wife could always come along.” Together with his wife, he went to the US and worked there for one year. After that, he was sent to Saudi Arabia again for a year and a half. “My wife still says today that it is the most beautiful place she has ever seen,” says Hans Tschudin.
It was a wedding for Bühler, so my wife could always come along.
Hans Tschudin,
Bühler jubilee and retiree
Hans Tschudin and his wife spent the next 13 years in England, where he really enjoyed the work. “In England, we always got to install the latest and most modern technologies,” he says. When his son had to start primary school, the family moved back to Uzwil. Of course, Bühler didn’t want to lose an experienced installation engineer like Hans Tschudin to the competition. Thanks to a reorganization, he had the opportunity to take over the global installation coordination. With his knowledge and keen understanding of human nature, he managed the coordination until spring 2021.
The installation of a mill in Scotland was one of the personal highlights for Hans Tschudin. It was the first time he had been on a construction site as the leading installation engineer. Additional work and small problems kept coming up. This developed into a popular internal nickname for the mill: “Chancelot” became “Change a lot”.
In the end, however, the mill was completed on time and a ceremony was held to honor the mill and those involved in the project. “During the ceremony, I walked around the mill by myself, making sure everything was working properly. That was one of the most beautiful moments,” recalls Hans Tschudin.
Ricardo Schäfer, Site Manager
“Having once managed construction sites himself, Hans knew how to distinguish the important from the less important. He always had an open ear for our concerns (but had to drink the first coffee before doing so). Thanks to his long affiliation with Bühler, he knew exactly which contacts were the right ones for which cases to achieve a turnaround. Hans always stood up for our interests, and unfortunately, you only see that when someone is no longer there. I wish Hans good health and much pleasure with his hobbies.”
Employees often came and said, “send another one here and we need another one there.” Then Hans Tschudin would always reply: “We work with people here and not with a commodity, you can’t just push them around.” The fact that it was Hans Tschudin, who himself spent many years traveling all over the world as an installation engineer, who took over this position in the installation department was a great stroke of luck for the engineers as well as for Bühler.
Mario Franke, Site Manager
“I have known Hans since 2004, when I was still working for an outside company on behalf of Bühler. In 2008, I started working with Hans in the installation department and have never regretted this step – this is also thanks to Hans. In my eyes, he lived the ‘Bühler Family’ values and carried them to the outside world. He was not only a superior, but always a valued colleague who worked hard to earn his reputation and position.
I always found it positive that he was able to draw on his wealth of experience as an installation engineer and could put himself in the position of the installation engineers. I also think that his history has made him a fair and well-liked person who has always stood up for us. I very much enjoyed working with him and appreciated his advice and support.
This generation (I now count myself among them) has achieved its goals through performance and a focus on the people. Starting at the grassroots and finishing his work ‘at the top’ – my deepest respect for that!”
Over all these years, it has been important to Hans Tschudin that the installation engineers working across the globe have a contact person. “I was available seven days a week, 24 hours a day.” A regular exchange with his employees in the various regions was very important to Hans Tschudin. “You shouldn’t just visit people when there is a problem, but when everything is good. The problems will come up at some point,” said Hans Tschudin.
Although he missed his 50th anniversary by 13 days, one thing is certain: Hans Tschudin has well earned his retirement. And since April, he hasn’t been bored a single day.
You shouldn’t just visit people when there’s a problem, but when everything is fine. The problems will come up at some point.
Hans Tschudin,
Bühler jubilee and retiree
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
