Sewing success

Hermann Johann Kuhn believes in the value of family businesses. When he's not travelling as the executive vice president of Bernina International AG, he's enjoying nature and spending time with his family.

Hermann Johann Kuhn has travelled the world with Bernina, which has brought him most recently to the UAE

Kuhn has an adventurous spirit and has climbed Piz Palü, which is close to Piz Bernina. He enjoys venturing outdoors to wind down from work and put his ideas in perspective

''I love walking," says Hermann Johann Kuhn. "I think about a lot of things when I walk… about business and strategy. It's also a great way to reconnect with nature." Apart from his passion for walking, the executive vice-president of Bernina International AG keeps a busy schedule so finding the time to meet for a tête-à-tête was not easy.

Kuhn is in Dubai to inaugurate the Middle East's first Bernina Creative Studio in conjunction with the opening of the second showroom of Classic Quilts and Quilting Ltd. As we sat in the plush surrounds of Dubai's One&Only Royal Mirage, Kuhn talked about his life and what drew him to Bernina, the world's leading sewing machine company.

"I love walking because it is a great way to relieve stress," he says, settling down on a comfortable sofa.

"After a walk, I can return to work with a refreshed state of mind and very often, I would have found solutions to my problems. I have favourite walking trails all around the world. In Dubai, my favourite place to walk is Jumeirah beach. In Sydney, I love walking around the botanical gardens and when in Japan, Yokohama Park. "I also enjoy more relaxed outdoor activities such as hiking in the Swiss mountains with my wife. I've climbed Piz Palü, which is close to Piz Bernina.

"I also love fast cars, because I'm Swiss and generally, Swiss people enjoy speed. I enjoy driving luxurious and comfortable cars, particularly my Mercedes CLK 500 which is seven years old." However, Kuhn says the Swiss are environmentally conscious and he has plans to buy the new Mercedes which has a smaller engine, consumers 20 per cent less petrol and emits less carbon dioxide.

Bernina was set up in 1893 by Karl Friedrich Gegauf. Generations later, the Swiss company is being managed by Gegauf's great grandson, Hanspeter Ueltschi. Kuhn may not be a family member, but says he is treated as one. "My father worked for Bernina and

I have known Ueltschi since we were kids. We lost touch with each other when we went to different schools, but Bernina brought us back together," he says.

Kuhn joined Bernina in his early twenties and has been working with them ever since. After his apprenticeship with Bernina, he went on to complete a degree in economics. He says his education prepared him for his long journey with the company. "The most exciting part of my education was a three month management course at Tufts University in Boston. I was one of 50 people selected from around the world to take part in the course. More than just learning about management, I had the privilege of experiencing a multicultural atmosphere. I built professional relationships
with future leaders."

I, ME, MYSELF

I am passionate about playing my saxophone. I learnt alto saxophone when I was 11. I consider myself to be an accomplished saxophonist and I played for many years in the Swiss Army band. Any kind of relaxing music and Swiss folk music appeals to me.

I consider Switzerland to be my home. That is where I was born and when I finish travelling for business, I look forward to returning to Switzerland to settle down. I love the distinct four seasons that we enjoy there. We are also constantly surrounded by a fabulous landscape. Steckborn is located on Lake Constance near the German border, so we go motor boating in the summer. It is also just a short drive from the beautiful mountains and skiing areas. Switzerland is where I plan to retire, although I will still visit and spend a few weeks in Perth and Dubai after I've returned home.

I believe originality comes from the heart. Whenever people exercise their creativity and produce work from
the heart, their work is bound to be highly original.

I detest situations where the other party doesn't keep their side of a commitment that we've both agreed on. When people don't live up to their part of the deal, it drives me crazy, because I've put all my energy into working with the other party and finding ways to tackle new markets and develop strategies.

I think life is what you make of it. For me, life has turned out to be a rollicking ride. I have a great family, a supportive wife and my children are well settled in great professions. I work in a family owned business. What else could I ask for?

I consider my staff to be wonderful. They are dedicated, hard-working and loyal to the vision of Bernina. When new people join us, I ensure that they are not only creative but that they would also be a good fit for the company.

I have great admiration for women who sew, embroider or quilt as their creative outlet. Sewing was once seen as a poor woman's occupation but that notion has thankfully changed.

I dream about winning a lottery ticket of about half a million Swiss francs! This money would be enough for me to travel to all the places that I've been
to, but this time around I can enjoy them in much more depth. Travelling in first class and staying at top notch hotels all over the world... now that would be wonderful!

I think diplomacy is very helpful when you are involved in difficult business discussions. I think that I would have been a good diplomat because I have a good understanding of business partners and persevere in difficult situations where others would give up. I find a solution to move forward for all the partners involved.

I, ME, MYSELF

Me and the Swiss Army
I played the alto saxophone in the Swiss army for a number of years. I initially served 17 weeks for basic training. After that, the company released me every year for three weeks so that I could undergo more intensive training. Of course, as part of the army band, I only had the saxophone as my weapon and music as my ammunition!

Me and my family
I met my wife, Elsbeth, while she was working at Bernina. This was in the late '60s. She was a trainer in the education department and trained Bernina dealers all over the world. After we were married, Elsbeth set up her own dress-making business. She studied haute couture in Paris. She has created some extraordinary garments. Two years ago, I took her to an annual quilt festival in Birmingham. She was so bowled over by the beautiful pieces of quilt art that she took up quilting.

My daughter Natalie and son Philip have taken very different routes. Natalie trained for three years in Skyguide, Switzerland. She now works as an air traffic controller in the Zurich tower. Philip decided after four years as an electrical engineer apprentice in Bernina, that it was not the way he wanted to progress in his career. He finished his studies in political and social science at Zurich University and now works as a strategic consultant in the government. Elsbeth and I are happy that our children have found their calling in life.

Me and balancing business and family
I am lucky in that my travel usually takes me to Japan or Australia and is only around three weeks long at a time. Other travels to America and South Africa are normally only for two weeks. My travels within Europe are generally short and I ensure that I'm back home for the weekend.

My wife has grown used to my demanding travel schedule. When we met for the first time, I had already started travelling. Our children have visited various countries with us so they got some compensation for the times when I wasn't with them. I think their travelling with us helped them develop very open and internationally-minded outlook.

Me and looking through the eye of the needle
I have an eye for threads and fabric. What I try to do through my role is to establish a global platform so that people can use our products in a creative environment. The concept is called the Bernina Creative Studio. The needle and thread are the most important part in sewing so we have built close partnerships with world class needle and thread manufacturers. That way, we can ensure that the accessories fit our products perfectly.

I, ME, MYSELF

What do you hope will happen with the opening of the new Bernina Creative Studio?
When Bernina first came to the Middle East, people were not aware of what our products were. Classic Quilts and Quilting Ltd, the sole distributors of Bernina in the UAE, used to offer demonstrations of our products at various associations. Recognising the intense interest of people in this part of the world, we wanted to promote the concept of the Bernina Creative Studio in Dubai as well.

The studio is a creative environment and is equipped with various machines for people to quilt, sew or embroider. People can come into the studio and try a particular machine.

We hope to see more local clientele come to our studio to test the machines. A lady who bought a machine from the Bernina series has set up a small tent in front of her house where she embroiders her abayas. She says her friends have also expressed interest in the machine. It's great to see an interest in sewing generated in the region.

What can a sewing machine do towards helping women in poor countries?
What we sell at Bernina is creativity. We try to contribute towards the creative leisure time of women by investing in training, thereby educating women in poor countries. In South Africa, for example, we donate 15 Bernina machines to women in shanty towns every year.

They are given two weeks training on how to sew a simple garment and in this way, they acquire a skill that can offer them a livelihood. In Uzbekistan, we have contributed to their education systems by writing school textbooks for sewing.

Do you think that people have time for sewing and quilting in an era increasingly dominated by technological forms of entertainment?
I have heard this argument many times. In Shanghai, quilting is done on a small scale. While a Chinese couple might have the money to buy a sewing machine, they have no time to quilt because both of them are working long hours. Often people say, "If we want a quilt, we will buy it." I believe however, that if people really want to take up a hobby, they will find the time to do it, no matter what.

Sometimes, a wife wants to buy a sewing machine, but the husband protests because he thinks it is expensive. My argument is that if the husband has money and time for bowling or golf, then he shouldn't mind if his wife wishes to pursue a hobby
of her own.

Recently, there was a customer at Classic Quilts who wanted to convince her husband to buy a second Bernina machine. She explained that she couldn't think of a reason to justify to her husband why she wanted another one. I suggested that if she faced opposition from her husband, that she should ask him how many mobile phones and laptops he has. The next day she returned, quite triumphant, to buy the machine.

What's the best thing about family-owned businesses? And the worst?
In a family-owned business such as Bernina, the family members are very dedicated to their business. Bernina is special because we are in the fourth generation of the business.

In a family business people think long-term. I think family businesses are often more solid and do not have the same problems as corporates, because the family leaves all the money in the business. They are self-sufficient. They make decisions on their own and with immediate effect.

We recently invested a lot of money in a product which our competitors would never dream of doing. We could do this because we were not pressured by banks as to what we should do.

In a public company, there is a lot of pressure from shareholders for the company to grow quickly. In a family business, the family is more patient. We have partners who are committed to developing the company at its own pace and that's why we are looking forward to the fifth generation continuing the business.

In my 40 years working at Bernina, I have not come across any setbacks that have been as a result of the company being a family-owned business.

In this changed financial climate, do you think a family-owned business has an edge over a regular corporate? If so, why?
Yes, especially in these economic times. We have also felt the effects of the financial slump, but we are doing fine. That is because we have enough reserves and are perhaps more conservative in our approach. The family has a long-term commitment and is re-investing money into the business. This is a big plus for many family-owned companies.

We are loyal to our people – from the managers to the people we have working in our factory.

We have the capability to retain the best. There is a lot of know-how that accumulates over the years.

Combine long-serving people with young blood and we have a viable and vibrant team. We need young people who are happy to work hard, be loyal and accumulate as much experience as possible for their professional growth, as well as for the benefit of the company.