Moving means entrusting one’s emotional world to a third party to be transported from one place to another. Mutual trust and respect are essential. Acquired in 1996 by Rolf Haener, the moving company DGM Veron Grauer SA cultivates its reputation quietly. The absence of advertising is the best proof that its services are appreciated: is there a better recommendation than word of mouth?
Who doesn’t recognize the yellow trucks with red letters that, since 1867, have traveled the roads to help you settle into a new home or to ship Swiss industrial products abroad? When Danzas decided in the mid-1990s to refocus its Veron Grauer subsidiary on freight forwarding, Rolf Haener, then an executive at the company, bought the moving and storage division. Thus, DGM Veron Grauer SA was born.
Geneva, an international region, lives to the rhythm of expatriate arrivals and departures. Although the “transfer season” returns every summer, the last months have been busier than usual due to catching up after an 18-month freeze of arrivals and departures caused by Covid. Despite its size, Geneva has more moving companies than one might expect, partly owing to its significant hotel infrastructure.
Quality Is Visible
DGM Veron Grauer SA’s advertising budget is modest, reflecting a Calvinist spirit. “Satisfied clients are our best asset. They return and bring us additional assignments,” explains Michel Haener. “What you give, life gives back,” adds his brother Fabio Haener, logistics director. This philosophy manifests itself in a pursuit of quality both in services and in relations with the company’s 35 employees. “Our clients deal with happy staff, and it shows. Satisfaction also comes from that,” notes Michel Haener.
Trucks that have been traveling the roads since 1867, accompanying you as you settle into your new home.
Captivating Services
Beyond moving, DGM Veron Grauer SA has developed unique expertise in manufacturing custom crates for transporting machine tools and delicate furniture, especially for the watchmaking sector. This niche service benefits from an important industrial base in the Romandy region oriented toward exports.
In terms of volume, DGM Veron Grauer SA’s activity is divided roughly into thirds: international moves, moves within Greater Geneva, and moves for businesses and public institutions. The latter sector supported the company during the pandemic, as adjustments required by remote work and distancing rules, including installation of plexiglass separators, replaced international transfers.
A Company That Trains
Michel and Fabio Haener themselves went through apprenticeships before completing further education at the Geneva University of Applied Sciences (HEG) and working for other companies. Their apprenticeship experience convinced them to take on apprentices themselves. They took it further by partnering with Genève Roule, through which DGM Veron Grauer SA offers young refugees the chance to earn a Federal Certificate of Competence (CFC).
In collective memory, the name Veron Grauer is associated with preserving the art of the Prado Museum in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. Paintings by Goya, El Greco, Rubens, and Velázquez were entrusted to the League of Nations and were packed by the company for their journey back after the conflict ended. Geneva staff accompanied the transport to ensure the integrity of 400 paintings and 128 tapestry crates throughout the trip.
SPOTLIGHT
Succession underway A generational transfer is underway at DGM Veron Grauer SA—the first since the company became a family business under Rolf Haener. This Basel native, president, and managing director will turn 70 in 2024, aiming to pass the baton at that time. The goal is not so much handing off daily management—it is already well delegated—but transferring ownership and safeguarding family interests, including those of members not working in the company. Specialists are assisting the process. Rolf Haener is confident about the future, relying on his sons’ 16 and 10 years with the company respectively. “Like all family businesses, my children started in entry-level positions to learn and discover the company,” he says. “Today, I’m proud to have maintained the quality associated with the Veron Grauer name and to have two sons succeeding me.” Michel and Fabio will face rising costs of packing materials and freight, as well as container shortages. Aware of their ecological footprint, they have launched a program to eliminate plastics in all forms—bubble wrap, tape, various packaging—to improve the environmental balance of their activities. The next step in sustainability will be replacing the truck fleet with non-polluting vehicles. “Like the entire road transport sector, we are waiting for hydrogen trucks to arrive before investing,” says Michel Haener.
