40 years success story, SME Swissness in the Philippines

20years is young. 2 x 20years is double young. That is how we feel” said the founder, Urs Hebeisen, addressing long term customers and staff at the company’s 40th anniversary celebration at Citadines Bay City, 4th October 2024.
First encounter with the Philippines dates back to 1969 when he was working in a subsidiary of today’s main network the FRACHTgroup, representing the state owned shipping line MCP Maritime Company of the Philippines in Switzerland. Anyway these ships do not sail the world’s oceans anymore.
1984 STAMM was founded not because of a brilliant business idea. The economic and political development in those days discouraged European companies and made them leave the country and Rebecca Pimentel, Doris Torres and soon later Ramil Santos convinced the young Swiss entrepreneur who was on a mission in the Philippines, that it was worth staying. Being in very challenging times nobody shared their vision, yet they became a team sticking together for 4 decades, trusting each other and building STAMM, the name to trust.
With Canadian support and Swiss shareholding they ventured into what would be called today a start- up. Philippines was no one’s priority in the global freight forwarding industry, probably the reason why many companies worldwide entrusted the young team with their shipments. Not much to lose, they thought, might as well give it to those idealists in the Philippines.
Constant growth expanded STAMM’s service portfolio by opening a Cebu Branch. Soon after STAMM Technic a trading company and it did not take long also STAMM Brokerage became part of the group.
“Today we are part of a Philippines which has an even more promising future. Our faith in our country made us successful. And that will continue. Experience cannot be substituted and we continue to be committed to our customers, our staff, our associates worldwide and our friends” the Chairman stated in his opening remarks
A strong commitment to serving is shown also in the company’s community spirit. Long before everybody was talking about Corporate Social Responsibility STAMM engaged in community projects and SDG standards have become today part of its culture, prompting international Charity Organisation to have STAMM managing their Philippine projects.
The success story must continue by the new Generation. Doris Torres the President, is a well known authority in teaching programs for freight forwarding and logistics all over south east Asia, presently serving as the Chairwoman of Training and Education of the Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association Inc.The celebration finalized in acknowledgment and thanksgiving to all stakeholders and their families “The power is not in money but virtue”