The business manager behind the world’s best hand blender

Erich Eigenmann, co-owner and CEO of ESGE AG bamix® of Switzerland

Which kitchen appliances are able to purée, mix, chop, knead yeast dough, whip, froth up, bind, emulsify, grind up, grate, slice, rasp and make short crust pastry? Exactly, only one, - the ESGE® Magic Wand and/or bamix® hand blender from Mettlen in Canton Thurgau. Since 2002, Erich Eigenmann, is jointly responsible for this 60-year old success story as co-owner and CEO of ESGE AG bamix® of Switzerland.
In 1950, the bamix®, a word combination of “battre et mixer”, was invented by Roger Perrinjaquet and was distributed from 1954 onwards in German speaking countries. Over this entire period, the bamix® and/or ESGE® Magic Wand has kept its simple design – which, in the meantime, is one of the 50 design classics of the 20th century. Just the range of applications has been expanded with ingenious accessories such as the processor or the SliceSy®.
“I am fascinated, how the bamix® continues to enthuse both private and professional cooks”, said Erich Eigenmann. This customer satisfaction is not without reason: Quality is the centre of our focus - and this encompasses all areas. All original parts are made in Switzerland and the suppliers are longstanding business partners – the oldest has been with us for 40 years. Longstanding partnerships also exist to the state representations. In the production in Mettlen TG, the various production steps are carried out by different employees in an alternating pattern, who have been with the company on average 14 years. Before distribution, each bamix® or ESGE® Magic Wand also undergoes a number of test runs over a period lasting 5 to 10 minutes at all levels. “Some dealers also grant a lifelong product guarantee”, added Erich Eigenmann.
Erich Eigenmann is convinced of the role of the niche player, having a one-product strategy and Switzerland as a location: “The challenge of the coming years will be to develop new markets profitably. Our goal, however, is not to grow at just any price. On the contrary, we want to exceed the expectations of our customers.” The proof that the bamix® and/or ESGE® Magic Wand also convinces in the features performance, speed, flexibility, handling and cleaning ability is demonstrated by its use in diverse cooking shows around the world.

The business manager behind the world’s best hand blender
Erich Eigenmann

Profile

Name: Erich Eigenmann

Age: 48

Marital status: Married

Profession: CEO ESGE AG, bamix® of Switzerland

Facts

  • Since 2010, the maximum daily production is around 2,000 bamix®.
  • 40 employees produce yearly up to 400,000 bamix® - 90 percent is exported all over the world.
  • The essential part of the bamix® is the AC motor with 120 - 350 W output and 12,000 to 22,000 rpm.
  • The modular system of the bamix® has 45 individual parts which even allows 40 year-old devices to be repaired without a problem.