BAR NEWS: What motivates you to be in the business every day and drive the company forward?
Urs Ullrich: Yes, certainly the many fantastic creative opportunities to realize projects and ideas with the employees. Especially in these difficult times. We currently have more exciting projects underway than ever before in our entire company history.
How would you describe your approach to leadership?
I think my job is to empower employees. I have trained a lot of people. Of course, many people have also left the company over the years and continued their careers elsewhere. But I think it's about taking employees seriously and resolving any problems that arise in order to achieve the company's desired goals. I'm not the motivator, and I don't think that's my job as a manager either. Rather, I want to work with motivated employees.
You are considered to have a great deal of specialist knowledge - how did that come about?
I'm almost not allowed to tell you. It all started with my wife. She joined the company in 1996. She previously worked at Moevenpick. She brought a great deal of knowledge with her. I learned a lot from her. In addition to acquiring a lot of knowledge by visiting trade fairs, visiting producers and studying a lot of specialist literature, I then trained as a wine academic many years ago. In addition to my daily work, it was a very challenging but extremely exciting time.
And then there was the great interest in the industry.
My predecessors and my father were more business people. It was only when I took over the business that I really developed a sense for the commercial side of things. However, a passion quickly developed, which is why the company is now called Ullrich Passion for Liquids. The idea behind it is that we had to have a value that we live by. It's the passion for drinks and that's why we have this slogan.
Urs Ullrich in person
Age: 55
Marital status: married to Jaqueline (also a member of the Executive Board)
Children: three, aged 23 / 20 / 17
Previous areas of work: Marketing agency, then worked in the financial sector in Geneva.
Leisure activities: Lots of sport, swimming, racing cycling, biking. Used to compete in triathlons and marathons and, in the extreme, the Inferno race, which starts on Lake Thun with a swim and ends on the Schilthorn after a mountain run. In between, I still ride my racing bike and bike.
Favorite place: Sailing boat on Lake Neuchâtel
Favorite spirit: Rum in all its facets
Why did it take so long to develop a slightly more modern image?
Yes, it took a long time. It took me almost 25 years to take this step because the company was called Paul Ullrich AG and was on the market with a somewhat old-fashioned logo. I didn't dare to throw the old overboard. But five years ago the time had come. We did the rebranding. An agency from Zurich supported us. The last six months before the launch were the most intensive, as we also worked a lot on the company's DNA. Today, I am very happy and satisfied with how it turned out and how we are seen today.
You travel a lot for work. Do you have a favorite destination?
Portugal is definitely the wine country with the most exciting regions for me. I can recommend this country to everyone - not just wine lovers.
How has the company developed over the last ten years?
We have grown very strongly, partly due to the expansion of our store network. We have three stores in Basel, one store in Zurich, three stores in Bern and branches in Morges and Chur. On the other hand, we have been able to take over many great brand representations in recent years and so things have actually progressed rapidly.
About the agencies: Do you actively seek them out or are they offered to you?
It's a bit of both. Of course, you have a certain reputation if you do things well or position a brand successfully on the market. Word gets around. It's a small world where people quickly get to know each other. On the other hand, we also get several offers a week from winegrowers and spirits producers who are looking for distributors for sales in Switzerland. It's an exciting story.
When you took over the company over 30 years ago, you were eight people; today you employ 120 people. What are the success factors?
Well-trained employees, a good product portfolio and satisfied customers.
What sets Ullrich apart from the competition?
Difficult question. I think we are very innovative and always try to keep an eye on what might be in demand tomorrow. Of course, it also takes a bit of luck to have the right brands on board at the right time. And we are decisive.
Does the success perhaps also have something to do with short decision-making paths?
Sure. There are four people on the management board, so we have a lean organization with few hierarchical levels.
Can you tell us about any exciting projects at Ullrich?
We are currently very busy with the topic of AI and have three projects underway at the moment. It's super exciting and we're looking forward to the first results.
What direction are these projects taking?
One is in the area of order automation. E-mails with customer orders are automatically read and fed into SAP and provided with the correct data. Another project is a planning tool for procurement. Here, it is determined whether, for example, a seasonal item needs to be procured differently. Based on the various data, AI is used to suggest the optimum procurement quantity, taking into account the supplier's data on how long it will take to deliver. In this way, we hope to optimize the ordering process and inventory management. And the last thing is that we have our own DMS, which we feed with documents from our suppliers and then process them further. And this knowledge database can then help us quickly and comprehensively in many areas.
It is often said that Ullrich earns a lot of money with gray imports in Switzerland. How did this image come about and what can you say about it today?
I see myself more as an Winkelried of the Swiss spirits industry. I mean, we've had situations where we didn't get the right prices from large, well-known groups as a small retailer. With liberalization in 1999, we were able to throw off the shackles and buy everywhere. Then I went to colleagues in the industry and said: "I'll order one or two branded products, do you need them too?" and that's how it actually started, that we imported certain products. A few years have passed in the meantime and a lot has changed. Some large corporations have realized that Ullrich is an important market player in Switzerland and have adjusted their pricing policy so that we can be competitive.
Ullrich carries many well-known brand products in its range.
We are an important partner for various groups, for whom we manage the last kilometer to the customer, so to speak, and have a distribution function.
You often hear from smaller Swiss producers that Ullrich does the distribution for them. What do these producers have to fulfill?
Yes, I think it is certainly important that the product has reached market maturity and that the packaging, content, label and design are right overall. Then, however, the price gradation must also be right. This is often a real cause for discussion, that everyone in the value chain has the margin they need to cover their costs. Many suppliers are not always aware of this. However, it is just as important for the brand owner to generate leads themselves, maintain their own network and actively promote their brand.
This article is an excerpt from the interview. You can find the full interview in issue 4-2024.