GstaadLife

The Sweet Smell of Success

What do pastry and politics have in common? Here in Gstaad, it’s Heinz Brand, the baker who traded bread for bureaucracy when he retired from business and ran for office.  Recently Heinz Brand sat down with GSTAADLIFE on the Hotel Bernerhof’s terrace to discuss his remarkable life in and out of politics, and his current and future plans for the betterment of the Saanenland.

GSTAADLIFE:  As a young man, you left the Alps and lived and worked along Lake Biel. What brought you back to the Saanenland?

Heinz Brand: I’ve always had a lust for adventure, so after my schooling in Gstaad I took the first opportunity I could to attend business school in La Neuveville. Same canton, sure, but different language, different culture! After earning my business diploma I wanted to continue my studies and pursue my dream of becoming a doctor or government official.  But life doesn’t always turn out as planned.  For family reasons, I came back to the Saanenland and took over my parents’ business—the Brand Bakery.

GL: How did you make the unlikely transition from successful bakery owner to politician?

HB: I took over the family business with one goal in mind—to retire at 50 (he says with a smile).  It was a goal I set for myself, a personal compromise.  I would run the bakery well and expand the business to allow for retirement at a relatively young age—and I would then pursue my earlier professional dreams.  And through hard work and determination, I made it happen. I wouldn’t give up on my dreams. I’m a stubborn man, or so my wife says.

GL: Tell us about your current role and position in the local government.

HB: I have held the position of Gemeinderat (roughly the equivalent of Councilman) since 2007. My current role puts me in charge of city planning and construction, which along with building infrastructure also includes building consensus in the community.

GL: There are a lot of changes (and cranes!), in the air for Saanen these days. What are biggest items on the town’s development agenda?

HB:  Saanen is evolving on a daily basis. And as Gemeinderat, I’m very proud to be a part of that development.  As you know, the Sanona project is designed to ensure sustainable, vibrant town.  The top items on our to-do list are:

1. Implementing industrial zones;  

2.  Renovating the Dorfrütti Zentralwäscherei (centralized laundry center for hotels); and

3. Finishing the parking garage in Saanen, which will facilitate access to the town and increase local business.

GL: Can you tell us more about the proposed zoning changes in Gstaad and Saanen? Is this good or bad news for local businesses?

HB: We recognized the need for special industrial/production zones in the two towns some time ago, and have worked tirelessly to find available land. Getting the business community on board was also an important step, as it requires relocation on their part.  New zones “Tomi” (Gstaad) and “Dorfrütti”(Saanen) will accommodate industry, so that the historic villages can be preserved in their entirety for both residents and tourists.  In other words, plenty of space for industry to grow—with no more eye-sores.

GL: Two big construction items are the Le Rosey project in Schönried and the Gstaad Sportzentrum. What is their current status?

HB:  Le Rosey was finally approved a few months ago. The next step is waiting for a construction permit from the Canton of Bern (see a detailed summary of the approval in GSTAADLIFE's June 21 print edition).

 Gstaad Sportzentrum is planning the renovation of the main building to include first-class equipment and bright fitness rooms.  The locker areas and walkways will be modernized as well. Much of the facility hasn’t been changed in more than forty years—including the pool. It’s time to renovate completely and even construct part of it outdoors.  The community also plans to build two chalets on the Sportzentrum’s property, where we can house sports teams recruited to stay and train in Gstaad.

GL: Do you have any personal ideas for making Saanen a more attractive place to live that you can share?

HB: I would like to see more people in the village itself, at all hours. By encouraging outdoor socializing, we could make this a reality.  Imagine if all the bars, restaurants, bakeries, cafés and hotels had terraces—people could sit out and enjoy the warm summer and clear autumn seasons here, while local businesses profited as well. 

Another idea is to bring back vital small shops onto Saanen’s main street. Demand is high enough that a butcher, for example, could make a good living there.  The trick is finding someone respected locally, who would not only open a new business, but would contribute to the social fabric of the village.

GL: There has been a lot of discussion lately concerning the Secondary Home Initiative and its possible effects on the region. Anything to add that hasn’t already been said?

HB: What’s done is done; the Federal Court has made a decision and we must respect that, however unwillingly.  While there are some merits to the Secondary Home Initiative, here in Saanen we had developed and already implemented a wiser plan for reducing the number of so-called “cold beds.”  Rather than limiting the total percentage of secondary homes, it limited percentages in all new construction to 70% for local residents and 30% for secondary residents. Buildings had be a mix of residence types, allowing for locals to benefit from reduced housing cost as well (which is associated with this type of classification).

GL: Besides having your roots here, what do you like best about the Saanenland and what has kept you here even after retirement?

HB: I love the Saanenland for both the kindness of its people and the beautiful natural surroundings—it’s my home.  However, now that I’m “mostly” retired, my wife and I can indulge our love of travel. Last year we visited Egypt, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and we’re already planning our next adventure to somewhere equally as exotic.

GL: As a well-liked and respected politician who’s considered an asset to the local government, is there any truth to the rumour that you may run for higher office?

HB: I’m more than happy with my current role. In fact, there’s so much more I’d like to do for development in the Saanenland that I couldn’t leave my Gemeinderat position just yet.  My boss, Aldo Kropf, does an excellent job as Gemeindepräsident, and I’ve been fortunate to learn a lot under his tutelage. But never say never….

The cranes are gone and the press office of The Alpina Gstaad is going into overdrive. So the news is that everything at the first newly-constructed 5-star hotel in Gstaad in the past 100 years seems to be going smoothly. And they have found their managing director, one Niklaus Leuenberger, a Swiss who has managed hotels over the last 30 years throughout Asia and the US. There'll be lots more on this story in the next months. The grand opening is slated for December 2012.

Olden renovation update: above is one of the first pictures of the main building. As you can see, it stays basically the same from the outside with the exception of the rooftop extensions. There are extensive plans for the inside, but the good news is that the restaurant as well as the bar area will stay exactly the same, (kinda like when they "re-did" the GreenGo). In a recent interview with our sister publication, the Anzeiger von Saanen, hotel director Ermes Elsener referred to the apartments in the planned chalets behind the main building as "lukewarm beds", defending the assertion that hotel apartments are part of the region's problem because they remain largely empty most of the year, so-called cold beds. Don't get us wrong we understand the need to rennovate, go with the times, and finally make some money with the hotel side of the business. It's just that everyone loves the place as it is, so there is real hope that the promises of keeping the building, the bar and the restaurants will hold. Building is scheduled to start in March 2012 with a plan for completion in December 2012 for the main building. The all-new chalets out back will take at least two years.

The construction markers are finally up for the next monster construction project in Saanenland. The development will be built at the east entrance to the village where 6 duplex and one triplex house are planned featuring about 80 apartments and space for offices. For details and pictures go to gstaad-saanen-site.ch. Any objections?

Everybody talks about it - here is a movie about it - the planned cultural center known as Les Arts Gstaad. After the jump you can read a translated article about the first planning phase which appeared in our sister publication, the Anzeiger von Saanen.

For years we have waited for someone to come up with a plan and the permission to do something with that old, run-down Hotel La Gare in Saanen. Over the past decade, various architects have tried to get construction permission to rebuild the Hotel La Gare but so far no consensus could be reached. Now Fabian Reichenbach of the eponymous architecture firm based in Gstaad believes he has the answer, and is trying again with what is described as a smaller more 'Saanenlike' project. Coming in midst of the Saanen renaissance, this one feels like it has a chance, so let's hope for some sanity on the planning commission because anything is better than the current eyesore. 

The construction up at La Videmanette has moved into its second phase. After a highly successful first winter season, work has begun (with minimal disturbance to summer guests) on the next step, a tunnel that will offer immediate access to the slopes from the top station of the gondola rather than having to schlep skis and kids through the maze of outdoor diners on the terrace. There are also plans to improve the restaurant but we don't have the details on that yet.

 
After 4 months of renovation, Credit Suisse Gstaad is moving out of the containers in the railway parking lot and back into their newly-renovated chalet HQ on the Promenade this coming Monday July 27 2011. The inside has been completely changed - colored floors, wood furniture and leather surfaces. There will also be a new hospitality concept, with a floor manager to greet you as you enter the building to help you with your needs. Top stuff if they can do it effectively, but it could be quite a challenge to staff up for the extremes of low and high season in Gstaad...

The Institut Le Rosey has been in search of a new area for its Gstaad campus for a while now, and believes it has found it in the form of Schönried Erli (above the village of Schönried on the Rellerli side). Pictured above is a mock-up of how the campus is expected to look, a project which will be a joint effort of architects Benz Hauswirth GmbH, Jaggi & Partner AG and Chaletbau Matti AG. They have conceived a campus that looks like a mini-village with numerous buildings in the local chalet style set around a village square. The village itself will include living quarters for about 450 students and 100 teachers as well as the classrooms, cafeteria, sports facilities, and a parking garage for about 75 cars. The only discussion point amongst locals is the Hubelstrasse which is simply too narrow at parts for the kind of traffic expected. More as we have it.

 
We really don't know where to start with this one, and seeing as we already know what you're thinking, we'll save ourselves the effort.