Moratti Mettlen AG has been renting a storage space in Dorfrütti from the municipality of Saanen for six years on a building lease basis. Managing directors Simon and Reto Moratti pursued the idea of building a parking garage for car collectors on the site. Once built, the hall would have been rented out for many years. Similar models exist in Gstaad, Grund and Feutersoey. Then Simon Moratti learned that the post office was urgently looking for a central delivery point. Due to a lack of possibilities, the post office wanted to move the delivery point to Zweisimmen. He modified the original idea of the car storage and contacted the Swiss Post.

Two possibilities
Another possible location for the new delivery point was on the Farb, which had been blocked for four years due to objections from neighbours. That's why Moratti's offer came at the right time. Swiss Post decided to pursue both projects and kept all options open. Moratti Mettlen AG began planning according to the specifications of the Swiss Post's construction programme. This involved certain risks because no lease had yet been signed. The planning and approval process went off without a hitch. The permit arrived quite quickly. "There were no objections and I am grateful to the neighbours for that," says Simon Moratti.

At the same time, it became known that the Federal Court had rejected the objections of the second site on the Farb and the application had a legally valid building permit. Thus, after years of searching, Swiss Post suddenly had two possible locations.

Decision in favour of Dorfrütti
Swiss Post saw many advantages in the Dorfrütti location. "The new delivery point in Dorfrütti has ideal transport connections. The space is generous and allows Swiss Post to react to future developments, namely a further increase in parcel deliveries," writes the media office on request. The employees will have modern operating rooms and because the production areas are on the ground floor, it will simplify the delivery and processing of postal items.

Another advantage of the centralisation, according to Swiss Post, is that it will relieve the pressure on the village centres in Gstaad and Saanen. The fact that Swiss Post dropped the Farb site is understandable in view of the stubborn delaying tactics of the objecting residents. In doing so, the neighbourhood showed that it did not want a delivery point in the neighbourhood, the operation of which also involves traffic. If Swiss Post had decided in favour of this despite everything, the basis for neighbourly relations would have been poor.

One-storey building in Dorfrütti
Construction of the new delivery point in Dorfrütti has already begun. A one-storey building is planned, on whose flat roof Moratti Mettlen AG will continue to store building materials. A road leads around the building and from there a ramp leads to the storage area.

The commercial hall is largely built underground into the rising terrain. It consists of the premises for the delivery point and two additional rooms, the use of which has not yet been defined. The front of the commercial hall is visible, but the back is on ground level of the rising hill.

New procedures and new routes
Today, the postal workers start their delivery tours from the delivery points in Gstaad, Saanen and Schönried. The new delivery point replaces these locations. "In future, the postal workers will prepare the items for delivery in the Dorfrütti and then distribute them in Saanenland," says the media office, giving an insight into the future work processes. The centralisation allows for cross-location tours, which means that the postal workers will also work in delivery areas outside their current places of work. "The new routes may change the usual delivery times for customers," Swiss Post informs. "In the village centres, we will continue to deliver items to customers with the electric tricycles despite the changed routes."

No job cuts
Although the move will result in a new location and new routes for employees, the centralisation will not mean any job cuts, Swiss Post affirms: "All delivery employees in Saanenland will continue to be employed. We assume that we will be able to hire additional employees thanks to the continued increase in parcel delivery volumes."

Swiss Post is not communicating whether it is making savings through centralisation but is focusing on the services in Saanenland, which it wants to offer in good quality and reliably.

Properties in Saanen and Schönried to be sold off
What will happen to the other delivery points? The premises in Saanen have already been sold to Saanen Bank and the property in Schönried is expected to be put up for sale, says Swiss Post. That leaves Gstaad. "Swiss Post will remain in Gstaad with a self-operated branch," Swiss Post assures. However, it cannot make any statements today about where exactly this branch will be located, about the future use of the existing premises and about the future strategy.

Based on AvS/Blanca Burri