Zug,22.09.2017

Johnson & Johnson celebrates its fifth anniversary

The mayor of Zug, Dolfi Müller, was present on Thursday at a reception at Johnson & Johnson, along with Manuela Arnold, the head of the company’s Gubelstrasse site, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of their moving to these city premises, formerly occupied by Siemens.
 
It was actually in October of 2012 that the American pharmaceutical company, a global leader in the provision of health care products as well as the largest provider of medical and diagnostics products, moved into these premises near Zug station. Indeed, a speeded-up video on continuous loop showed the two-year, CHF160-million adaptation of the 23,000 square-metre site to the company’s requirements, now the place of work for some 950 staff.
 
A band was also engaged to play at the reception, attended, too, of course, by a large number of employees. As Arnold explained, the site here in Zug is a centre for a number of the firm’s activities, such as marketing, sales, finance, supply chain and human resources.
 
As mentioned, the company, whose American headquarters are in New Brunswick, New Jersey, makes a wide variety of products from shampoos and tooth floss to contact lenses and artificial hips. It made headline news across the country six years ago when it acquired the Swiss medical technology Synthes company for some $20 billion, contributing to the firm becoming the largest American employer in Switzerland, now with over 7,000 staff in all.
 
As to its staff in Zug, half are male and half are female, with 50% Swiss and the other half from countries across the world; indeed, the company is very proud of this diversity. As Arnold further explained, great emphasis is placed on employees’ ability to maintain the right work-life balance, hence the company also provides a staff restaurant serving healthy food, child-care facilities and fitness rooms, where one can practise yoga, for example. In addition, the site has its own bakery, pharmacy, and even a mini-golf facility.
 
One other very special feature the company has, housed in an inner courtyard, are three bee-hives, all looked after professionally by an apiarist, though interested employees can also get involved if they so wish.
 
Speaking on this special occasion, the mayor mentioned how Johnson & Johnson and the politics as practised in Zug were both models of success, which was no doubt why cooperation between the city and the company had gone so swimmingly. The canton of Zug was also very pleased to have welcomed the pharmaceutical company here, not least as it is one of the largest employers in the region. As to whether additional staff were in the pipeline, Johnson & Johnson was not able to say.