One industry that deserves close watch in the next few years is the rapidly evolving power and electricity trading market. Due to market liberalization expanding throughout Europe, international and cross-border trading of power is becoming standard practice. Although the market is still closed in Switzerland, this changing climate has brought new opportunities to the already successful Swiss power provider EGL, and altered the business vision for this 45-year old company.

The company is focused on further developing markets in which it is active and targeting potential for new markets. With subsidiaries in Austria, Spain, Italy, Germany and Poland, EGL aims to be seen by major markets as a local player.

This growing international success has also resulted in expanded activities for the company with the first ever EGL power production plant outside of Switzerland. Plans are underway to build a gas-fired power plant in EGL’s single most important market, Italy.

“We decided to go with a gas-fired plant because it has the highest possible efficiency in energy utilization and the lowest environmental impact,” he says.

EGL aims to eventually build its own production in important markets where there are shortages in power line capacity. After maximizing development in Europe, EGL is looking towards becoming present in developing countries and possibly Asia.

The EGL group has around 230 employees, 35 of whom are active traders on the floor at the company’s headquarters in Dietikon. The room is abuzz with telephone conversations, movement, interaction, and deals. Analytical market research teams back up the traders and the EGL risk management team – incidentally, an all-female team – supervises potential hazards.

“We are not a me-too company,” stresses its CEO, “We are a trendsetter that does business and develops processes that others try and follow two to three years later.”

Hoehener confronts an interesting point when discussing the advantages of EGL. “We cannot give our product a nice taste, touch, or shape, so how do we differentiate our business from others’? It is the core competence of our people. We develop our people to be professionally champions and socially competent and capable of working with others,” he explains.

The company motto – Be amazing – has a personal ring that encapsulates the forward thinking vision of EGL. With a solid foundation in an evolving industry, the pioneering company is poised to emerge as a key player internationally. Already, it has established itself as the right partner for any customer needing energy now or in the future.