In his workshop hang pictures of Champions. Show champion, Olympic – and world Cup winners. Marcel Brunner, 49, walks along the gallery and be amazed, although he sees the photos every day. “I can hardly believe that we are so successful,” he says. To the Successes he has helped build. “Every victory belongs to me and my staff.”

This is not an exaggeration. Because Marcel Brunner manufactures with his company Oxess and six employees in Bubikon in the Zurich Oberland Snowboards and Freestyle skis. His customers are recreational athletes, and particularly athletes from all over the world – from China to Brazil. 150 podiums and 18 Olympic medals have been professional athletes with Brunner’s boards so far. At the Olympic Games 2018 in South Korea, the half of the medals in the Snowboard Alpine was, in snowboard cross and in freestyle skiing from Oxess-the driver and the drivers won. A success outshone all others, In Pyeongchang, the Grisons Nevin Galmarini took on Oxess the Olympic title in the Parallel giant slalom. The head of the company followed the race on television and was allowed to cheer at the end. “That was my most beautiful victory, because for the first Time a Swiss won on one of my boards Olympic gold,” says Marcel Brunner. “In addition, Nevin is just a nice guy.”

“I have no mass wants to produce a commodity” in: Marcel Brunner keeps his company in Bubikon as small as possible. Photo: pd/facebook

The gold medal was not able to celebrate the entrepreneurs, however, up to today. He also left the 25-year-anniversary of his company to elapse for the last year. “For the celebrate the time missing me.” Because Brunner has their hands full. Day-to-day, the boss himself on the machines. He bends to edges, grinds wood cores and coverings. And he does the shopping and does the office work. “I am but a tinkerer,” says Brunner. He sits with the athletes, get their Feedback. With the athletes it breeds on new radii, longer boards faster surfaces. To records at home on the Computer, the Board or the skis that is produced in the workshop. “Each model is tailored to the customer,” says the chief. “This is a secret of our success.”

Tinkering and more

to develop The individual support for Olympic medalist Nevin Galmarini of Gold value. Thanks to Oxess, he has improved in the last three years, explains the Grisons. “With Marcel, I can develop my Board.” The Board is smooth and fast. “And in the hard snow it has a good grip.” Galmarini appreciates the close collaboration with the manufacturer. Marcel Brunner was a lovable person. “But above all, he is a perfectionist and tireless worker.”

As Büezer Marcel Brunner. He was a Carpenter and made it for a company of design furniture. Later he built for Sauber in Hinwil carbon parts for formula 1 cars, from the Formwork to the steering Wheel. In the leisure time Marcel Brunner of small-to with enthusiasm on the slopes. And as in the eighties, the snowboard emerged, also wanted curves he’s on such a Board. Since he was 18 and an apprentice with no money. “I couldn’t afford a Board,” he recalls. “So I built me one.” He cut a beam, put the plywood, and pressed the product. His first Board, he painted a bright yellow and went on the Piste. “That was fun, no driving,” he admits. “My Board only worked in the deep snow.”

Two-thirds of the customers are athletes, and are available around the globe at home.

But Brunner, the inventor, did not go away. He developed the leisure new, better boards. In 1993, he founded as a 24-Year-old with an Economics student in his Studio apartment, his company, and christened it Oxess – derived from the English words “obsession” and “success”, obsession and success. At the beginning of the success had to wait, however. “We sold the Boards just to relatives, friends and colleagues,” says Marcel Brunner. However, with each year the business grew. According to the recreational athletes Brunner was soon top athletes to its customers. And with them, the success came. In 2008, the Frenchman Pierre Vaultier on Oxess won the race the first world Cup, a year later, the Austrians Markus international became the world champion.

“Because the sales have exploded in numbers.” Since then, Marcel Brunner makes a living from selling his boards. His company is today the world top. Per year, Brunner and his Team produce 700 Boards, 200 acrobatics, Ski and 30 Carving-Ski. Two-thirds of the customers are athletes, and are available around the globe at home. Brunner supplies the Chinese national team. He was exported to Canada, the USA, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Austria, Germany and Italy. Rich he is not. He pays himself a monthly salary of 6000 francs. Surpluses are reinvested in the company. “We need to continue to develop and just calculate.”

no-frills

Because the market is highly competitive and the pressure on prices is high. A Board of Oxess a cost of 1500 francs. In a Board is have been around for a few hundred francs. “Higher-quality materials and the personal vote to justify the higher price,” says Brunner. The Design of its products is simple. “For me, there’s no bells and whistles,” says the chief. “I adhere to no diamond stones on the Boards.” Like the boards, the manufacturer. Brunner is regarded as a down-to-earth, modest and reserved. “I’m not a Freak. I’m more of a Square.” Innovation and precision, he writes big. His longtime business partner Heinz Rigaux, takes care of sales and Marketing, praises Brunner’s professionalism. Marcel was reliable and hard-working. “And he is a quality fanatic.”

These features have brought Marcel Brunner. But success has its price. Brunner leaves little time for family, for wife Isabelle and son, Niels, 12. He toils often six days per week and can handle the job yet. In addition, the responsibility for employees rests on his shoulders. Marcel Brunner don’t like to complain. “I was able to make my Hobby my profession.” Day by day, with passion at work. “I’m like the top athletes who ride my boards,” explains the entrepreneur. “I’m ambitious and always wants to be better than the competition.”

“If my drivers are successfully, I am there also.”Marcel Brunner

For his company, he needs to radiate neither listings TV turn on Spots. “My driver is the best carrier of advertising,” says Marcel Brunner. “If you are successful, I am there also.” Accordingly, much of the pressure when the Best with his Material at the Start. With its top driver on the track, has a fever Brunner. And suffers. “I’m so nervous, I watch the races often, if you are over.”

Despite the success of Marcel Brunner remains on the floor. The often-heard advice that he should enlarge his company, he fails in the Wind. “I would rather decrease than increase,” he says. “I want to produce not mass produced.” Instead of growth Brunner from the sports Coup’s dream: “I want to experience that at the Olympic Games in a discipline, all three medal winners Oxess.” If that happens, Marcel Brunner would not uncork a Prosecco. “Then I’d throw a really big Party.”

(the Swiss family)

Created: 24.01.2019, 19:35 PM