Where the nail really is hit on the head

Rainer Thomann has actually already retired, so he doesn't walk through the door until 10.00 a.m. At the age of 66, Thomann, who is from Winterthur, still works the equivalent of two days a week in administration. This has long been something born not of compulsion but of privilege – a sort of meaningful hobby. "It is a wonderful feeling to remain welcome in the business and to be made use of," explains Thomann. He plans to continue in this manner until his 70th birthday. Then he wants to start drawing his postponed AHV pension, keep climbing mountains – and of course look in on "Nagli" at least once a week.

Money or quality of life? Thomann has always opted for greater quality of life. Not that financial security in old age wasn't important to him. He took good care to provide for himself. At the age of 55 he reduced his working time to the equivalent of four days a week. "I am aware that I am in a privileged position. For 30 years I had a regular income and was able to build up my retirement provision." Thanks to a skillful retirement strategy, Thomann was able to optimize his occupational retirement provision toward the end of his working life. He recommends that everyone think about their old age in plenty of time and optimize their retirement provision to the extent possible for them: "From 50 you shouldn't just start thinking about your retirement provision but generally about how you wish to spend the second half of your life. If you have the opportunity to do something good for yourself, you should do it. Why always be dictated to by money and a hectic pace? It makes sense to question common values critically."

To have your foot on the gas non-stop until the age of 65 and then retire overnight is something that Thomann considers extremely unhealthy. He wonders why the working model in Switzerland is still so rigid. After all, he believes that flexwork models are to everyone's benefit: Companies benefit from the transfer of knowledge and employees from a gradual withdrawal from working life. Thomann is grateful that "Nagli" introduced flexible working models early on, with great success.

The nail factory has always kept pace with the times and is perhaps even somewhat ahead of them. The SME is managed by its six employees – there is no boss. "Nagli" has for many years practiced the corporate philosophy "people before profit." Viewed in this way, it seems a matter of course that in 2013 the idea arose of reorganizing the SME as a cooperative and abolishing hierarchical levels. The shares of Schweizerische Nagelfabrik AG – and hence the factory and site – belong entirely to the cooperative. "This construct guarantees the continued existence of 'Nagli' – it is in our hands what happens to the site and the factory," explains Thomann. Another milestone was the introduction of the 34-hour week in 2016. "Back then, hardly anyone had talked about a four-day week. Now the model appears more and more often – we, on the other hand, have already been using it for six years," says the former managing director with a smile. He believes the model to be more efficient and cost-effective. After all, there is no boss with a high salary.

Head of Production, Milan Matic, adds: "The atmosphere in the team is great: We are all pulling together and everyone is their own boss – this creates a good feeling and makes me very proud". Matic has worked at Schweizerische Nagelfabrik for 25 years and wants to continue to do so until his retirement. When he is 50 he wants to take things a bit easier and reduce his working hours to spend more time on his beloved racing bikes. How will he manage it? He doesn't know yet. But Matic is following the guidance of his colleague Thomann and seeking advice early.

The two men report that a key requirement for successful self-management is a good working environment. The model represents good training for getting involved in a community and not putting your own needs above everything else.
"There are differences of opinion everywhere. But our aim is to resolve conflicts amicably," explains Thomann. The most important decisions are discussed in staff meetings: Talks normally last until everyone is in agreement. Apart from on one occasion this has worked every time.

Fairness has always played a crucial role at "Nagli"; both in the team and with respect to customers and suppliers, in line with the corporate philosophy, "people before profit". "We aren't the right partner for someone who is merely looking for the cheapest price. We stand for a high level of service and flexibility. Even if a customer forgets to place an order, we take care of their issue," says Thomann. "Nails will always be needed, but perhaps just different types. Our job is to continuously adapt to customer requirements," explains Matic. "We always have been, and still are, open to new things, which is why it's going so well." "Nagli" now produces over 320 types of nails – a figure that is growing. As well as from loyal Swiss customers, more and more inquiries are being received from abroad with respect to custom-made products.

The factory's future is particularly dependent on the people who work there. For this reason, succession planning is ascribed a high level of significance. A good mix and the perfect age structure are essential: The youngest employee is 33, while the oldest is 66 years old.