By Patrizia Peter Pedevilla
Finding a moment in Silvio Tarchini's agenda is practically impossible, also because his working life is made up of unexpected events, travel and… an assistant capable of chaining one appointment after another with enviable flexibility. However, after three attempts I have an appointment and here I am in his offices. Ten minutes later he enters, punctual, elegant, in dark blue trousers and white shirt. He welcomes me with a smile and an energetic handshake. Used to talking about work, he immediately begins to tell me about his future projects ...
"I wanted to show you something we are doing nearby (we are at the Centro Galleria 3 in Manno), it will be something new, we have nicknamed it Galleria Casa and it will be a permanent exhibition of furniture, equipment for the home, floors, lighting ... every the company will have its own stand and so those interested in renovating or building a house will be able to have a general overview of the local artisans without wasting time going first from one to the other. The opening is scheduled for September. But that is not all! (Proud). At 200 meters from here we are also creating a garage for vintage cars, luxury and sports cars, 80 seats, designed for those who want to deposit their vehicle in complete safety ».
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Incredible, never stand still ...
“This (opens another leaflet) is a family estate, a hereditary communion of my grandmother. I am transforming it into an estate with a Tuscan flavor: as you can see, there is a main villa and here (he points out the property) 17 residential apartments. The gem is the view of the vineyard, I rented it to ensure the green to the complex ».
I always think she is from Lugano, but her family is originally from Mendrisiotto ...
«Yes, yes, I belong to Balerna. My grandfather was mayor of Balerna for over 20 years, but I was actually born and live in Lugano ».
I didn't want to start by talking about work, but since we're on the subject, let's continue. From his enthusiasm I guess that the list is not over ...
(Smiles). «Actually… in Bironico we are building a new building that will accommodate numerous companies, what is interesting is that both the ground floor and the first floor are directly accessible by trucks. We then have a new 15.000 square meter logistics center in Magadino. Another project that I am very satisfied with, because I have just received the building permits, is to create a Park and Ride at the FFS station of San Martino, Mendrisio, 800 parking spaces that will serve both commuters and those who want to access the Fox Town on weekends. In fact, we will create a connection that, from the railway station, passing through the car park, will lead directly to our outlet ».
I am speechless, but sorry can you still sleep at night with all these plans on your mind?
"Yes, yes, I can sleep."
Let's stay in Mendrisio. Fox Town, it must be said, is one of its jewels, and will soon change its facade as well. But he talks to me about other car parks when Ticino has recently decided to tax large traffic generators ...
(Reflects). «The people of Ticino have decided to accept the connection fee and I, it's true, will be directly affected because I have 3600 parking spaces. Doing two calculations, I would have to pay around 2,6 million francs in tax more. So you can imagine that this decision doesn't please me. Of course I could increase the cost of the parking spaces I rent, but the problem is that many of the leases are long-term, with major companies, and therefore my hands are tied. I would also like to add that this tax, designed to incentivize motorists to use public transport, does not really affect the users of the parking lots, but the owners who in their income calculation must count the income of the building and also (he emphasizes) that of the parking lots. ! However, the appeal has already started, it is not over yet ».
You are a man who never gives up and who loves to realize his plans in the short term. Was he like this already as a child?
«No (he pauses for a moment) I was a child… normal, maybe a little naughty. I had no particular dreams, it all happened by chance. I was still in high school when my grandfather, who had timber companies in Lugano, passed away. At that point my family asked me to go on with the activities. As you can imagine, I accepted, left high school and went first to the School of Commerce and then to the Technicum in Bienne to obtain the diploma of director in the wood sector. After completing my studies, I went to study English in England and then I returned to Ticino. After three months I realized that it was a reality that was not for me ».
I can imagine. A reality too small for a young man who certainly had great ambitions, even if he probably never imagined being where she is today ...
«Actually (smiles)… the problem was that there was no air of innovation, there were old concepts and there was no desire to change them. This is why I went to Milan and started working in a company that sold and produced machinery for processing plastics. I was there about two years, it was an area that intrigued me and I felt there was potential. In 1967, I was 23, thanks to some money I inherited from my grandfather, I bought my first company in Ticino and started producing PVC packaging films, I was the first in Switzerland. Business was good, and I captured a part of the northern European market. I was in an optimal situation, but I wanted to change; in 1975 I sold the company, I was already married and already had my daughters, and I decided, with my wife, to go around the world. I wanted to look around a bit and find new ideas. During this trip I bought two houses in the center of Buenos Aires. I'll make it short: in 1977 we all went to live in Buenos Aires and we stayed there until 1981 to follow the construction of an important building. At the end of the work, however, I realized that Argentina was not such an easy land, there were the military and inflation was 170%. The cost of construction was unmanageable, you had to work even at night and it was essential not to go into debt because the pesos continued to devalue against the dollar, while construction costs increased. In the end I sold the building well and we returned to Ticino ».
I have read numerous interviews of her, but when I hear her speak it seems that everything she did was easy, but it wasn't, especially because she wasn't alone in the various trips ...
«My luck was to have a wife with great flexibility. I remember when I was in Argentina for the first time, she had not come, when I returned to Ticino I tell her: “I bought a beautiful property in Buenos Aires and I would like to build a new building”. The time to close the house and we left, with three small daughters, without knowing anything, without having a home.
Tell me, I know you don't talk much about your private life, but how did you meet your wife?
"I met my wife during my language study trip to England, we attended the same school."
Was it love at first sight?
"Yes (smiles) and next year we will celebrate 50 years of marriage, should it be a gold or diamond wedding?".
Don't you complain that you work too much?
"I must say that in recent years I have taken many more holidays, even if I never leave, I am always reachable on my mobile or by e-mail".
Given her thousands of projects, I don't even dare ask her if she thinks about retirement ...
"Imagine, I don't think about it and even if I think about it I'm lucky because I have three daughters, especially Giorgia, who help me a lot and who one day will know how to take my place".
But isn't it difficult to work as a family?
"It's something I can manage, when I stop Giorgia will take over my place flanked by my trusted collaborators, Alessandra will continue to take care of the staff and restaurants, while Nadia, who now has 4 children, will take care of the supervision of Fox Town".
When a family has an empire like yours, you always think of the male heir to carry it on, you have three females ...
«No, male or female, nothing changes for me. I have faith in my daughters, they are young and know how to use new technological means ».
I can imagine that you have been a very busy father, are you also busy as a grandfather?
«I like being a grandfather, do you think I have 8 grandchildren! Yesterday morning, for example, I played tennis with two of them and in the afternoon, with the two older ones, I went to golf. Over the years I have learned to take time for myself and for my family ».
Grandparents are an important figure for today's young people, they have the patience and time to teach them many things and maybe motivate them since there are unfortunately young people who do not want to study, but not even to work ...
“Maybe it's a bit our society's fault. I am thinking of the parents of modest origins, who however earn well and believe that they satisfy the needs of their children by giving them money. It's wrong! Children must know that it is difficult to make a career, it is hard to earn, only then will they know the true value of money. To two of my grandchildren, who are 12 and 11, the other day I asked what they would like to do when they grow up. As often happens at that age they do not know and I did not have an answer, so we went by exclusion: medicine no, this no, the other no, it is not important to know now what they will do, what is essential is to study at least until to maturity. My second granddaughter starts university in September (proud). Here too, only those who are trained come to work. I also add that today's young people are awake, they have great potential. I see it immediately: there are those who are committed from the first day and there are those who do not want to do and will not get anywhere ".
Let's go back to his youth, when you returned from Argentina. I guess he already had a plan B ready ...
“That's how I am (smiles). When I was in Argentina I had bought some land in Mezzovico and had built some industrial buildings, and when I returned I decided to dedicate myself to this. I created a small office at home, I hired a secretary part time and I started my working life again… now I have about twenty buildings ».
And 180 employees. It cannot be said that he did not go a long way also because he entered the ranking of the richest men in Switzerland, what is his relationship with money?
“I was taught the value of money, I don't like throwing money away and my daughters have respect too, like my grandchildren. Money has to be earned, I've worked a lifetime ».
To get to where he is now, it takes a special gift, luck? In a nutshell, how did he do it?
"I started from an assumption: there is not much to invent, at least for my skills, so I learned to look around, I like to go and browse, get informed, take ideas to bring here in Ticino and adapt them to our needs. For this reason, I think that it does not take special skills, but a desire to travel, to observe. For example, when I had my first company, I realized that in Ticino there was no industrial area and there was nothing to rent or buy, which is why I came up with the idea of creating large industrial spaces. I have companies that started by renting 500 square meters and now they have 3000, not all entrepreneurs want to look for land, buy it, ask for permits and build. Many of them initially don't even have the money. "
You were lucky enough to have a close family, always ready to support you, but when you are a man of power, do true friendships exist?
«They are friendships that are created between work colleagues. But the more you go on, even at work, you become selective, suppose they introduce me to a potential client and I don't like it… I immediately give up, so with friendships. I must say, however, that I don't feel too much opportunism around me ».
Have you often been called a father-master and have always admitted it, a force in your society?
«It is always said: to command, coordinate and control, you must never take anything for granted and I keep repeating this to my daughters as well. I try to control everything, even on construction sites, I admit. At work I have no half measures and I am not flexible, things have to be done well. People who tell lies annoy me, like I did and they didn't… ».
You are very fond of Ticino, as an entrepreneur what would you do to improve the economic situation of a canton that is facing a difficult economic moment?
“Maybe Ticino has fallen asleep, things have been going well for too many years. Banks were doing well, tourism, real estate. The economic promotion must give a move, we must start by defining what kind of companies we want to host and then go abroad to look for these companies. I am thinking, for example, of a fair like the Mapic in Cannes where all the nations that propose themselves as locations are present. Ticino has never been there, but why? Nowadays, there are big companies that bring thousands of jobs and that are looking for new countries. I am convinced that we have great potential, but we are not exploiting it ».
His motto?
"Act! Things don't come at you without doing anything. This applies to people but also to cities and nations. Ticino should have a more attractive fiscal policy and stop complaining. When I hear those who complain about cross-border commuters, I ask myself: what would we do without them? ».
Silvio Tarchini has a bright tone, like someone who talks about something he cares a lot about, Ticino, his land, the injustices he experiences every day. He tells me that he had an interview with a girl and discovered that she, in another company in Mendrisiotto, earned 1700 francs a month, because she was a frontier worker. A scourge for Tarchini, who points the finger at those who are taking advantage of this situation, earning it.
