Visionary approach sustains intangible value of industrial properties

Twenty years is not quite long-term for HIAG Immobilien, a publicly listed real-estate company and one of the largest in Switzerland. Drawing on a family heritage of almost 140 years in the timber and property markets, the company aims to transpose the industrial history of its assets into the future. This means redeveloping properties continuously to preserve their true value. Thus, the company effects a perpetually changing landscape without losing any heritage during the transition. 

"We guide the transformation process between one lifecycle of an area that might be 100 years, and guide it to the next 100 years," says Martin Durchschlag, CEO of HIAG Immobilien. "Each of these areas has a history, a given substance and anchor tenants. Every part has strengths and weaknesses, and out of these sets of features we try to bring back the highest value-added to the area. It's quite a long-term view that we take in selecting tenants and site development." 

This visionary approach holds throughout HIAG Immobilien's 38 sites in Switzerland. 

In the former textile industrial zones of Aathal, 20 minutes from Zurich, and Kunzareal in Windisch, the company pursues holistic urban redevelopment, creating a mix of retail, living and commercial spaces to breathe new life into the sites. 

Kleindöttingen, which traces its roots to the timber industry, hosts three divisions of the ABB Group. HIAG Immobilien has created five industrial zones for ABB, and hosts the Europe, Middle East and Africa headquarters of Hewlett-Packard (HP) International. 

Aside from ABB and HP, niche players such as athleticum Sportmarkets and Media Markt are among its top 10 tenants. The average historical stay of such tenants in HIAG Immobilien sites is 19 years. "There is a real long-term orientation by the tenants on our sites," Durchschlag says. "They put their industrial processes on these sites because they trust in our competence."