High-Tech and Nature – Balancing Two Different Worlds

It’s just after 8:00 a.m., and the first rays of sunshine are warming the idyllic village of Jenins and the picturesque vineyards of Bündner Herrschaft in the north of Graubünden on this clear September day. Roaming through his vines, Carl Meinherz is visibly content. Like most winemakers in this region, he grows pinot noir grapes. The grape harvest, known locally as “Wimmeln”, took place just recently. “We had a great harvest this year – in terms of both quality and quantity. This really pleases me, since the two previous years weren’t so good.”

Carl is passionate about winemaking. In addition to the vineyard in Jenins, the family owns another vineyard in Maienfeld. Winegrowing could be his main job if he wanted. On most days, however, this particular native of Graubünden who is in such close touch with nature moves in completely different circles. As an electrical engineer, he is jointly responsible for the electronic circuits of the pipetting robots at high-tech company Hamilton Bonaduz, which are developed and produced in Bonaduz. “We are world market leaders in various sectors of the life science industry. It’s fun to be involved in the development of such equipment. In addition, we produce highly useful products that ultimately benefit people,” adds Carl.

The contrasts between the two worlds in which Carl lives could hardly be more different – and it’s precisely this that seems to be the ideal combination. “I wouldn’t want to be without either of them. The balance is perfect.”

Whether he’s talking about wine or pipetting robots, his enthusiasm is palpable. When asked whether working on an 80-percent contract at Hamilton while managing not just one but two vineyards is too much, he says that it isn’t: “The balance between the two worlds works just fine thanks to the flexibility Hamilton affords its employees. In my case, nature frequently gives me only a short time frame in which I can do the vineyard work. This can even involve jobs that take two or three days, which I can complete on time thanks to Hamilton’s goodwill.”

Carl therefore neither has to nor wants to cut down on his responsibilities at Hamilton – because he simply loves working as a developer. “Just recently, we started development of a new product. At Hamilton, there will always be work for developers, and it’s always exciting.” But Carl says it’s not just the work itself that motivates him, it’s also the people – it’s always a team effort, everyone is working toward the same goal, and all of them are driven by a desire to add real value. “I get on really well with everybody I work with. The people at the company are just as important as the work itself. Despite its size, Hamilton has remained a family business.”

Idyllically located vines in Bündner Herrschaft on the one hand, international high-tech company and world market leader Hamilton on the other – in his life, Carl combines the best Graubünden has to offer in terms of both living and working.