Peter Meyer - interview with Servus Heimat TV(German)

Peter Meyer, founder of Swiss Advance discovered his love for the great outdoors at an early age. He was the kind of kid who would rather go fishing or looking for mushrooms, than to sit in the classroom. At age 16, he was struggling just to read and write.

While most assumed Peter just could not learn, a devoted teacher at the Waldorf School had a different view. Peter learned that he had dyslexia and just didn’t learn the same way as others. This news came as a great relief to his parents and ultimately helped him to focus on growing other facets of his personality. “Thanks to this support in my early years, I was able to focus the other parts of myself and not be overwhelmed in the traditional education system, I believe this how my creative side was born” says Peter.

His teacher was open minded and forward thinking and gathered information about dyslexia from the United States. Within two years, Peter was reading and writing. “I remember being very excited to finally really be able to read. Over the next twenty years, I read a book almost every week, but I still had trouble writing.” he says.

From that point on Peter excelled in his studies and completed his vocational training. Once his education was finished he moved to Lausanne and got a job in a printing press. Working on large machines, learning the trade, he discovered a new passion for art catalogues and watches.

Paragliding. My take off into the sky.
Shift work, which he did every other week, started early. The good news was that closing time was early as well leaving lots of time for his newest adventure, paragliding. He became a test and development pilot. “That was a wild time and I think I’m very fortunate to still be in one piece.” He says. Paragliding was really new and there was not much information out there. It was all learning by doing. Anything could happen and tree landings were not uncommon. He comes out to about 10! Since then, Peter has logged over 1,000 flights in numerous countries ranging from Nepal to New Zealand to Africa, just to name a few. Peter’s record is almost perfect, having once broken his leg on a flight in Rega. Peter calls this injury “self inflcited” as the glider prototype was too experimental and style of flight too progressive.

Three years later, when the sport was still considered to be in its infancy, Peter made the glider test - “A detail, but even better to fly with sham”.

Soul flight. The soul must first learn how to fly.
As much as he loved the sport, he saw no future for himself in the world commercial paragliding and print work was no longer challenging enough to keep his full interest. This is when he came up with shamanic training, but without the right to help others or to heal. He began to focus on getting out on the world, learning to appreciate its diversity and recognize its various realities. Peter believes that this view of the world gives him many advantages today and that feels that the training has had a lasting impression on him, allowing him to see many things with different eyes.

Free to divide, “The time to be far more valuable and unique to have as much money. Of these there are many, often mentally trapped in their fears. “While I have nothing against having a lot of money, often times I see that people hoard it out of an insecurity and fear. Has it then, then you have the fear you lose it again and again is the same distance from the target. This can be seen only when one is inwardly free … “, he summarizes his findings.

He returned to Basel to attend engineering school of the graphic arts industry. With dedication and perseverance he completed his studies there and went on to do a three month internship with a friend’s fathers company Germany. This was an especially difficult time as he knew no one there. Pete remembers “That was a very hard, lonely time. I felt like I was in a strange reality. “

This turn of events led him back to the family business, a kind of book binding. It was there that his creative side got a chance to breathe again. He started developing new products and obtaining patents on them. He was always environmentally conscious. This lead him to find ways to make their products using use less plastic with the same quality standards all while using the existing machinery. He also successfully marketed these products. Unfortunately, there were serious creative differences with his brother. Unsure of his next move but confident in his own abilities, Peter knew the only thing to do was to leave the company.

The Power of the Spirit… new products and ideas.
He founded his company Think Industry Ltd. in Switzerland in 19XX and began marketing the products to a Dutch manufacturer of convenience stores and department stores. “At the same time, I completed the Mental training as a teacher. I saw this as a good addition. “(no quote”)He was constantly experimenting with new ideas and his soaring, inventive mind was never at rest. “I then test piloted a French made light aircraft, a motorized paraglider. Although it wasn’t legal at the time, I thought the idea of a glider with motor was the future. After all, you no longer have to go up in the mountains to use it and it was practically noiseless and is easy to fly” Well, I guess not every idea takes off.

Peter again relied on his creative side and began searching for products that combined his love of nature with his “always on the go” lifestyle. What first caught his eye were waterproof salt and pepper shakers. He immediately began marketing under the name Swiss Spice making improvements on the design and industrializing the production. After a little success, the inventor changed his views and demanded more money for his idea. The product was good, but the profit was not there anymore. “At that time it actually came to bankruptcy,” says Peter. There were no funds left to continue production, but the product was still in demand. His supplier believed in Peter’s vision and his ability to market the product so they made the decision to continue production. Only thanks to the good supplier knew they bridge the strain on liquidity.

Swiss Advance is born.
After discovering the name Swiss Spice was actually still associated with the inventor coupled with the fact that Switzerland is not really associated with being overly “spicy” Peter changed the company name. “Swiss” known worldwide as being reliable and of high quality and “Advance” a reflection of Peter’s innovative approach, came together to become Swiss Advance. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there. Manufacturing delays and some missed deliveries caused some major customers to jump ship and it was time again to reinvent.

Peter’s view of the world changed. He began to put the emphasis on the quality of life allowing his creative side flourish like never before. His mind was flooded with new ideas and the new products that came from them broke the dry spell allowing him to finally have success.

Following the example of Goethe, Pete really got in touch with the nature around him. He finds time to talk to animals and listen to the forest. Many of his best ideas come from these moments of reflection and solitude. Some may find his approach and ideas unusual but as Goethe said, “Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward. They may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.” He believes that life is about the journey and you should relax and don’t overanalyze.

From Vegetarians to Hunter.
Pete was always an animal lover and his deep sympathy for these creatures persuaded him to try the vegetarian lifestyle. After two years and too many pale faces without joy and dogmatic views of life, Pete had an abrupt change of heart. He thought it was was more honest to hunt himself than believe a story and buy packaged meat with a logo on it. So he got a French hunting license. “Pluck a carrot alive as it is indeed used to,” a lesson he learned in India from a man who talks to plants. Pete tells the story with a smile. Everything is relative and a matter of perception, judgment and personal past. “To eat a dog or cat in China is quite normal. But in my culture totally taboo. The truth is, both are right. Tolerance is important, and you should be free to eat what you like as long as it is not the dog or cat doesn’t belong to the neighbor!

Crises are challenges that make more.
His company was better. But then suddenly a renewed slump: only the dollar crisis, the currency lost enormously in strength and the products were too expensive, then the euro crisis. In the U.S., he lost in a few months all points of sale around 1000. “We operate with a product even at the Design Museum in New York,” he says, “but we took advantage of entrepreneurial then nothing more. Our products are of the high government debt and the resulting poor exchange rates to more expensive. A foreign exchange loss of 30% is in a fair clean production very much.”

While this problem could have been solved by moving the production to China. Peter found this to be in direct conflict with his vision and was determined to hold on to his Swiss made strategy “When you are making a product that is all about the beauty of nature, we must not allow to produce in China. Because really only come to Switzerland or Germany in question, “says PM. These countries also have a wide variety of industries.

Selling the company became another option, and as lucrative as the idea sounds… Offers from China had again recently. The development of new products, and storage of the parts quickly takes away a quarter million. Today, there are eight products in the range and the business situation has stabilized. For the next five years for each year are a product in development and planning. The greater the product range, the more stable the company.

Testing in extreme conditions - better in nature than in the laboratory.
With its extremely light weight, the glider only weighs 4 kg, it makes for long summer mountaineering and unplanned wild nights to test products and develop. For outdoor products are the fantastic conditions. From the test of the first prototype through to the consumer, who can buy it at the dealer, go quickly turned five.

A new product but as one of the richest Swiss competition.
Competing against a product that has been on the market for over a 100 years with a brand recognized worldwide is no easy task. Development is expensive and the risk that market won’t try it is high. How do you improve on a product that is basically recognized as the standard. After two years in research and development and many hours of real world testing, that is exactly what Peter has done. He has taken away the excess making it more light and flat. It weighs only 38 grams and has 16 functions. No more plastic dishes and special heavy machinery an axis like a watch. What about the whole not getting jammed with dirt thingy,-) ? The two big Swiss Army knife maker Victorinox and Wenger are a family. A monopoly, Victorinox alone should sell 70000 per day pocket knife. It’s not easy to compete with Industria profiled products when assembled themselves by hand in small batches.

Descent and a cabin in the mountains with plenty of room for new ideas.
PM’s latest passion is Apneotauchen. If you listen to what he tells them, comes back his shamanic way to express: the time when diving gets a totally different quality. That any kind of meditation surpasses because you are tied to reality. If you nervous in your head you will not last long under water. A sport that teaches the will, self-confidence and discipline. “The head should remain in Zen and the body in relaxation.

When Speedgliding in Verbier learns PM always know someone who has mastered this very well. Without further ado they made together a commercial for its chocolate “Chocoli”. This chocolate is refined with special herbs. The blood stays in your head and the concentration is maintained. Because of the high speeds at Speedgliding good concentration is vital.

Peter has made many friendships through his customers both at home and abroad. These friendships have given him so many unique opportunities to expand his brand and provide mutually beneficial situations for others. One of these chance encounters led to Peter purchase an Alpine Chalet in Interlaken that he allows people use for a nominal fee (15 CHF per night.) It is a great venue for outdoor meetings, brainstorming sessions and just an all - around cool place where you can get back to nature or perhaps get the creative juices flowing.

If advertising is what you are after, Peter does paragliding events which are publicly advertised as contests in various magazines at home and abroad. Contact Peter for more details.

Keep it simple and smart.
Swiss Advance is perhaps the most authentic outdoor brand in Switzerland, which operates with almost no marketing-budget and on no ads. Product advertising, the consumer always pays in the end and do not want to Meyer. It remains to be less left over for quality. Word of mouth is the longer way, not charged for the product price and makes many more fun.

Meyers equipment are simple, old clothes and leather shoes. He wants to bring people closer to nature, or himself…huh;)?, it is to Him no matter what he wears and it has. Assistance is provided by his previous training and his love of nature. All this comes as good, he could not have imagined. “Academic achievement is massively overrated by many parents.” Today almost everyone has a university degree - mass produced off the rack. There will always be a stay longer in the office and suffer because he would no longer make anything in your spare time and then go home to watch TV. In future, it will always be a more industrious Chinese, but not a more creative, which makes what he loves, which are threatened with extinction because their parents are afraid for the future of your children. If the person feels well, is also the Material success, his message to the parents of these poor children who suffer at school.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? (Film 20 min)

Tandem Deluxe Weekend PLUS (for charity)
Weekend from Saturday to Sunday night in an SAC cabin and two tandem flights. Price: 5000 CHF (4000 CHF will be donated to Pro Natura www.pronatura.ch)

Pro Natura is a private non-profit organization founded in 1909. It’s the largest organization for nature conservation in Switzerland. Pro Natura welcomes everybody wishing to contribute to conservation in Switzerland. Education Nature and environment education is an important field of Pro Natura activities. Campaigns designed for schools and classes as much as a documentation service for teachers give ideas and involve thousands of kids every year. The Pro Natura Centers in Aletsch (Valais, Alps) and Champ-Pittet (on the Lake of Neuchatel) offer special programs for schools and youth groups. A children’s magazine is offered to all younger members of Pro Natura.

What to bring?
Warm clothes and sturdy, ankle-high footwear are in the mountains, of course, mandatory.