When you hear the word ‘Engadin’, most of you think of skiing holidays and beautiful winter landscapes. For ISS, it is a region with particular challenges, a place where all-rounders are in demand – and a prime example of synergies.
“When we were awarded the RhB contract in September 2023, it was a major milestone for our region,” explains Facility Services Manager Patrik Terziani, still visibly proud. Prior to that, ISS had primarily managed buildings in the Engadin owned by UBS, CS, Swisscom, and Chris Silber. Another defining moment was the merger with gammaRenax in the spring of 2024, which added a diverse range of contracts spread throughout the Engadin: campgrounds, a public parking garage, a bistro, a public indoor pool and spa, an insurance company, and two fitness centers.
A total of 36 ISS employees cover the region, as Patrik explains: “We’re clearly focusing on synergies here. Since there are many small contracts - such as weekly office cleaning - all employees are assigned to multiple contracts.” He sees the fact that this means they’re on the move a lot in the vacation region as an advantage: “The ISS cars are moving billboards. I hope that people in the Engadin will become even more aware that ISS is here on the ground - and that this will help us grow even further.”
The Engadin team consists of maintenance cleaners as well as infrastructure and technical caretakers, but according to Patrik, they’re essentially all-rounders: “Shoveling snow in winter, mowing lawns in summer, making small repairs, and cleaning - our people do practically everything here.” At the same time, they overcome certain language barriers, as the team speaks German, Italian, Portuguese, and Romansh.
Property Manager Miguel Moura (left) is celebrating his 20th anniversary with the company this year, and Property Manager Jon Martin Heinrich has also been with the company for 14 years.
The most challenging time is winter - especially during the Christmas and winter break periods. That’s when the team has to tackle massive amounts of snow while also handling a large influx of vacationers. When winter sets in, the ISS team’s job is to shovel snow, use snow blowers, spread salt, and, if necessary, clear snow from the roofs of the RhB train stations. But how do you serve this large number of customers when heavy snow falls overnight? “We rely entirely on property manager Miguel Moura, who coordinates everything on site and, above all, sets priorities. At a bank, we don’t have to clear the snow by 5 a.m. if it doesn’t open until 8 a.m., but at a heavily frequented parking garage in St. Moritz that’s only accessible via a pedestrian bridge, we do,” explains Patrik. Miguel’s outstanding work was recognized with an Apple award in February.
Of course, winter maintenance also involves risks. Working in snow and black ice and operating the necessary machinery require caution. But here, too, Patrik is proud of the team: “Our employees are aware of the dangers, are trained on the machines by the manufacturers and suppliers, and last year we didn’t have a single workplace accident!”
Patrik Terziani
He is a qualified bricklayer specialising in building construction and civil engineering, as well as a federally certified caretaker. He has been working at ISS as a Facility Services Manager since 2023.
