The SME trade magazine Organizer celebrates its 100th birthday

It has been 100 years since the first issue of "Organisator - Monatsschrift für moderne Geschäftsführung, Organisation und Reklame" was published. In 1919, the publisher and book expert Max Friedländer (1879-1976) did some pioneering work: for the first time, there was a magazine in Switzerland that regularly offered practical help for small and medium-sized companies. The Organizer has accompanied generations of managers and continues to do so today. Galledia Fachmedien has been publishing the SME trade magazine since 2012.

In each issue the Organizer essential topics for managing directors and executives of SMEs. These topics have hardly changed in the 100 years of the publication's existence: It is about organization, leadership, personnel management, marketing, customer relationship management, labor law and much more. Of course, the technologies have evolved: Whereas in 1919 a well-managed card index was the nerve center of a company, today CRM and ERP systems take over.

The editorial team is using the anniversary year 2019 as an opportunity to look back into the past. In each issue, articles from the archive are published on individual topics. These are sure to elicit a smile or two from readers about the "good old days. But they will also show that our grandfather's or even great-grandfather's generation already had to deal with similar questions about everyday business life. Of course, in addition to "yesterday", the focus will continue to be on "today" and "tomorrow" in corporate management. In three issues, individual aspects will be dealt with in greater depth. The April issue, for example, deals with the question of how the role of the boss has changed and will continue to change.

"Then - in 1919 - as now, companies face major challenges," says OrganizerEditor-in-Chief Thomas Berner. "The constant adaptation to changing conditions accompanies companies every day. This has become clear in the 100 years of the existence of the Organizer hardly changed." And Daniel Ettlinger, CEO of Galledia Group, adds: "We are proud to be working with the Organizer to have such a traditional management magazine in its portfolio. Executives are still looking for practical information for everyday business. That's why we are confident that we can continue to position the title as an established print product in the market, even in the age of digitization - in combination with the constant further development of the online presence."  

Some milestones from the history of the title:

• April 1919: The first, 20-page issue appeared with the promise that the magazine would become thicker as soon as the paper shortage was eliminated. The annual subscription cost 12 francs, which was considered expensive at the time.
• 1939: Start of the war: The Organizer offers a special counseling service and free job placement to military personnel.
• 1951: Gaston Friedländer (1907 - 2008) takes over the management of the publishing house from his father. By 1950, the Organizer almost exclusively a trade journal for the commercial and retail trades. A new supplement, "Betriebswirtschaft," led to industry from 1950 and to a leap in the number of subscribers.
• 1967: Sale of the publishing house to Bank Julius Baer.
• 1969: Purchase of the Forkel publishing house (Stuttgart), which is sold again in 1972.
• 1972: Dr. Victor Bataillard acquires the publishing house Organisator.
• 1983: The new journal "Orgamatik" covers the field of computer science.
• 1988: Sale to the Haufe publishing group (Freiburg i. Br.)
• 1990: Franz Schnyder acquires the publishing house; the Organizer receives a new format and is merged with "Administration+Organization" and "Orgamatik".
• 1993: Rheintaler Druck und Verlag AG RDV acquires a stake in the publishing house Organizer.
• 2001: Franz Schnyder sells his share to RDV and retires as editor-in-chief and publisher. His successor is Roland Lambert, who takes over the Organizer editorial support until 2007.
• 2008: Thomas Berner takes over as editor-in-chief.
• 2012: The merger of Rheintaler Druck und Verlag AG RDV with Dfmedia in Flawil to form Galledia AG results in a new publisher.
• 2019: The Organizer becomes 100 years old.