Upper Valais publisher Ferdinand Mengis passes away
Ferdinand Mengis, a publisher from Upper Valais and editor of the *Walliser Bote*, passed away on Sunday at the age of 87. He died in Lucerne after a battle with cancer, the Mengis Group announced on Monday.
Ferdinand Mengis had shaped the group of the same name for 60 years. He began working in his father's print shop in 1951 at the age of 24. According to the Mengis Group, he enjoyed great respect among partners, customers and employees as a goal-oriented patron who was keen to invest. Keeping pace with the rapid advances in printing technology was also a constant concern of his. The Mengis Group is now managed by his son Nicolas, the third generation of the family to do so. It was founded in Visp in 1931 by Klaus Mengis. The Valais Messenger, founded in 1840, has also been printed by the Mengis printing company since 1932.
Ferdinand Mengis retired from the chairmanship of the Board of Directors in 2011. With 230 employees, the Mengis Group is still one of the largest private companies in Upper Valais. In addition to the printing business, Ferdinand Mengis also founded the Rottenverlag publishing house in 1973. This has published over 300 books in the past 40 years. This legacy makes a significant contribution to the cultural and social identity of today's Upper Valais. (SDA)
Image: Mengis-visp.ch
