Are Ringier magazines moving to Lenzburg?

Ringier and Axel Springer are looking for a 10,000 square meter home for 450 employees for their planned joint venture in the magazine business. The contract between the two media companies was signed in September (Werbewoche.ch reported). The editorial offices of Schweizer Illustrierte, Glückspost, Beobachter, Handelszeitung, Bilanz, Landliebe, Bolero and Tele are among those affected by the move. The newspapers (with the exception of the Zurich employees of Le Temps) and the editorial offices in French-speaking Switzerland are not moving to the new location.

According to research by Schweiz am Sonntag, the new home may not be Zurich, as previously assumed by the journalists concerned, but Lenzburg in the canton of Aargau. 20,000 square meters of office space and 500 apartments are currently being built on the former Hero site near the train station. Incidentally, Schweizer-Illustrierte editor-in-chief Werner de Schepper recently moved into one of them - "pure coincidence", he says. Talks have already taken place between Ringier and Urs Hofmann, President of the Aargau cantonal government, and last week a delegation from Lenzburg visited Ringier in Zurich.

The new location is not only due to the Zofingen media company's roots in Aargau, but also to tax advantages and lower real estate prices compared to Zurich. In addition, Lenzburg can be reached from Zurich in just under 20 minutes by train.

Ringier spokesperson Edi Estermann does not want to comment specifically on the topic of Lenzburg, but confirms that locations in Aargau are also being examined. The company hopes to be able to make a decision in the next few weeks. However, Axel Springer will also have its say. Ralph Büchi, President International Axel Springer SE, is said to prefer two possible alternative locations in Zurich to the Hero site in Lenzburg. (hae)