Baxter International, Yahoo!, AGCO, Alcon Corporation, and CSL Behring to receive 'Tell Awards' from Switzerland's Ambassador to the U.S. Urs Ziswiler

Good Corporate Citizenship Award Presented to Medtronic

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Baxter International, Yahoo!, Alcon Corporation, AGCO, Medtronic and CSL Behring will receive Tell Awards for Switzerland's most significant inward investment projects by North American firms in 2008, reports Mario Brossi, North American senior advisor for Switzerland Trade and Investment Promotion. The awards are named for the legendary Swiss hero William Tell and will be presented on October 26 by Switzerland's Ambassador to the U.S. Urs Ziswiler.

The Tell Awards date from 2004 in a program recognizing projects by U.S., Canadian and Mexican firms, Mr. Brossi said. The program has grown in terms of interest expressed in Switzerland and overseas. The awards are sponsored by the Swiss Embassy, Switzerland Trade and Investment Promotion, and the American - Swiss Business Council based in Washington.

Baxter International receives the 2008 award for the most significant manufacturing operation recognizing the opening of its new production facility in Neuchatel. The expansion doubles the size of its operations, which have been recognized as a Center of Excellence for Bio-Tech. Baxter also has locations in San Vittore, Volketswil and Wallisellen.

The most significant headquarters project award for 2008 goes to Yahoo! after moving its European Headquarters from London to Rolle, near Lausanne.

Two awards for significant expansion projects are presented for 2008. Agriculture equipment manufacturer and distributor AGCO expanded its operations in Schaffhausen by making it its new strategic headquarters for the European and Asia Pacific Regions. Ophthalmology and eye related product manufacturer Alcon Corporation added to its presence in Switzerland with a new EMEA headquarters in Geneva. The company's other facilities are in Zug and Fribourg.

The award for the most significant innovative technology investment in 2008 goes to CSL Behring for its investment in the development of a novel, next-generation immunoglobulin therapy for people with primary immune deficiencies. CSL Behring has constructed a new plant for the therapy at its Center of Excellence in Berne, combining state-of-the-art industrial scale filtration technology, highly efficient separation processes and advanced formulation know-how to provide increased volumes of enhanced therapy for patients. CSL Behring has increased the number of employees at the facility from 750 to more than 950 people.

Previous award winners are Merck & Company, Albany International, Intuitive Surgical, Johnson & Johnson, Autodesk, CEMEX, Electronic Arts, Kyphon, Microsoft, Amgen, IBM, Stryker, VeriSign, Celgene, eBay, Google and P&G. Please see our website at www.locationswitzerland.com for copies of those previous releases.

The 2008 "Good Corporate Citizenship Award" is being presented to Minneapolis-based Medtronic for its continued growth in Canton Vaud. The company invested SFr 60 million in 1997 to build its European headquarters there and since has invested an additional SFr 50 million in three expansions that today accommodate more than 850 people across more than 55 nationalities. The company participates in the life of the community through The Medtronic Foundation supporting worthy programs in the areas of health, education and community welfare. Medtronic also has facilities in Neuchatel and Berne.

"Despite a general economic turndown Switzerland continued to be a major recipient of US direct investments during 2008," Mr. Brossi said. "New foreign direct investment projects into Switzerland from North America during the year totaled 37 with an additional 12 expansions of existing projects and 23 investments involving M&A transactions and strategic alliances," he said.

"New projects are key indicators of an attractive FDI environment," Mr. Brossi commented, "and since 2001 these total 194. Over the same period expansions, which serve as an indicator of satisfaction by existing investors with Switzerland, total 81. Mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances provide another route of entry to the Swiss and broader European market. Since 2001 these amount to 189 projects."

According to a survey of European tax systems, compiled by KPMG International, in which major business organizations across Europe assessed the attractiveness of their domestic tax systems, Switzerland ranks third behind Cyprus and Ireland respectively. The survey is based on particular aspects of the tax system, including consistency, stability over time, volume of legislation, the tax rate, and relationships with tax authorities.

"Switzerland's well-educated multilingual, multicultural population, of which nearly 20% are non-Swiss, makes it easier for investors to do business across the broader European market," Mr. Brossi noted. "This is another reason why, all told, some 7,000 foreign companies have operations in the country."

SOURCE Switzerland Trade and Investment Promotion

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