Switzerland’s Unstoppable Franc Brings Fresh Pain to Exporters

Swiss entrepreneur Christian Taennler knew early on that he had to get his business ready for a stronger franc.

Since taking over the firm in 2017 — two years after the country’s central bank dropped a currency cap — he’s been streamlining Alme AG, cutting jobs and automating production at the precision components firm. But as the currency has continued to advance, making his goods more expensive, he’s having to fight harder to keep customers from going to rivals.