Holcim is the largest cement manufacturer in Switzerland. It also holds significant market shares in the sectors of ready-mix concrete, as well as gravel, sand and grit. Holcim produces cement at 3 sites and operates around 20 gravel quarries as well as approximately 40 concrete plants. Holcim Switzerland’s clients hail from the construction industry – a trade which is known for its high rate of bankruptcy.
As a large firm, with around 1300 employees, Holcim Switzerland practices professional credit management. On the one hand this involves the systematic credit assessments of individual clients, while on the other it is necessary to have a comprehensive overview of the complete client portfolio. Already several years ago Holcim decided upon testing, with a benchmark, the credit rating of its clients with Bisnode D&B Switzerland Ltd. As Csaba Szabo, Head of Treasury, Taxes & Risk at Holcim stated: «Crucial for the collaboration with Bisnode D&B was the coverage of the company’s entirety, the payment records, as well as the up-to-dateness of debt enforcement information.» Besides all new clients, existing clients above a particular order value were also checked.
