From Switzerland to Scottsdale: Create & Construct comes Stateside
From Switzerland to Scottsdale: Create & Construct comes Stateside
Switzerland. Renowned for being the homeland of exceptional quality in everything from chocolates to chalets. So – no surprise – my passion for excellence in craftsmanship led me there in 1996, and kept me there for twenty-two years exploring all facets of the construction and design field.
But as much as I loved Geneva, the same sense of adventure and innovation that took me there (and brought Create and Construct to life in 2010) was now calling me elsewhere.
Almost six thousand miles away.
To the United States.
In the desert.
But there were still loads of questions: How to structure the business in the US? How to attain visa approval? How to find a new house?
How to convince my wife that I wasn’t moving her to a desolate stretch of sand, rocks and cacti?
Enter the “holiday strategy.” After several trips to Arizona filled with horseback riding, Sonoran sunsets and fine desert dining, Victoria was convinced that relocating to the Valley of the Sun was the right move.
But beyond the enticing amenities, there was something far more important that won her heart: a thriving arts community in the Scottsdale area. As an internationally recognized abstract artist, Victoria is truly the “create” in Create and Construct. And I knew that with her solidly on board, together we could take this company to places in the states that we’d only dreamed of in Europe.
So, after a few years of carefully crafting a business plan and plotting our transglobal move, we made final arrangements to fly ourselves and our beloved dog Purdey to Phoenix in February 2017. By way of introduction, Purdey is a Korthals Griffon, which loosely translated means, “Giant walking carpet who is endlessly obsessed with lights and shadows.” So, Victoria and I spent the entire trip fretting over how our semi-neurotic hound was surviving in his crate without sufficient in-flight entertainment.
But we all made it to our new homeland, and spent the first night in our new home in massive luxury: one small air mattress, a huge television, two camping chairs and a coffee machine. We were exhausted, yet strangely energized. Setting up our company in a new country felt like the fresh start – both personally and professionally – that we’d been craving.
The adventure had begun.