The American Dream

Thomas Düsel is a Commercial Manager & Integration Facilitator at IGP North America. You could call him an interface or bridge – particularly between the US and our headquarters in Wil. In the beginning, he focused on helping get the business off the ground, developing an efficient logistics concept, and teaching his American colleagues about IGP products. “I wanted to make sure our colleagues in the USA understood how we market our products and what added value we offer our customers. And of course, for my part I had to learn the special characteristics of the US market,” says Thomas. Today, the 32-year-old describes himself as an all-rounder. He supports his colleagues in sales, marketing, product management, and technical consulting. Additionally, he devises the processes necessary so that IGP is ready for future growth in the USA.  

In 2004, Thomas finished his apprenticeship at IGP in Wil, qualifying as a Commercial Assistant. He got his first taste of working abroad in 2008, when he spent ten months at IGP in the UK. Back in the familiar surroundings of Wil, he worked in various roles before becoming Director of International Sales. A few years later, he was offered the opportunity to transfer to the USA. “I wasn’t going anywhere without my wife. So I asked her, and she was immediately happy to join me on this adventure,” says Thomas.

“In February 2019, we arrived in Louisville, Kentucky, a city the size of Zurich. We had an idea in our heads about what the USA looked like and how life there would be. Of course, it was largely based on Hollywood movies. Louisville was different. Not the American Dream – but tough, and with a shocking level of poverty,” explains Thomas. “First we had to get used to our new surroundings. But pretty quickly we got to know and appreciate the diversity and raw character.”

In the summer, the couple moved to Greenville in South Carolina, near the new production plant. “Greenville has a warmer climate, and it’s a beautiful city with European charm. It’s always exciting to get to know something new,“ says Thomas.

If you ask him about the differences between the cultures, Thomas has a lot to say: “Kentucky and South Carolina belong to the Southern states. Everything’s a bit more relaxed. The people are very friendly and don’t take everything so seriously. The company is new in the USA and naturally not as process-oriented as it is in Switzerland. Americans tend to get on with things; they take care of the details last, or sometimes leave them out altogether. Swiss people first think everything through and weigh up all the options. They don’t like to take risks. There’s a strong culture of trial-and-error in America, while the Swiss see failure as negative. But in America, failure is a natural part of development.”

In their free time, Thomas and his wife Jessica are very active. Both are regular joggers, and at the weekends they go hiking and exploring the country in all its variety. They also love American food, which is so much more than the fast food we associate with the US in Europe.

Their experience has brought them closer together as a couple. “It was a huge disruption for us. We left our friends and families behind. I was at work all day, my wife stayed home and managed all the details involved in a relocation like this. For my sake, she left her career behind, and that really means a lot to me. To make such a drastic change, you have to be open to new things and really want to make it work. For us it’s been a valuable experience and we’d do it again any time,” says Thomas about the past months.

His work visa runs out in August 2021. Thomas doesn’t yet know what will happen then. He and his wife would like to stay in the USA for a while longer. They believe in staying flexible.