CHARLES BURRUS, A HUMANIST EMPLOYER

From the article by Serge Jubin, newspaper Le Temps, Jura May 10th 2011

TOBACCO INDUSTRIALIST DIES AT AGE 81

For a denizen of the Jura region, knowing Charles Burrus was a point of pride, which shows just how great his influence was. The industrialist died on Monday, at the age of 81. The man whom his fellow Boncourt citizens affectionately referred to as “Mister Charles” was a member of the sixth generation Burrus dynasty, which began in Alsace in 1814. The family built a major cigarette factory in Boncourt. The son of Leon Burrus, Charles took the helm of the family company, the largest private employer in the Jura, in 1979. Initially he worked with his cousin Xavier, the son of Gerard, and then on his own from 1985. In 1996, he sold the company to the Dutch group Rothmans, and in 1999 it was taken over by BAT.

A PHILANTHROPIST

Charles Burrus was the quintessential benevolent boss, as his forebears had been. This didn’t prevent him from selling a competitive business. The Burrus family was the first in Switzerland to offer their workers family benefits in 1916.

“Mister Charles” was quite popular. His philanthropy was appreciated. He was a major contributor to the development of the Saint-Charles Catholic secondary school in Porrentruy. He supported several athletic clubs, in particular the Boncourt football club. He sponsored the equestrian facilities at Chevenez. Charles Burrus frequented the upper levels of the Catholic hierarchy, with special ties to the Vatican. At one point, he offered the Guilé family home in Boncourt to a foundation that sensitizes opinion leaders to human and Christian values.

More than anyone else in his family, Charles Burrus remained rooted in Boncourt, although this did not stop his industrial influence from spreading throughout Switzerland. The Jura region was always grateful to him for this, particularly because he had decided to be a large contributor to the last of the cantons to be established.

1814

The history of Fondation Guilé goes back to the year 1814, when Martin Burrus started a tobacco business that would remain in the family for almost 200 years.

In 1931, his successor Léon and his wife Marguerite Burrus built a country manor to give a home to the spirit, values, and legacy of the family. They named the manor GUILÉ, a combination of their first names. The Domaine de Guilé became the place where the Burrus family hosted their large social network of relatives, friends, industrialists, politicians, philanthropists, military officials, and academics.

The tobacco magnate F.J. Burrus became a pioneer of corporate responsibility in Switzerland. For example, his company was the first in Switzerland to provide family allowances and corporate pension schemes.

1996

After the family company was sold in 1996, Charles (1929-2011) and Bernadette Burrus felt a need to give back to society. They created Fondation Guilé to continue their family heritage and provide entrepreneurs with the necessary strategies and tools to become ethically responsible players in today’s international markets.

The couple inspired the foundation’s work towards peace and justice in order to give hope to future generations. Charles Burrus passed away on 9 May 2011. His spirit will live on in the activities of Fondation Guilé.