Young entrepreneur with family business

Fabian Tschenett

Fabian Tschenett runs a specialist shop in Müstair with much joy and verve, together with his brother Ivan. A few years ago, the two of them took the succession of two shops into their own hands and started their own family business. Fabian finds relaxation from everyday business life on the football fields in Val Müstair and South Tyrol or on the skis in Samnaun.

Hardware, tools, household appliances, agricultural articles, toys and stationery - the assortment of Qualitas Tschenett GmbH covers the most diverse needs of locals and guests in Val Müstair and beyond. Fabian receives many compliments for his literally family-run shop. A great pleasure for him, but he immediately passes the flowers on to his team. This includes his mother, two related employees and one of his two brothers. Together with him, he runs the shop and built it up to its present form.

Fabian führt zusammen mit seinem Bruder in Müstair einen Fachhandel.

Making a virtue of necessity

Their specialist shop opened at the beginning of 2017. Before that, Fabian's mother had already worked for ten years at the Grond & Co. hardware shop, a long-standing institution in the valley. When the Grond family was due to retire and there was no succession plan, Fabian and his brother proposed taking over the business on their own initiative. Of course, this was not an impulsive act, because the idea came up during conversations at the lunch table and matured over several months. In the building of the former Lechthaler SA, a stationery/toy shop and also on the verge of the owner's retirement, the Tschenetts finally combined both ranges. In doing so, they were able to count on the support of the former managers, who were very pleased about the continuation of their «life's work».

The appreciation shown to our clientele is still overwhelming for me. I love solving everyday problems for them.

Of course, the family does not lack expertise: Fabian is a trained carpenter, his brother an electrician and their mother knows her way around the household department. Although there is no strict division of tasks, Ivan is more concerned with office and electrical work, while Fabian concentrates on sales and assembly work. So there are always outdoor assignments for Fabian, because in order to fulfil the most diverse customer wishes, fences or letterboxes are also installed in the valley, for example.

Connectedness with the valley

During his previous job as a carpenter, Fabian moved from Val Müstair to Schwyz for three years. For him, it was an important experience to see something new for once, but over time a slight feeling of homesickness arose in him. He is closely connected with the valley and the local people. Val Mora has a special magic for him – the untouched mountain valley that exudes a touch of Canadian wilderness. Since his childhood, he and his family have spent a week at Alp Sprella almost every year. Even today, he visits the alp again and again with his brothers and colleagues.

The seclusion in Val Mora on Alp Sprella is fantastic. A time-out without reception lets you really switch off.

The round has to go into the square

Fabian finds a balance to his everyday business life by skiing, playing football and tennis or hiking. Football in particular is his great passion in the summer. Until 2011, the Italian-Swiss dual citizen played in South Tyrol before switching to the local Club da ballapé Val Müstair. His knowledge of the pitch from his youth comes in handy here, because his current club plays in a recreational league in South Tyrol due to the travelling distances. The training sessions and home games are played in Müstair next to the Plazöl playground. For him, such membership in local clubs is worth its weight in gold to get to know other people in the valley.

Especially in sports, my ambition comes through. The technical aspects fascinate me and there is nothing better than celebrating successes and overcoming defeats together.

Fabian Tschenett ist begeisterter Fussballspieler.

One winter became many

Fabian has been on skis since he was a child. His ambition already shone through when he took part in various ski races organised by the youth organisation. At the end of his apprenticeship in 2008, at the instigation of his mother, he decided to give ski lessons in Samnaun. What was originally only planned for one winter has led Fabian to the international Silvretta Ski Arena Samnaun/Ischgl every winter since he graduated as a federal snow sports instructor in 2012. He thus turned his hobby into a profession, at least seasonally. For although his business demands a lot of him, the rather quiet months of January to March fortunately allow for some lessons for regular guests during the peak season. But despite his passion, he doesn't want to be absent from the shop too often – a real dilemma. Fortunately, for him, the curves in the snow are more energy donors than energy guzzlers; especially when he can demonstrate his driving skills acrobatically in the Samnaun demo team, such as at the annual European Formation Championships.