Valtronic SA, Les Charbonnières, Switzerland

Switzerland has an essentially rural image, emphasised by the CH plates on the back of every car; what wag hasn't said that this is because it is the land of CHeese and CHocolate? This image is, in fact, false as the country employs nearly 90% of its work force in manufacturing and service sectors. That having been said, the Vallée de Joux is a beautiful valley, 1000 metres above sea level in the Jura Mountains about 40 km north of Lausanne. The floor of this valley is occupied mainly by two lakes upstream of which are primeval peat bogs. The larger lake, the Lac de Joux, is popular for all sorts of aquatic and ice sports. It flows into the Lac de Brenets, a small lake which has no apparent outlet. In fact, the River Orbe flows out from it underground, to gush out of a mountainside again some kilometres downstream. Above the lakes, cattle pastures slope upwards towards forested escarpments, much admired by nature lovers and, in winter, skiers.