‘Captain of industry’ dies

Bernard Egner
Schwikkard passed away
peacefully last weekend at the
age of 88.
‘Bernie’ as he was
affectionately known to his
friends, or ‘Mr Schwikkard’ as
a mark of respect by the many
staff he led at Micor from the
early ‘70s until his retirement,
earned the epithet ‘Captain of
Industry’.
Described by his Saaff
colleagues as a man of huge
integrity and morality, he
will be remembered for his
no-nonsense, direct and honest
management style.
But behind the stern exterior
was often a disarming smile, a
twinkle in the eye and a roguish
sense of humour.
Staff knew him to be
firm but fair. His mantra on
discipline was that it consisted
of 10% ‘kick in the backside’
and 90% learning from the
experience. With clear vision
and foresight he realised that
a sustainable business was
founded on ‘getting customers
and keeping customers’ and he
drove a sales and development
model that made Micor a major
player in the early ‘80s.
He had a passion for his
company, his people and the
industry as a whole.
Schwikkard had an insight
and opinion on a broad
spectrum of topics across
the clearing and forwarding
industry and his views were
always welcomed and respected
by his peers and Government
alike.
He leaves his wife of 63
years, Beryl Eileen, five
children, five grandchildren and
one great grandchild.