Pelichet

Over a century of international moving from Geneva

Pelichet is a Geneva-based moving and relocation company established in 1891 and operating for more than 130 years. The firm specializes in international moves to and from Switzerland, domestic relocations, industrial site moves, heavy transport, and relocation services for corporate clients and international organizations. The founding history is explicit on the site: established as "La Genevoise" in 1891 by Albert Pelichet, the company evolved into an international player by focusing on premium, personalized relocation. The site's timeline shows pivotal moments: installation of United Nations headquarters in Geneva (1945), a pivot toward US clients (1950), international expansion (1975), presence in 10+ Asian countries (1995), joining the MOBILITAS group (2011), opening a manufacturing facility for logistics (2015), and establishing a dedicated archiving division (2022). Pelichet now operates across Switzerland and maintains presence in over 10 countries in Asia, signaling global capacity for expats relocating between continents.

What expats and arriving families get

For someone relocating to Switzerland from abroad, Pelichet frames relocation as "a global management of A to Z of the mobility of your staff." For arriving individuals and families, this translates to household goods transport by international specialist, administrative settling-in support, and coordination across multiple touchpoints. The site explicitly emphasizes premium and fully personalized service regardless of destination. The relocation service arm manages the household move and includes attention to the intangibles that determine how successfully an arrival feels. Pelichet handles private moves for households and individuals, corporate relocation for businesses moving staff, and coordinated moves for international organizations (NGOs, UN agencies, diplomatic missions) with the regulatory and scheduling complexity that entails. Someone arriving from Southeast Asia, where Pelichet operates in 10+ countries, finds a firm with direct experience handling Pacific Rim relocations into Switzerland, understanding both the logistics and the cultural transition involved.

The services and infrastructure

Pelichet operates from Geneva headquarters (Vernier headquarters opened 2013) and offices across Switzerland. The firm offers international moves, Switzerland-wide moves, household storage, private vehicle transport, industrial site and heavy equipment transport (up to 30 tonnes), document storage and digitization services, office transfers with ecological awareness, and specialized relocation management. The site identifies these service categories: international moves (premium personalized household services, which aligns with their founding identity), Swiss domestic moves (same service standard), industrial sites and heavy handling (experts and advanced technology for machinery weighing up to 30 tonnes, useful for machinery relocation for manufacturers or laboratories), physical and digital archiving (latest-generation means to preserve and enhance archives, relevant for organizations with institutional records), relocation service (global A to Z staff mobility management, tailored for multinational corporations and international organizations), office transfers (space optimization through ecological moving, reflecting sustainability focus), and vehicle transport (solutions for personal and prestige vehicles, useful for executives relocating with high-value cars). The company is part of the MOBILITAS group as of 2011, which expanded their reach and added logistics expertise from the broader group. A manufacturing facility opened in 2015, suggesting investment in in-house capacity rather than outsourcing. They opened a dedicated Pelichet Archiving division in 2022, acknowledging that document management and archiving are distinct from moving and deserve specialized attention. The site mentions Pelichet won a corporate social responsibility (CSR) trophy from the Geneva Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFS) in 2023, a recognition from a recognized business body. The site emphasizes human factors as foundational to their approach, with transparent management, engagement with disability inclusion in hiring and workplace practices, and support for sports values through sponsorships. Pelichet operates with electric vehicles and Euro-6 compliant vehicles (the strictest EU emissions standard for diesel engines), described as rolling green, which signals long-term environmental commitment. They created a "Triple Win" initiative focused on recycling office furniture to support circular economy and limit waste. Through Triple Win, when a company moves offices, Pelichet recovers usable furniture, repurposes it for other businesses moving in, and reduces landfill waste. This triple benefit (to the environment, to companies, and to Pelichet's sustainability story) differentiates them from movers who simply dispose of old office furniture.

Information gaps on the site

Pelichet publishes no pricing or rate information. Quote requests are invited but no hourly rates, cubic-meter pricing, or package costs are stated. Lead times for quotes or scheduling are not specified. Language capability is not explicitly stated beyond the site's availability in French, English, and German. The scope of "fully personalized" service for international moves is not detailed: what does personalization include, what is the consultation process, how many interactions occur. Storage costs and terms are not published: what is the cost, what are minimum periods, what are the exact climate specifications. The vehicle transport service is mentioned but not specified: what vehicles qualify, what is the price range, what is included. The archiving and digitization service scope is not clear: what types of documents, what is the digitization process, what are preservation guarantees. Asian presence is mentioned as "more than 10 countries" but specific locations are not listed. The specific scope of relocation service for corporate staff is not detailed beyond the description "A to Z."

Who Pelichet serves

Pelichet is suitable for expat families and corporate staff relocating to Switzerland with significant household goods, high-value items, or complex requirements who value the boutique, personalized approach and can justify premium pricing for that attention. The 130-plus year history and evolution into a specialized relocation firm (not just movers) signal expertise in expat logistics and cultural integration. Someone arriving from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, or Africa where Pelichet operates finds a firm with prior experience in that geography and the logistics chains needed for transcontinental moves. Corporate employers moving a team to Geneva or another Swiss city with international hiring needs find a firm experienced in relocation management and staff settling-in. They are a natural fit for finance-sector companies, international NGOs, and tech firms with global headcount. International organizations (NGOs, UN agencies, diplomatic posts) find a partner with documented experience in that sector (the UN history on the timeline) and the administrative complexity it brings. Someone with office moves including furniture recycling and circular economy values finds alignment with Pelichet's stated environmental commitment and the Triple Win program. Someone with prestige vehicles or international vehicle transport needs finds a specialized service line. Organizations requiring archiving and digitization can connect with the dedicated Pelichet Archiving division. By contrast, someone seeking transparent upfront pricing, someone relocating with minimal goods and a tight budget, someone moving within Geneva or a nearby canton, or someone prioritizing cost and simplicity over service personalization might prefer a smaller local mover or a more transactional firm offering standardized services and public pricing. Someone relocating to the Alpine cantons would want to confirm Pelichet's reach beyond the Geneva-Suisse region.