View source for Business among the Mennonites in France and Switzerland

The Swiss and French Mennonites until the mid-20th century were exclusively agricultural in occupation. In a few cases, in [[Alsace (France)|Alsace]] in particular, the farms were really operated as large businesses, but commercial and manufacturing enterprises were few and usually small. The largest of these in this two-country area were probably the enterprises of Joseph and Jean Kennel. brothers at Chassey ([[Haute-Marne (France)|Haute-Marne]]), [[France|France]]. The Joseph Kennel operations included a sawmill and lumber-export business, a furniture factory, and a cooperative cheese factory. Jean Kennel organized a chain of rural cooperatives which operated elevators, sold farm machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and did custom farming. Emile Winter at Schirmeck operated a small textile factory. A few French Mennonites were retail merchants. In [[Switzerland|Switzerland]] there was no large [[Business|business]] among the Mennonites except the wholesale flower-growing businesses of the Doblers at Muttenz near [[Basel (Switzerland)| Basel]] and [[Nussbaumer, Samuel (1866-1944)|Samuel Nussbaumer]] in [[Zürich (Switzerland)|Zürich]]. Fritz Wüthrich operated a small hand weaving establishment near [[Langnau im Emmental (Kanton Bern, Switzerland)|Langnau]]. The total number of Mennonite businessmen in these two countries was so small in 1950 as to have no effect upon the basically agricultural character of the churches.
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