Lindt & Sprüngli completes €100 million expansion of cocoa centre in Olten

July 4, 2024

Lindt & Sprüngli has announced the completion of a significant three-year expansion of its cocoa centre in Olten, Switzerland, following a major €100 million investment. This development comes as the company has reported a consecutive third year of improved sales, increasing from CHF 4.97 billion to CHF 5.20 billion.

Despite facing widespread supply chain challenges and increased ingredient costs, including those for cocoa sourced from Ghana and Ivory Coast, Lindt has maintained its commitment to sustainable sourcing. The company attributes its enhanced financial performance to efficiency savings and upgrades to its production facilities.

The expanded Lindt Cocoa Center in Olten was officially inaugurated on Friday, May 3, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Matthias Leypold, Marco Peter, Guido Steiner, Doris Bielser, Martin Salzmann, and Dario Cavegn.

Lindt’s expanded Olten facility underlines its dedication to Switzerland as a key business location. The Olten plant, which has been producing cocoa mass since 1991, initially supplied only the Kilchberg site near Zurich. Over the years, it has grown in importance and is now the largest and most significant cocoa mass plant in Lindt & Sprüngli’s global production network. Currently, it supplies cocoa mass to several European production sites, ensuring adherence to Swiss manufacturing standards.

The recent expansion, which began construction in 2021, includes new production lines, a modern loading bay for cocoa mass, a state-of-the-art laboratory, and redesigned administrative offices. This project has also created 12 new jobs at the Olten site, doubling its production capacity since 2017.

Marco Peter, CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli Switzerland, emphasised the plant’s importance for the Group’s future growth. He stated, “As an ultramodern and efficient cocoa mass plant, the Lindt Cocoa Center in Olten is crucial for further growth. The investment is also a commitment to strengthening Switzerland as a business location over the long term.”

The expanded facility in Olten receives cocoa beans delivered by rail, which are stored in specialised silos before processing. The beans are first cleaned and broken open while still in their shells. The cocoa nibs inside are then roasted using a proprietary process that optimises temperature and roasting time. These nibs are subsequently crushed in mills, where pressure and friction produce the viscous cocoa mass, the essential ingredient for further chocolate production at Lindt & Sprüngli’s other sites.

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