Lindt & Sprüngli has announced it will invest CHF 30 million ($32 million) to expand the production capacity of its cocoa mass factory in Olten, Switzerland.
Also known as the Lindt Cocoa Center, the Olten facility is the largest factory which refines cocoa beans into cocoa mass in Lindt & Sprüngli’s production network.
The cocoa mass produced at the plant is then supplied to the brand’s other European factories in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and France.
The investment will pay for a new production line at the facility and a new loading bay, as well as a research facility which will conduct tests on cocoa beans, recipes and new processes.
Cocoa beans used by the plant are mainly sourced from West Africa and Latin America, and then shipped to the facility from the Netherlands by rail.
The facility’s connection to rail infrastructure and its close proximity to the company’s headquarters in Kilchberg were key factors in the expansion, according to the brand.
Lindt & Sprüngli also says the investment forms a key part of its long-term growth plans in Switzerland and Europe.
In a statement, the company said: “The expansion of the Lindt Cocoa Center represents a key project for Switzerland and safeguards the supply of cocoa mass for the production sites in Europe for the long term.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024