Chocolate producer Lindt & Sprüngli has announced that it will invest CHF 200 million ($201 million) to expand its chocolate production facility in Stratham, New Hampshire.
New “high-tech” production lines will be added at the plant over the next four years, which will create cocoa and chocolate mass for its premium chocolate products.
Lindt & Sprüngli has approved the upgrade as it seeks to expand its presence in the US chocolate market. The company currently stands as the third largest chocolate producer in the US, following consistent sales growth in recent years.
The company reported that its sales in North America have grown 4% in the first half of 2018, following the strong performance of its Lindt brand in both Canada in the US.
Lindor and Excellence products performed particularly well, while Lindt-owned Russell Stover’s stevia-sweetened chocolate range was also well-received by consumers.
In Europe, product sales rose 5% to CHF 856 million ($862 million), as sales in markets such as Austria, Spain, the UK and the Nordic countries were “well above average”.
Earlier this year, the company invested CHF 30 million ($30 million) to expand the production capacity of its cocoa mass factory in Olten, Switzerland, growing its chocolate production capabilities in Europe.
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