Lindt & Sprüngli has inaugurated the plant extension at the Lindt Cocoa Centre in Olten, Switzerland, after nearly three years of construction.
The chocolate maker invested around CHF100 million (€102.34 million) in the expansion project, which produces cocoa mass for several Lindt & Sprüngli production sites in Europe.
Established in 1991, the plant initially produced cocoa mass exclusively for the production site in Kilchberg, near Zurich.
As years passed, the plant steadily grew in significance for Lindt & Sprüngli, becoming the largest and most important cocoa mass plant within its global production network.
At present, the facility in Olten supplies Swiss cocoa mass to several of Lindt & Sprüngli’s European production sites.
Expansion Project
The expansion project, which commenced in 2021, included the addition of new production lines, a new loading bay for cocoa mass, a state-of-the-art laboratory, and the redesign of the plant’s administrative offices.
This project has created 12 new roles at the Olten site, and expansions carried out in the facility since 2017 have doubled its production capacity overall.
Marco Peter, CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli Switzerland stated, “As an ultramodern and efficient cocoa mass plant, the Lindt Cocoa Centre in Olten is crucial for further growth.
“The investment is also a commitment to strengthening Switzerland as a business location over the long term.”
In March, the Swiss chocolate maker reported higher annual profit as it managed to pass on increasing raw material costs to customers amid a slowdown in the global chocolate market.
