Chocolat Frey
| Chocolat Frey AG
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|---|---|
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| legal form | Corporation |
| founding | 1887 |
| Seat | Buchs AG , Switzerland |
| management | Hansruedi Christen ( Managing Director ) Walter Huber ( Chairman of the Board ) |
| Number of employees | 1100 (2018) |
| sales | 396 million CHF (2015) |
| Branch | food |
| Website | www.chocolatfrey.ch |
The Chocolat Frey AG , headquartered in Buchs AG is a Swiss manufacturer of chocolate and chewing gum . The company, founded in 1887, has been part of the Migros retail group since 1950 . The products are primarily manufactured for the Migros cooperatives and sold in their branches. In addition, catering companies, bulk consumers and the processing industry are also supplied. Export accounts for over a third of sales.
history
founding
The brothers Robert (* December 31, 1861 - March 3, 1940) and Max Frey (* March 9, 1863 - December 17, 1933) had both gained experience with chocolate production before the family business was founded. After Robert in the SA de la Fabrique des Chocolats Amédée Kohler et fils in Paris for merchant had been trained, he sat down at Maschinenfabrik Riccard & Greiss with the production of chocolate machines apart. Max completed his commercial apprenticeship at Cramer-Frey in Zurich , for which he also worked in Brazil .
On December 17, 1887, the brothers dared to go into self-employment together and founded the collective company R. & M. Frey . At the beginning they produced in their parents' house on Balänenweg in Aarau . With the development of the conching machine in 1879, the industrial production of chocolate was greatly advanced. Robert was already familiar with this technology and managed to incorporate it into his company. In addition, production was operated with electrical machines from the start.
First half of the 20th century
From 1900 the R. & M. Frey produced on Römerstrasse in the Aarauer Telli . There she acquired a former cotton mill, which was built in 1836/37 by the future Federal Councilor Friedrich Frey-Herosé . In 1906 the company was transformed into the Chocolat Frey AG stock corporation . From now on, chocolate bars and chocolate powder were produced, as well as soups and strength foods. The latter, however, were later taken out of the range in order to concentrate on chocolate production.
During the First World War , the company benefited from Switzerland's neutral position. Chocolate could be exported thanks to open tariffs , but sourcing raw materials such as cocoa was much more difficult. An interruption of the operation could be prevented due to good foreign sales prices. The turnover from exports almost doubled from 882,000 Swiss francs (1916) to 1,465,000 francs (1918). The chocolate was then available in Germany , France , Sweden and later also in Great Britain .
With the end of the war, export trade collapsed. Since Germany and France were too busy with the reconstruction, they fell away like others as trading partners. Only Great Britain remained. The company was therefore forced to downgrade domestic sales. At the beginning of the 1920s, the company was on the verge of collapse. Production stood still for several days . It was not until the economy recovered in the mid-1920s that the foreign market was opened up again. However, the attempt failed because of the global economic crisis . In the same years Robert Frey junior (born February 18, 1901) gradually took over the management after his father had familiarized him with the company at an early age. In this way he was able to ensure that the company continued to be family-owned. In 1932 Robert Frey senior retired from the Board of Directors . Just a year later, his brother Max Frey died at the age of 70.
The company also went through a difficult time during the Second World War . Foreign trade was made more difficult by the war. New import regulations for cocoa and sugar severely restricted the Swiss chocolate market. In addition, many employees and managers were drafted into military service. Although the demand rose slightly towards the end of the war, it could not be met due to a lack of staff.
Thanks to the marked economic upswing at the end of the Second World War, the situation for the company also improved. In 1946 the board of directors first thought of looking for partners. Four years later, Migros took over the company. Chocolat Frey AG is the oldest Migros company acquired. The alliance initially appeared questionable, as Migros had previously owned its own chocolate factory with Jonatal AG . However, the conclusion of the contract was an important decision for Chocolat Frey AG. Although the chocolate factory had to take over the requirements and regulations of the new owner, the company management remained in the hands of Robert Frey junior. The further development of the company was also promoted.
Second half of the 20th century
Construction of today's headquarters began in 1963 and three years later operations were relocated from Aarau to the neighboring municipality of Buchs . At the same time, the entire chocolate, confectionery and candy production that Migros had previously operated was brought together in one location. This mutated the company into a modern and successful industrial company. Since 1974, chewing gum has been produced as the only manufacturer in Switzerland, which today accounts for around 10% of total sales.
Double-digit sales increases filled the company's accounting registers in the 1980s. The company's turnover exceeded the limit of 200 million francs for the first time in 1985 and the company soon took over the leadership in the domestic chocolate market. With these good conditions, investments could also be made. Various structural and qualitative changes were made and the topic of environmental protection gained in importance. Since 1984, the company has been getting district heating from the nearby waste incineration facility . Since then, the company has practically managed without heating oil. The facility was also expanded to include a new rail connection for the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The 1980s were also of great importance for international trade. For the first time since the Second World War, foreign trade was resumed. Great Britain, USA , Denmark , Austria and Japan , later also France and Southeast Asia, imported the chocolate from Chocolat Frey AG. For the time being, however, export remained a modest sideline. In the 1990s, international business was expanded and professionalized. In 1997, the company launched a new project entitled “Chocolat Frey goes international” with the aim of exporting to contribute to Chocolat Frey AG's profitability in the long term. A key account management system was introduced to support important customers .
21st century
International trade in private labels (own brands) was also expanded after the turn of the millennium. The Netherlands , Scandinavia , Canada and Germany were added as importers. The foreign market became the company's main growth factor. In addition to private labels, the Frey brand has also been offered internationally since 2007 , both in the travel retail business, i.e. in duty-free shops at airports, and through sales in cooperation with international trading partners worldwide. In 2008, the two companies Chocolat Frey AG and Delica , both specializing in luxury foods , moved closer together. In order to strengthen the international market position and to optimally use synergies, the company director of Chocolat Frey AG took over the overall management of both companies. However, these will remain legally and geographically as separate companies.
Today the company generates over a third of its total sales abroad. The products are sold in over 50 countries on five continents. Over 42,000 tons of chocolate, confectionery products, semi-finished products and chewing gum leave the production facilities in Buchs every year. In the domestic market, the company is number 1 among Swiss chocolate producers with a “34.9% market share” ( Chocosuisse ). Chewing gum also makes up part of total sales, because around 10% is achieved in the chewing gum sector, around two thirds of which with private labels in export. In 2012 Chocolat Frey AG celebrated its 125th anniversary. At Easter 2014 the new visitor center of Chocolat Frey AG was opened in Buchs.
logo
The company logo of Chocolat Frey AG includes the unicorn head, an element of the family coat of arms of the brothers Max and Robert Frey. Since the family name "Frey" was also used as a brand name, this was also integrated into the logo. The traditional character of the company in chocolate production is also established with the time reference “CHOCOLAT SUISSE DEPUIS 1887”, which is kept under the family name on the red background.
The enterprise
Location
In 1966 the production site of Chocolat Frey AG was relocated from Aarau to the newly built factory in Buchs. To this day, Buchs is the company's only production site for chocolate and chewing gum. However, the area was continuously expanded and expanded. Today it comprises several buildings on a total area of around 70,000 m² for the storage and processing of cocoa and for the production of chocolate and chewing gum. In addition, the company (on an additional plot of around 10,000 m²) has its own siding of the Swiss Federal Railways for the delivery of raw materials and the delivery of semi-finished and finished products.
Key figures
Over 500,000 bars of chocolate leave the production site in Buchs every day. Calculated over the year, that is more than 41,000 tonnes spread over 2,400 different products. In addition to chocolate and pralines, which are the main products of Chocolat Frey AG, the company produces semi-finished products (such as couvertures, chocolate and cocoa powders and masses, fillings) for further processing in industry and trade, as well as chewing gum under the brands Skai or Candida and private labels .
With a market share of around 35 percent, Chocolat Frey AG is the Swiss market leader as a chocolate producer. The company employs around 1000 people and achieved gross sales of 396 million Swiss francs in 2015.
Certificates
Chocolat Frey AG is certified according to:
- ISO standard 9001
- ISO standard 14001
- FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification)
- IFS (International Featured Standard)
Products
Chocolat Frey AG follows every production process in order to be able to control the quality requirements itself. The cocoa beans come to a large extent from West Africa, mainly Ghana , but also from South America .
In total, Chocolat Frey AG produces 2,400 different items, including a wide variety of chocolate bars (solid and filled), bars (Blox, Risoletto, Branches and Frey d'Or), truffles, pralines , but also a wide range of chewing gum. Seasonal products are offered for special events such as Easter or Christmas.
- Chocolate bars: Chocolat Frey AG has been producing one of the best-selling chocolates in Switzerland for many years with extra fine milk . The Giandor and the premium line Suprême are also important .
- Swiss military chocolate, Chocolat Frey AG is one of several manufacturers for the Swiss Army .
- Pralines : Prestige line
- Chocolate drapes
- chocolate bar
- Chocolate foam kisses
- Easter and Christmas specialties: Today, in addition to Easter eggs and other Easter items, Chocolat Frey AG produces over 7 million Easter bunnies weighing between 18 and 1400 grams each year (a total of around 2500 tons).
- Semi-finished chocolate products
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Chewing gum : Chocolat Frey AG has been producing chewing gum for Migros (Skai, Ice Tea Peach Gum, Vanille Gum, Candida and Fruity Fresh) and various private label suppliers at home and abroad since 1974 . The chewing gum division is characterized by long experience and continuity. With around 90 employees, it is the only chewing gum manufacturer in Switzerland, but has a strong international focus. Accordingly, Chocolat Frey is one of the largest private label chewing gum producers in Europe. Since 1988 only sugar-free chewing gum products have been produced.
Chocolat Frey AG has been offering a world first since 2015, because chewing gum can be personalized at www.myskai.ch .
sustainability
Chocolat Frey AG's understanding of sustainability is based on the three-pillar model . Sustainable development can only be achieved if economic, ecological and social criteria are taken into account equally along the entire supply chain. Since 2011, Chocolat Frey AG has been purchasing cocoa from the international UTZ Certified program , which promotes the cultivation of cocoa according to socially and environmentally compatible criteria. Thanks to the use of district heating instead of crude oil , appropriate structural measures, awareness-raising and training of employees and consistent controlling, energy consumption has been reduced by almost a quarter in recent years, and CO 2 emissions have also been significantly reduced. For this reason, Chocolat Frey AG has been awarded the “CO 2 -reduced operation” certificate by the business environment agency for its voluntary efforts to protect the climate . As a logical consequence of the environmental measures that have been in place for a long time, the company also received the environmental certificate according to ISO standard 14001 in 2008 .
engagement
With its commitment in the SOS Children's Village in Ghana , Chocolat Frey AG supports orphaned and abandoned children. In 2007 the company financed the construction of one of today's twelve family houses in the SOS Children's Village in Asiakwa and has been ensuring the annual operating costs of this house ever since. It was put into operation in April 2008 and currently offers ten children a family environment with an SOS mother as a reference person.
criticism
Be criticized food additives such. B. Titanium (IV) oxide (E171) in chewing gum. Migros announced in August 2019 that the controversial additive for the in-house chewing gum brand Skai would initially no longer be added to a large part of the range.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chocolat Frey AG in figures , accessed on June 28, 2018.
- ↑ Numbers and facts. Chocolat Frey, 2015, accessed March 21, 2014 .
- ↑ a b c d Facts and Figures. Chocolat Frey, 2013, accessed on March 21, 2014 (387 million CHF turnover, of which 131 million CHF export).
- ^ Chocolat Frey AG. In: Database on industrial culture in Aargau. Association of Aargau Museums and Collections, 2011, accessed on June 28, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Chocolat Frey Archive
- ^ Gabriela Suter: The Telli in Transition: from an industrial to a residential area . In: Ortsbürgergemeinde Aarau (Hrsg.): Aarauer Neujahrsblätter . tape 92 . here + now , Baden 2018, ISBN 978-3-03919-429-2 , p. 54-55 .
- ↑ a b c Chocolat Frey AG is committed to the environment and receives the ISO 14001 certificate. Retrieved March 25, 2014 .
- ↑ Chocolat Frey AG and Delica AG are moving closer together. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014 ; Retrieved October 4, 2009 .
- ↑ Cooperation partner SOS Children's Villages. Retrieved March 12, 2014 .
- ↑ Peter Fritsche: Titanium dioxide E171 - Migros bans controversial additive from chewing gum. In: srf.ch . August 5, 2019, accessed August 20, 2019 .