Hess Family Estates
| Hess Family Estates AG | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Corporation |
| founding | 1844 |
| Seat | Koeniz , Switzerland |
| management | Donald M. Hess (Chairman of the Board of Directors) |
| sales | 200 million CHF (2006) |
| Branch | Wine production, gastronomy |
| Website | www.hess-family.com |
The Hess Family Estates AG (formerly: Hess Group AG), based in Köniz, is an internationally active Swiss company that is active in the production and sale of wine , in gastronomy and in the real estate business. In 2006, Hess Family Estates AG generated sales of around 200 million Swiss francs.
history
The company was founded in Kirchberg in Bern in 1844 by Johann Heinrich Hess and was a brewery for over three generations until the 1960s . Under the management of Donald M. Hess in the fourth generation, the company opened up the Valser St. Petersquelle in 1960 and also introduced the Valser mineral water brand . In 1968 the brewery was sold and in 1978 the wine business was built up as a new second mainstay alongside mineral water. Since the sale of Valser Mineralquellen AG in October 2002, Hess Family Estates AG has concentrated on the areas of wine , gastronomy and real estate and now owns eight wineries on four continents (as of 2011) as well as numerous restaurants.