Weinrich (company)
| Ludwig Weinrich GmbH & Co. KG | |
|---|---|
| legal form | GmbH & Co. KG |
| founding | 1895 |
| Seat | Herford , Germany |
| management | Cord Budde and Thomas Bruchmann, managing directors of the shareholder |
| Number of employees | 270 (2012/2013) |
| sales | EUR 100 million (2012/2013) |
| Branch | food industry |
| Website | www.weinrich-schokolade.de |
The Ludwig Weinrich GmbH & Co. KG is a German chocolate factory , which mainly for the food retail sector as well as in organic and fair trade produce. The family company based in Herford , East Westphalia , was founded in 1895.
Company history
In 1895 Ludwig Weinrich and Paul Drugt founded the Herford biscuit and cake factory Weinrich & Drugt .
After Paul Drüge left the company in 1912, the company was wholly owned by the Weinrich family.
Chocolate production began shortly after the First World War . In 1923 the "Ludwig Weinrich Schokolade- und Keksfabrik AG" was founded. In addition to biscuits, waffles and gingerbread, the company has since dedicated itself particularly to the production of chocolate and pralines. The first private labels were marketed.
At the beginning of the 1960s, the pastry and praline production was given up and the focus shifted to solid and filled bars of chocolate and couvertures .
In 1991 the shares of the capital were transferred from the Weinrich family to the long-standing company director Cord Gerhard Budde senior through a management buy-out . over, who had already joined the company in 1954 as the Weinrichs' son-in-law.
In 1993 Cord Budde jr. the position of managing director and in 1998 the majority of the company shares.
The Weinrich chocolate factory explored new territory in 1996 with the production of fair trade chocolate. In the years that followed, the company developed into one of the world market leaders in the production of Fairtrade chocolate.
At the turn of the millennium, Weinrich's subsidiary, EcoFinia GmbH , was founded, which produces premium chocolate for the organic trade under the brand name Vivani . Today Vivani is one of the best-known chocolate brands in organic retail and is sold in over 50 countries worldwide.
In June 2004, a factory outlet called Weinrichs Schokoladen Bruchbude was opened in downtown Herford .
In the 2007/2008 financial year, Weinrich achieved sales of over 100 million euros for the first time.
Group structure
Ludwig Weinrich Verwaltungs- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH is personally liable partner of Ludwig Weinrich GmbH & Co. KG and exercises its management. Weinrich International GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary . Weinrich holds a 50 percent stake in EcoFinia GmbH. All companies are based in Herford.
Products
Various types of solid and filled chocolate as well as chocolate bars and couverture are produced in the Weinrich chocolate factory . The spectrum here includes the production of conventional as well as organic and fair trade chocolate.
On behalf of GEPA , Weinrich uses cocoa beans from Ghana to produce chocolate that bears the Transfair seal. For the British chocolate manufacturer Divine, Weinrich uses Transfair cocoa beans from the Ghanaian Kuapa Kokoo Union (KKU), which was founded in 1993 and whose farmers hold 45% of the Divine brand.
Via its subsidiary EcoFinia GmbH, Weinrich sells organic chocolate under the Vivani , iChoc, Björnsted and lacoa brands for organic and food retailers.
Weinrich also specializes in the development of own brands, so-called private label chocolates.
Factory sales
At the Gänsemarkt in the Herford district of Radewig , Weinrich runs a factory outlet under the name Weinrichs Schokoladen Bruchbude . The dump is open on weekdays. In addition to Weinrich and GEPA products, the range primarily includes inexpensive broken chocolate and sweets from other manufacturers.
social commitment
Weinrich is committed to better living conditions for suppliers from the producing countries. One example of this is the intensive trading partnership with the Kuapa Kokoo Cooperative , a Ghanaian association of cocoa farmers. The cooperative was able to grow into a socially and economically stable institution through fair subsidies. The Transfair certified cocoa is used for the chocolates of the British chocolate manufacturer Divine. Weinrich is also promoting the building of schools in Ghana to offer the children of the cocoa farmers educational prospects.
In the local area, Weinrich is involved as a sponsor of the women's soccer team Herford SV Borussia Friedenstal. and as the main sponsor of Osnabrück Zoo .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Annual financial statements of Ludwig Weinrich GmbH & Co. KG for the business year from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 in the Federal Gazette
- ↑ History on www.weinrich-schokolade.de [1]
- ↑ a b Weinrich's chocolate shack
- ↑ The Divine Story at www.divinechocolate.com [2]
- ↑ Social responsibility at www.weinrich-schokolade.de [3]
- ↑ Sponsors on www.herfordersv.de [4]
- ↑ Main sponsor list on www.zoo-osnabrueck.de [5]
Coordinates: 52 ° 6 ′ 58.5 ″ N , 8 ° 39 ′ 26.5 ″ E