Loacker facts for kids
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| Società per azioni | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | April 3, 1925 in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy |
| Founder | Alfons Loacker |
| Headquarters | Auna di Sotto/Unterinn,
Italy
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Key people
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| Products | |
| Revenue | €373.06 million (2021) |
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Number of employees
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1,056 (January 2022) |
Loacker S.p.A. (which means Loacker AG in German) is an Italian company that makes delicious sweets. They are based in South Tyrol, Italy. Loacker is especially known for its tasty wafers, chocolates, and other sweet treats.
Contents
Loacker's Sweet History
The Loacker company began in 1925. It was started by an Austrian baker named Alfons Loacker. He opened a small shop in the city center of Bolzano, Italy. At first, he had only two helpers.
Over the years, his sweet shop became very popular. It grew too big for its small city location. So, in 1974, Alfons' son, Armin Loacker, moved the company. He wanted to make wafers in a more natural place.
Armin chose the Renon plateau, high up in the Dolomites. The Dolomites are a beautiful mountain range and a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site. Armin believed that "a natural product is manufactured in a natural environment."
How Loacker Makes Its Treats
Loacker now has two main factories. One is in Auna di Sotto on the Renon plateau in Italy. The other is in Heinfels, Austria. Both factories are located high up, more than 1,000 meters (about 3,280 feet) above sea level. This helps them follow Armin Loacker's idea of making natural products in a natural setting.
Today, the company is run by the third generation of the Loacker family. Armin's sons, Andreas and Martin Loacker, work there. Their cousin, Ulrich Zuenelli, is also a leader in the company.
In 2021, Loacker made a huge amount of sweets: 966 million pieces! They sold over 37,534 tons of products. This brought in about 373.06 million Euros. The company has over 1,000 employees.
Loacker products are enjoyed all over the world. Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Israel buy the most Loacker treats. The USA and China are also big fans. In 2022, Loacker also teamed up with Sammontana. They started making new Loacker-branded ice creams together.
Delicious Products and Ingredients
One of Loacker's most famous products is the "Napolitaner" wafer. It has a delicious hazelnut flavor. The name "Napolitaner" comes from the hazelnuts. These nuts are the main ingredient in the cream filling. They used to come from farms near Naples, Italy.
Loacker cares about where its ingredients come from. They have started special programs to make sure their ingredients are sourced in a good way. They want to control their supply chain more directly.
For example, Loacker uses vanilla from Madagascar. Their cocoa beans come from Ecuador and the Ivory Coast. For their creamy fillings, they use milk powder from "Dolomites Milk." This is a special company that Loacker owns with a local dairy group called BRIMI. Together, they work with 1,100 local farmers.
Loacker also grows some of its own hazelnuts. They have farms in Tuscany, Italy. They also work with 90 other farms in different parts of Italy. This helps them get the best hazelnuts for their treats.
Loacker Cafés
Besides making and selling their sweets in stores, Loacker also has its own Cafés. There are five Loacker Cafés, all located in the Tyrol region.
These Cafés are a mix of a shop and a bakery. You can buy all kinds of Loacker products there. You can also enjoy freshly baked goods and good coffee. The Cafés are in important places for the company. These include Bolzano's Piazza Walther, the Twenty shopping mall, and the Outlet Center Brennero. There's also one in Trento and one right next to the Loacker factory in Heinfels, Austria.
Who Loacker Competes With
Loacker has many other companies that make similar sweets. Some of their competitors around the world include:
- Baileys The Original Irish Cream Chocolate Twists
- Baileys The Original Irish Cream Mini Delights
- Callebaut Rubens - Bastoncini di Cioccolato Bianco
- Callebaut Van Gogh Marmorizzato - Bastoncini di Cioccolato Bianco e Fondente
- Tunnock's Real Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafer Biscuits
- Manner (an Austrian company)
- Galbusera
- Ferrero
- Bahlsen
- Milka
- Milky Way Crispy Rolls
