Max Felchlin facts for kids
Felchlin factory in Ibach
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| Aktiengesellschaft | |
| Industry | Confectionery |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder | Max Josef Felchlin |
| Headquarters |
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Switzerland
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Key people
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Thomas Truttmann (CEO) |
| Products | Chocolate, baking ingredients, confectionery ingredients |
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Number of employees
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150 |
Max Felchlin AG is a company from Switzerland that makes delicious chocolate and other ingredients for baking and sweets. Their main office is in a town called Schwyz.
Contents
About Felchlin
Max Felchlin AG makes special ingredients for places like bakeries and candy shops. They sell their products to businesses in Switzerland and other countries. Their biggest customers outside Switzerland are in the USA and Japan. Felchlin is known for making high-quality chocolate. They make all their chocolate right in their factory in Schwyz.
In 2019, about 150 people worked at Felchlin. Max Felchlin AG sends its products to over 40 countries around the world. They work with other companies to deliver their goods. Max Felchlin AG is also part of a group called IG Bio.
How It Started
Early Days
A businessman named Max Josef Felchlin started a honey shop in Schwyz in 1908. He later began making chocolate in the 1920s. In 1913, he changed his business name to Honigzentrale Schwyz. This was the beginning of the company we know today.
In 1928, Felchlin moved his business to a country estate in Seewen, Schwyz. It was called Liebwylen. He kept adding more sweets and ingredients to his product list.
New Products and Growth
In 1937, Felchlin created a new kind of candy mixture called ‘Pralinosa’. This special mix is still sold today. During World War II, Felchlin made a milk powder product called Sowiso.
Max Felchlin Jr., Max Josef Felchlin's son, took over the company in 1962. Max Josef Felchlin passed away in 1970 when he was 87 years old. In 1974, the company became a public company called Max Felchlin AG. They built a new factory in Ibach, Schwyz. In 1980, the company started sending its products to Japan and the USA for the first time.
Modern Times
In 1991, Felchlin Jr. made a plan for a group of local Schwyz residents to own most of the company after he passed away. After Felchlin Jr. died in 1992, this group chose Christian Aschwanden as the new CEO.
The company moved to a new factory in Ibach in 2000. They later added a new building to bring together their product development, processing, and office work. By 2006, Felchlin was making 2,500 tons of chocolate each year. In 2008, a book about the company was published for its 100th birthday. In 2016, the famous chef Jamie Oliver visited the Felchlin chocolate factory in Schwyz. This visit was for his TV show, Jamie's Super Food.
In 2012, the company began building a new cacao roasting plant. This plant was finished in 2014. That same year, Felchlin bought more land next to their factory in Ibach. They started planning and building a new main office there. In 2018, the whole company moved into this new building complex.
In September 2022, Felchlin announced that Christian Aschwanden would leave his leadership role in 2023 after 30 years. Thomas Truttmann took over as CEO in August 2023.
What Felchlin Makes
Chocolate and Ingredients
Max Felchlin mostly sells its products in large amounts to other candy makers. For example, they supply companies like Sprüngli. Their most famous product for regular customers is the Grand Cru line. This line started in 1999 and includes the Maracaibo Clasificado 65% chocolate. Felchlin also makes special milk and white chocolates. These are made only with milk from the Entlebuch Biosphere area. They are called "Grand Cru Opus Lait de Terroir."
Training and Support
Since 1988, the company has offered training for pastry chefs and other customers. This training happens at their Condirama building in Schwyz. Many fine chocolate makers have their products made by Felchlin. The company also provides training courses, workshops, and technical help for businesses.
Grand Cru Chocolate
In 1999, Felchlin was the first Swiss chocolate maker to use the term "Grand Cru" for some of their high-quality chocolates. This means that only special cocoa beans from a specific place are used for these chocolates. Felchlin uses beans from regions where fine Criollo and Trinitario cocoa grows. These types of beans do not produce as much cocoa as other kinds. However, they are known for having a much better flavor.
Felchlin's main buyer often travels to these places to buy the cocoa directly. This shows that Max Felchlin AG is a leader in the chocolate industry when it comes to being sustainable. Many news outlets have written about this special way of working.
Awards and Recognitions
In 2004, a chocolate from Felchlin's Grand Cru line won a big award. The Maracaibo Clasificado (65%) was named the "World's Best Chocolate." This award was given by the Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiani in Italy.
See also
Images for kids
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Felchlin factory in Ibach
