Max Felchlin facts for kids
Felchlin factory in Ibach
|
|
| Aktiengesellschaft | |
| Industry | Confectionery |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Founder | Max Josef Felchlin |
| Headquarters |
,
Switzerland
|
|
Key people
|
Thomas Truttmann (CEO) |
| Products | Chocolate, baking ingredients, confectionery ingredients |
|
Number of employees
|
150 |
Max Felchlin AG is a company from Schwyz, Switzerland. They make delicious chocolate and other special ingredients for baking and sweets.
Contents
About Max Felchlin
Max Felchlin AG makes special ingredients for places like sweet shops and bakeries. They sell their products to many countries around the world. Their biggest customers outside Switzerland are in the USA and Japan.
This company is known for making high-quality, fine chocolate. They make all their chocolate right in their factory in Schwyz. In 2019, about 150 people worked for Max Felchlin AG. The company sends its products to over 40 countries. Max Felchlin AG is also a member of IG Bio, a group that supports organic products.
How It All Started
From Honey to Chocolate
The story of Max Felchlin AG began in 1908. A businessman named Max Josef Felchlin opened a honey shop in Schwyz. In 1913, he changed the name of his business to Honigzentrale Schwyz. This was the very beginning of the company we know today.
By the 1920s, Max Felchlin started making chocolate too. In 1928, he moved his business to a country estate called Liebwylen in Seewen, Schwyz. There, he kept adding more sweets and ingredients to his product list.
New Creations and Growth
In 1937, Max Felchlin created a new kind of praline and nougat mix. He called it ‘Pralinosa’. This special mix is still sold today! During World War II, Felchlin also made a milk powder called Sowiso.
In 1962, Max Felchlin passed control of the company to his son, Max Felchlin Jr. Max Josef Felchlin passed away in 1970 when he was 87 years old.
Becoming a Big Company
In 1974, the company became a public limited corporation, which means it could sell shares. It was renamed Max Felchlin AG. They also built a new factory in Ibach, Schwyz. In 1980, the company started sending its products to Japan and the USA for the first time.
In 1991, Max Felchlin Jr. made sure that a group of local people from Schwyz would own most of the company after he passed away. After Max Felchlin Jr. died in 1992, Christian Aschwanden became the new CEO.
Modern Times
In 2000, the company moved to an even newer factory in Ibach. They brought all their work, like making products and managing the business, into one new building. By 2006, Felchlin was making 2,500 tons of chocolate every year!
For their 100th birthday in 2008, a book was written about the company. In 2016, the famous chef Jamie Oliver visited the Felchlin chocolate factory in Schwyz. This visit was part of his TV show, Jamie's Super Food, on Channel 4.
In 2012, the company started building a new factory just for roasting cocoa beans. This was finished in 2014. They also bought more land next to their factory in Ibach. In 2018, the whole company moved into a brand new building complex.
In September 2022, Felchlin announced that Christian Aschwanden would step down as CEO in 2023 after 30 years. Thomas Truttmann took over as the new CEO in August 2023.
What They Make
Special Chocolate for Chefs
Max Felchlin mostly sells its products in large amounts to other sweet makers, like Sprüngli. One of their most famous products is the Grand Cru line, which started in 1999. This line includes the Maracaibo Clasificado 65% chocolate. Felchlin also makes milk and white chocolates using milk only from the Entlebuch Biosphere. These are called "Grand Cru Opus Lait de Terroir."
Since 1988, the company has also offered special training for pastry chefs and other customers. This training happens at their Condirama building in Schwyz. Felchlin also helps businesses with new recipes and technical support.
The "Grand Cru" Difference
In 1999, Max Felchlin was the first Swiss chocolate maker to use the term "Grand Cru" for some of their special couvertures. Couvertures are high-quality chocolates used to make other sweets.
When Felchlin calls a chocolate "Grand Cru," it means they only use fine cocoa beans from a specific place. They use special cocoa beans called Criollo and Trinitario. These beans don't grow as much as other types, but they taste much better. Felchlin's main buyer travels to these places to buy the cocoa beans directly. This way, Max Felchlin AG is a leader in the chocolate world when it comes to being sustainable and fair. Many news stories have talked about this special way of working.
Awards and Honors
In 2004, a chocolate from Felchlin's Grand Cru line, the Maracaibo Clasificado (65%), was named the "World's Best Chocolate." This award came from the Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiani, a group of master Italian pastry chefs.
See also
