Pfanni facts for kids
Pfanni is a German food company. It makes many different potato products. These include things like mashed potatoes, dumplings, and gnocchi! Pfanni is now part of a bigger company called Unilever. Its main office is in Stavenhagen, Germany.
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The Story of Pfanni
Pfanni started a long time ago. Werner Eckart founded the company on September 2, 1949. This happened in the city of Munich, Germany. Werner's father had already been making preserved foods since 1868.
The company grew very fast. By 1964, Pfanni made over 50 million German Marks. This money is called "turnover" and shows how much the company sold. The next year, in 1965, their turnover grew to 80 million Marks!
At that time, Pfanni had 1,300 workers. They used about 150,000 tons of potatoes every year. That's a lot of potatoes!
Changes in Ownership
In 1993, Pfanni was sold to a company called CPC Germany. This company later changed its name to Bestfoods Corporation. Another well-known brand, Knorr, also belonged to Bestfoods.
Then, in 2000, a very large company called Unilever bought Bestfoods. This meant Pfanni became part of Unilever. Today, Unilever still sells many Pfanni potato products. These include raspeball (potato balls), dumpling dough, mashed potato, and gnocchi. They even make bread dumplings!
Pfanni's Old Factory Site
After Pfanni moved its main operations, its huge old factory in Munich changed. This area was in the Berg am Laim district. In 1996, it became a fun place for nightlife and parties. It was called Kunstpark Ost.
This area had more than 30 dance clubs! Some famous clubs there were Ultraschall and KW – Das Heizkraftwerk. From 2003 to 2016, new people managed the party area. They called it Kultfabrik.
The Potato Museum
In the same year the party area opened, a special museum also started. It's called the Potato Museum! It is located on the old factory grounds in Munich. The museum gets its money from the Otto Eckart Foundation. Otto Eckart is the son of Pfanni's founder. He used to be the boss of Pfanni before it was sold. Now, he leads the foundation that helps the museum.
Where Pfanni Is Now
Today, Pfanni's main office is in Stavenhagen. This city is in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. There is also another Pfanni factory in Cloppenburg, which is in Lower Saxony. This factory was bought from another food company. Its production later moved to Addrup.
The Pfanni Tower
In the Cloppenburg area, there is a tall tower. It is 76 meters (about 250 feet) high! This tower reminds people of Pfanni. It was built in 1963 for a different company. That company stopped making food in 1965.
Later, Pfanni took over the factory. The tall tower was used for drying food. It was renamed the "Pfanni Tower." Now, it is a well-known symbol of the city of Cloppenburg!
