Manufacturer of premium chocolate – from the cocoa bean to the finished bar (bean to bar)
Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG
Kilchberg (headquarters, CH) · Aachen (sales company, DE)New on Amplifa
About Lindt & Sprüngli
Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG is a globally active manufacturer of premium chocolate headquartered in Kilchberg near Zurich. The company produces its own cocoa mass from the purchased cocoa beans and thereby oversees the entire value chain, from the selection and sourcing of the beans through roasting, grinding and conching to the finished product (bean to bar). Chocolate production takes place at twelve factories in Europe and the USA; the cocoa mass factories are certified to ISO 22000. Products are sold through 41 subsidiaries and branch offices, around 650 of its own stores and approximately 100 distributors in more than 120 countries. The brand portfolio comprises Lindt, Ghirardelli, Russell Stover, Whitman's, Pangburn's, Caffarel, Hofbauer and Küfferle. With around 15,500 employees, the Group achieved revenue of CHF 5.92 billion in 2025. Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
- Site
- CH-8802 Kilchberg
- Processes
- Chocolate manufacturing / conching process (conching), Roasting of cocoa nibs, Grinding of cocoa nibs (special mills, cocoa mass production), Molding / further processing of the chocolate mass, Extrusion process (Caffarel Gianduiotto), Hazelnut roasting center (roasting of Piedmont hazelnuts), Quality controls / audits / food safety (ISO 22000), From bean to bar: own cocoa mass production
- Materials
- Cocoa (cocoa beans, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cocoa powder), Milk powder, Sugar, Hazelnuts (Piedmont hazelnuts)
- Certificates
- ISO 22000 (food safety management, cocoa mass factories Europe/USA), ISO 22000 (cocoa mass factories Europe/USA, excluding Russell Stover)
- Founded
- 1845
- Employees
- 15,500
- Industries
- Premium chocolate / confectionery, Baking & professional gastronomy (Ghirardelli), Chocolate gift items
- 01
Cocoa cultivation and sourcing (Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program)
- 02
Fermentation and drying of the cocoa beans in the country of origin
- 03
Storage in silos, cleaning by infrared treatment
- 04
Breaking and roasting of the cocoa nibs
- 05
Grinding of the nibs into cocoa mass in special mills
- 06
Mixing with ingredients (milk powder, cocoa butter), fine grinding
- 07
Conching
- 08
Molding or further processing of the chocolate mass
- 09
Distribution via subsidiaries, own retail stores and distributors
Raw Materials & Processes
Cocoa (cocoa beans, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cocoa powder)
Basic raw material of the company's own cocoa mass production, from bean to mass.
Milk powder
Main ingredient in refining the cocoa mass into chocolate.
Sugar
Central component of the chocolate recipes, among other things in the Caffarel Gianduiotto.
Hazelnuts (Piedmont hazelnuts)
Roasted in Caffarel's own roasting center and processed, among other things, for Gianduiotto.
Sites
Kilchberg
CHHeadquarters and production site
Aachen
DESales company
Horgen
CHFirst chocolate factory (historical, Schleifetobel 1847)
Berlin
DEFirst foreign subsidiary with licensed factory (1928, historical)
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate manufacturing / conching process (conching)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Cocoa, Cocoa butter, Cocoa powder, Milk powder, Sugar, Hazelnuts |
| Roasting of cocoa nibsHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Cocoa |
| Grinding of cocoa nibs (special mills, cocoa mass production)Machining | – | – | – | – | Cocoa |
| Molding / further processing of the chocolate massPlastics | – | – | – | – | Chocolate mass |
| Extrusion process (Caffarel Gianduiotto)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Cocoa, Hazelnuts, Sugar |
| Hazelnut roasting center (roasting of Piedmont hazelnuts)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Hazelnuts |
| Quality controls / audits / food safety (ISO 22000)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roasting machine (cocoa nibs, specially developed process) | – | – | – | – | Cocoa mass factories Europe/USA |
| Special mills for grinding cocoa nibs | – | – | – | – | Cocoa mass factories Europe/USA |
| Conching machine | – | – | – | – | Lindt & Sprüngli production sites |
| Silos for storing cocoa beans | – | – | – | – | Cocoa mass factories |
| Infrared treatment system (cleaning) | – | – | – | – | Cocoa mass factories |
| Hazelnut roasting center | – | 1 | – | – | Caffarel, Italy |
Additional services
Quality & Food Safety
The company's own cocoa mass factories in Europe and the USA are certified to ISO 22000 (food safety management) (excluding Russell Stover). Quality is ensured through quality controls, audits and food safety processes along the entire value chain.
| Evidence | Kilchberg |
|---|---|
| ISO 22000 (cocoa mass factories Europe/USA, excluding Russell Stover) |
History
- 1845
David Sprüngli opens a confectionery in Zurich; production of the first bar chocolate in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
- 1847
Opening of the first chocolate factory, Schleifetobel, in Horgen.
- 1859
Opening of the second confectionery at Paradeplatz in Zurich (Confiserie Sprüngli).
- 1870
Rudolf Sprüngli buys the Werdmühle factory.
- 1879
Rodolphe Lindt invents the conching process (chocolat fondant).
- 1892
Division of the Sprüngli business between the sons.
- 1899
Johann Rudolf Sprüngli buys Lindt's business; founding of Lindt & Sprüngli; new factory in Kilchberg.
- 1928
First foreign subsidiary in Berlin with a licensed factory.
- 1930
Company name Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG.
- 1994
Acquisition of Hofbauer & Küfferle.
- 1998
Acquisition of Caffarel and Ghirardelli.
- 2013
Establishment of the Lindt Cocoa Foundation and the Lindt Chocolate Competence Foundation.
- 2014
Acquisition of Russell Stover (including Whitman's and Pangburn's).
- 2025
180th anniversary; revenue CHF 5.92 bn; approx. 15,500 employees.
- 2026
Opening of the first retail store in India (New Delhi).