The traditional Swiss chocolate factory produces chocolate and confectionery in Flawil under the brands Munz, Minor, Avelines and Chocolat Ammann.
Maestrani Schweizer Schokoladen AG
CH-9230 Flawil (Headquarters, Production, Chocolarium)New on Amplifa
About Maestrani
Maestrani Schweizer Schokoladen AG is a family-owned company founded in 1852 and headquartered in Flawil, Switzerland. The company produces and distributes Swiss chocolate and confectionery products – exclusively at the Flawil site – with a range of over 300 products and an annual production of around 3,500 tonnes. Its house brands include Munz, Minor, Avelines and Chocolat Ammann; in export markets, products are sold exclusively under the Maestrani name. The product range comprises bar chocolate (including organic and kosher variants), chocolate sticks, pralines, chocolate marshmallow kisses, caramel and jelly products. In addition to classic distribution via the retail trade, the company offers B2B promotional chocolate with customization for businesses. Since 2017, the Chocolarium visitor experience, with an interactive tour, demonstration production and shop, has been attached to the production site.
- Site
- CH-9230 Flawil
- Processes
- Chocolate manufacturing (chocolate production), Praline production (praline/praline speciality, Avelines brand), Chocolate marshmallow kiss production (Chocolat Ammann, production line relocated to Flawil), Organic chocolate production, Promotional chocolate / customization for companies (B2B), Chocolarium visitor experience with interactive tour, Chocolarium shop
- Materials
- Chocolate, Hazelnuts, Caramel, Jelly, Banana (filling)
- Certificates
- climate neutral label (Myclimate), Certificate for near-natural landscape design, Climate neutral label (myclimate), Natur & Wirtschaft certificate
- Founded
- 1852
- Employees
- approx. 160 (accordi
- Industries
- Chocolate and confectionery industry, Tourism/visitor experience, B2B promotional products
- 01
Raw material procurement (cocoa, hazelnuts and more)
- 02
Chocolate manufacturing
- 03
Praline/filling production
- 04
Processing (bars, sticks, pralines, chocolate marshmallow kisses)
- 05
Packaging
- 06
Distribution (retail trade, B2B promotional chocolate)
Ingredients & Manufacturing Processes
Chocolate
Base material for all products, from bar chocolate to pralines.
Hazelnuts
Characteristic filling and addition, especially for the Minor brand.
Caramel
Filling for Munz caramel products.
Jelly
Fruity filling component of the Munz product family.
Banana (filling)
Flavoured filling of the well-known Munz chocolate banana.
Sites
Flawil
CHHeadquarters, production site, Chocolarium visitor experience
- Lot size
- Large-scale series (consumer goods production)
- Materials
- Chocolate, hazelnuts, caramel, jelly
- Chocolate production lines (including the line taken over from Chocolat Ammann)
- Demonstration production at the Chocolarium
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate manufacturing (chocolate production)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Chocolate |
| Praline production (praline/praline speciality, Avelines brand)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Chocolate |
| Chocolate marshmallow kiss production (Chocolat Ammann, production line relocated to Flawil)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Chocolate |
| Organic chocolate productionPlastics | – | – | – | – | Chocolate |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate production line | Chocolat Ammann AG (acquired) | – | – | – | Flawil (relocated from Heimberg) |
| Chocolate manufacturing machines (demonstration production at the Chocolarium) | – | – | – | 2017 | Flawil |
Additional services
Quality & Sustainability
The company has been awarded the "climate neutral" label by the myclimate Foundation and received the certificate for near-natural landscape design from the Natur & Wirtschaft Foundation in 2021. Maestrani is a member of IG Bio.
| Evidence | Flawil |
|---|---|
| Climate neutral label (myclimate) | |
| Natur & Wirtschaft certificate |
History
- 1852
Aquilino Maestrani founds his chocolate factory in Lucerne.
- 1859
Relocation to St. Gallen.
- 1875
New production building in eastern St. Gallen due to capacity overload.
- 1880
Death of the founder; sons Ludovico, Roberto and Savino continue to run the company.
- 1884/1885
Acquisition of a former spinning mill in St. Georgen and relocation of production there.
- 1887-1897
Branch in Bregenz.
- 1912
The company receives its current name Maestrani Schweizer Schokoladen AG; purveyor to the court of Italian King Umberto I.
- 1923
Restructuring by trustee Jakob Guyer on behalf of the creditor bank.
- 1936
Launch of the Minor brand.
- 1987
World's first chocolate company to produce organic chocolate.
- 1997/1998
Acquisition of Munz AG in Flawil; company headquarters relocated there.
- 2003/2004
Relocation of the entire production from St. Georgen to Flawil.
- 2008
Export exclusively under the Maestrani name.
- 2017
Opening of the Chocolarium visitor experience in Flawil.
- 2021
Christoph Birchler becomes CEO; rebranding of Maestrani bar chocolate to Munz (two-brand strategy).
- 2022
170th anniversary; cooperation with Favarger and founding of Avelines Chocolats SA (acquisition of Avelines).
- 2025
Acquisition of Chocolat Ammann AG (chocolate marshmallow kisses), relocation of production from Heimberg to Flawil and closure of the Heimberg site; acquisition of Belgian praline manufacturer Delafaille with subsidiary Ostrapack.
- 2026
Minor celebrates its 90th anniversary.