Member of the month April 2016 - Maestrani Swiss Chocolates Ltd

How it all began

Originally from Aquila in the southern Swiss canton Ticino, Aquilino Maestrani learnt the art of chocolate making in the Lombardy region. In 1852, he moved to Lucerne and opened a business there. Seven years later, in 1859, economic considerations prompted him to relocate to St. Gallen, where for over 100 years the company produced chocolate at various locations in this eastern Swiss town, ultimately in its St. Georgen quarter. In 1998, Maestrani Swiss Chocolates Ltd took over the Munz chocolate factory in the nearby town of Flawil and built new production facilities there. The relocation of all production activities to the Toggenburgerstrasse factory in Flawil was completed in 2003.

 

A pioneer in the organic and Fairtrade segment

Maestrani started producing organic and Fairtrade chocolate in the eighties and may justly be termed a pioneer in this field. Markus Vettiger, the company CEO since 2006, is convinced that enduring success must be based on more than "just" purely for-profit management principles. Environmentally and socially beneficial projects have hence been an integral element of company operations for many years now, and sustainability has been a cornerstone of the company's strategic orientation since the beginning of 2011.

 

A commitment to sustainability 

Maestrani is one of the few Swiss SMEs that present sustainability reports. Last year, the company published its second sustainability report, drawn up and certified in accordance with the principles of the Global Reporting Initiative GRI. The report documents Maestrani's achievements in the sustainability field. A great deal of progress has been made since the first report was published in 2012: the company has been certified to environmental standard ISO 14001, and since last year the CO2 impact of the Maestrani bar line has been offset by joint projects with myclimate.

 

The Chocolarium – underlining Maestrani's commitment to Flawil

Maestrani is currently building a new chocolate experience world. It is scheduled to open its doors to the public in April 2017 – as a fantastic 2,000-square-metre visitor centre with many attractions, a shop, a bistro and additional parking places. The name of this enticingly chocolate-themed excursion destination: "Maestrani's Chocolarium". The company is investing some 10 million Swiss francs in the project, which represents a clear-cut commitment to Flawil as the home of Maestrani and the site where all the company's approximately 400 chocolate specialities are manufactured under the brand names Maestrani, Minor and Munz.

Maestrani, Minor, Munz