Chocolat Frey
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Headquarters | Buchs, Switzerland |
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Key people
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Hans-Ruedi Christen (CEO) |
| Revenue | CHF 396 million (2015) |
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Number of employees
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1017 (2015) |
| Parent | Migros |
| Website | www.chocolatfrey.ch |
Chocolat Frey AG, based in Buchs in the Swiss Canton of Aargau, manufactures chocolate and chewing gum. The products of the leading chocolate manufacturer on the Swiss chocolate market are sold both in Switzerland and abroad under the brand name of Frey as well as additional private labels. The company, founded in 1887, is a business entreprise of the M-Industry and has been a part of the Migros Group since 1950.
Frey was founded in 1887 by the brothers Robert (31 December 1861 – 3 March 1940) and Max Frey (9 March 1863 – 17 December 1933). Both had already gained experience with the manufacture of chocolate before establishing the family business. After his training as a commercial employee with the company S.A. de la Fabrique des Chocolats Amédée Kohler et fils in Paris, Robert dealt with machines for the manufacture of chocolate in the engineering works Riccard & Greiss. Max completed his commercial apprenticeship with the company Cramer-Frey in Zurich, for which he was eventually also active in Brazil. On 17 December 1887, they founded the general partnership R. & M. Frey in Aarau. The development of the conche in 1879 advanced the industrial production of chocolate greatly. Robert was already familiar with this technique and he was able to integrate it in his company. Furthermore, from the very beginning production was carried out by electric machines.
In 1906 the firm decided to become a public company. From then on they manufactured chocolate bars and chocolate powder, but also soups and tonics. However, the latter were removed from the range of products later to focus on the manufacture of chocolate.
During the First World War the company benefited from Switzerland’s neutral position. Open customs facilitated the export of chocolate. However, the procurement of raw materials such as cocoa proved to be much more difficult. As a result of good sales prices abroad, business interruptions could be prevented. Through export, turnover could even be almost doubled, from 882,000 Swiss francs (CHF) (1916) to CHF 1,465,000 (1918). Back then the chocolate was available in Germany, France and Sweden, and later on also in England. With the end of the war exports slumped severely. Germany and France were too preoccupied with the reconstruction and were no longer trading partners, leaving only England. This forced the company to downgrade sales to the domestic market. At the beginning of the 1920s, the company teetered on the brink of collapse. Production stood still for days at a time. It was not until the economy recovered around the mid-1920s, that the Board of Directors took heart to develop the foreign market again. However, this attempt failed due to the global economic crisis. During these years Robert Frey junior (born February 18, 1901) gradually took over the company management. His father had already familiarised him with the company early on. This way he was able to ensure that the public company remained family-owned. In 1932 Robert Frey senior retired from the Board of Directors. Only one year later his brother Max Frey died aged 70.
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Wikipedia