Hochdorf moves wheat germ production to HQ

Over the past few months the company has been busy moving its manufacturing facilities and equipment for the production of Viogerm wheat germ products from Steinhausen to Hochdorf.

The move will reduce the number of its manufacturing sites in Switzerland from three to two when the Steinhausen site is fully dismantled in spring 2011.

As the Steinhausen site, which has been used by the Hochdorf Group for 40-50 years, was a rented location and all other sites are owned by the company, Hochdorf Nutrifood manager director Vincent Lebet said the departure would cut some costs from its income sheet.

Space at Hochdorf location​

But the decision to leave the Steinhausen site was mainly motivated by the sale of some activities at the main Hochdorf location.

Lebet told BakeryandSnacks.com that at the end of 2009 the company sold off its baby food jar, fruit and vegetable jar and top cup filling businesses. Stopping these activities at Hochdorf and relocating logistics activities from the site created space sufficient to transfer the wheat germ processing business from Steinhausen.

Modernisation ​

Lebet said this has also been an opportunity to modernise facilities for its Viogerm wheat germ products. The company said a number of adjustments to buildings, logistics and production processes will create more cost-effective production. A total of 15 new jobs will also be created at Hochdorf on the back of the move.

The Viogerm products to be manufactured there are created using a gentle BRM cold-process method (the Mayer Biological Retention Process) that Hochdorf claims preserves the natural nutrients of wheat germ for longer. The ingredients developed under the brand are used in a range of food products including pastries, bread, muesli, and food supplements.

Specialised in the extraction of ingredients from raw materials like milk and wheat germ, Hochdorf has around 329 full time staff and consolidated annual gross sales of CHF 360.8m (2009).