Lindt & Sprungli, the world's leading producer of premium chocolate, on June 16 unveiled a new state-of-the-art bean roasting facility at its U.S. headquarters in Stratham, N.H. The new 40,000-square foot, multi-million-dollar cocoa liquor plant provides Lindt USA with the capability to clean, roast and grind cocoa beans, and ultimately to create cocoa liquor, a key component in the chocolate production process.
The expansion allows Lindt USA to control the entire chocolate production process, from bean to finished product, at the Lindt USA manufacturing facility – a major reason why all Lindt premium chocolate is of exceptional quality. This level of control is something few chocolate manufacturers in the world have the ability to do, and ensures that with Lindt, consumers experience the ultimate chocolate taste, made from the finest ingredients.
A leader in the premium chocolate category, Lindt achieved the fastest growth of all chocolate brands in the U.S. market in 2009, along with substantial gains in market share. The new roasting facility is the latest development of Lindt USA's ongoing expansion efforts, which includes the addition of 350,000-square feet of production, packaging and distribution facility space over the last four years.
"Lindt's major investment in the U.S. production facility reinforces our commitment to the highest quality standards and our desire to accommodate the growing consumer demand for premium chocolate," said Ernst Tanner, CEO and chairman of the board of Swiss-based Lindt & Sprungli Group. "The U.S. cocoa liquor plant is another example of Lindt's ongoing passion for producing the most premium chocolate made from the finest ingredients."
Bean roasting is an integral part in developing the final flavor of premium chocolate, and Lindt always controls this process, whether in the new U.S. cocoa liquor plant, or in other Lindt manufacturing plants around the world. The expanded Lindt USA facility now makes chocolate from bean to finished product for the United States, Canada, Mexico, England and Australia using Lindt's 165-year-old Swiss recipes and quality standards. To commemorate the facility expansion, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch and the Stratham Board of Selectmen both declared June 16 as Lindt Chocolate Day in the state of New Hampshire and in the town of Stratham, N.H.
