It all began in 1845 when David Sprüngli-Schwarz and his son Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann produced the first solid bar of chocolate in the German-speaking part of Switzerland in their little confectionery shop in Zurich’s old town. The product, marketed under the name “David Sprüngli et fils”, was an instant success.
After only two years, in 1847, the confectioner and his son decided to move their chocolate production from their bakery in Zurich's old town to a small factory in Horgen with a direct water supply, on the upper end of Lake Zurich. They employed ten workers to ensure sufficient production.
In 1859, David Sprüngli expanded his business and opened a second confectionery shop on Paradeplatz in Zurich – the famous Confiserie Sprüngli that is still there to this day. Three years later, David Sprüngli died at 86 and his son Rudolf Sprüngli took over the business.
1879: The invention of the conche
In the year 1879, Rodolphe Lindt, the son of a pharmacist, purchased two fire-damaged factories and some obsolete machinery near Berne. He intended to make chocolate. The 24-year-old had completed his apprenticeship as a confectioner in Lausanne. At the time, chocolate was a brittle, rough, and somewhat bitter substance that was laboriously pressed into molds by hand.
Rodolphe's brother August, a pharmacist like his father, suggested that the extra liquid in the chocolate paste that crystallized with the sugar should be extracted during the refinement process. So Rodolphe Lindt invented the “conche” and after letting the chocolate mass roll continuously for three days and nights, he discovered something completely new. The chocolate was a dark silky, smooth mass which could be poured into molds without the least difficulty and had a matt silk sheen. Most importantly, it melted on the tongue, unlike other chocolate that had to be chewed. Rodolphe Lindt dubbed his new creation chocolate fondant – melting chocolate.
With this invention, Rodolphe Lindt was the first chocolatier ever to produce chocolate as we know it today. Lindt’s melting chocolate was instrumental in establishing the worldwide reputation of quality Swiss chocolate.
Until shortly before the end of the 19th century, Sprüngli was still a small chocolate factory in Horgen and a patisserie on both Marktgasse and what is today known as the Paradeplatz in Zurich. In 1892, Rudolf Sprüngli-Ammann retired from his confectionery business and when he arranged for his sons to take over, he laid the foundation for the two independent companies "Sprüngli" and "Lindt & Sprüngli". The Sprüngli companies, the chocolate factory and confectionery shops, were divided between his two sons: The younger, David Robert, became the owner of the confectionery shops on Marktgasse and Paradeplatz, while the older brother, Johann Rudolf Sprüngli-Schifferli, received the chocolate factory in Horgen from his father.
Johann Rudolf was a visionary and an adventurous entrepreneur. He expanded the factory and moved it from Horgen to Werdmühle, equipping it with the most modern facilities available at the time. To raise the necessary funds, he transformed his private chocolate company into “Chocolat Sprüngli AG” and met with his investors for the first time in 1898.
Recognizing that the Werdmühle site would not allow room for further expansion, Johann Rudolf sought and found suitable land in Kilchberg on Lake Zurich. The new, larger factory was completed in 1899 and has been the main site of the company ever since.
1899: The merger of Lindt and Sprüngli
At the same time, Johann Rudolf Sprüngli-Schifferli acquired the small but famous chocolate company “Rod. Lindt & sons” founded by Rodolphe Lindt in Berne. He bought the company and the brand for 1.5 million gold francs (equivalent to about CHF 100 million today). This bold move gave Johann Rudolf's young company access not only to the factory, but also to the secret conching process. As a result, Johann Rudolf changed the company’s name to “Aktiengesellschaft Vereinigte Berner und Zürcher Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli”. From then on, the two world-renowned, independent companies "Sprüngli" and "Lindt & Sprüngli" officially existed.
During the first two decades of the 20th century, the Swiss chocolate industry experienced an incredible expansion, especially in export markets. Lindt & Sprüngli played a powerful role in this boom, which continued throughout the First World War. By 1915, the company was exporting about three-quarters of its production to twenty different countries around the world. Despite difficult conditions, Lindt & Sprüngli incorporated in the New York State in 1925, established its first subsidiary in Berlin with a factory for licensed production in 1928, and opened a subsidiary in England in 1932.
Between 1920 and 1945, the company faced almost unimaginable challenges. Global protectionism and the depressions of the 1920s and 1930s led to progressive losses in all foreign markets. As a result, it became necessary to reorganize and concentrate on the slowly growing Swiss market. For this specific market, the chocolate bars Lindt Cream and Lindt Milk bars were launched. This was an innovative milestone, as until 1934 the Lindt brand had only been used for the classic dark chocolate made according to Rodolphe Lindt’s original recipe. In 1930, the company name was changed to "Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG".
After World War II, demand for chocolate exploded, first within the home market and later abroad. The challenge now was to replace the aging factory, which had been heavily used in times of crisis and war. The new goal was to expand the now cramped premises to keep pace with the sudden increase in demand and market expansion.
As for subsidiaries, pre-war efforts to establish operations abroad had failed, with the exception of the subsidiary in England. After World War II, however, successful licensing agreements were signed in Italy in 1947 with S.A. A. Bulgheroni & Figli, in Germany in 1950, and in France in 1954.
1949-1967: Famous Lindt products see the light of day
Not only do sales skyrocket during this period. The company is also constantly developing new, innovative products:
In 1949, the LINDOR bar with its smooth-melting filling is created.
In 1952, the famous Lindt GOLD BUNNY hopped into Easter baskets for the first time.
In 1967, the success story of the LINDOR truffle began, originally intended as a Christmas tree ornament.
To this day, these three innovations stand for Lindt & Sprüngli’s global success and reputation.
The growth in Switzerland continued to progress. In 1961, Chocolat Grison in Chur was acquired, followed in 1971 by Nago Nährmittel AG in Olten and the Gubor chocolate factory in Langenthal.
In 1972, the company developed and introduced the Lindt & Sprüngli Chocolate Process (LSCP). This was the most significant improvement in the manufacturing process since the invention of the “conche”. Not only did it ensure the quality of the product, but it also required less energy and space than the dozens of conches used until then.
1977-1986: Expansion of licenses and initial public offering
In 1977, the acquisition of a majority stake in the French licensee CFC Consortium Français de Confiserie marked a significant step in the development of an international group. Lindt & Sprüngli took over all existing licensing businesses and founded its own subsidiaries. In 1981, Lindt y Sprüngli (España) was founded in Spain; in 1986, the minority interest in the German company was converted into a wholly-owned subsidiary; and in 1988, Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli GmbH was founded in Aachen, Germany. Lindt & Sprüngli (USA) Inc., founded in New York in 1925, was reactivated and a production site and administration building were opened in Stratham, NH in 1986. Another subsidiary was established in Hong Kong and in 1989, Lindt & Sprüngli S.A. in France was integrated into the Group as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
1986 was not only a great year in the Group's expansion, it also marked another milestone in Lindt & Sprüngli’s history: the shares of Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG were listed on the Swiss stock exchange for the first time.
In 1993, the acquisition of former licensees was completed with the takeover of long-time licensee Bulgheroni SpA in Induno Olona, Italy, which was renamed to “Lindt & Sprüngli SpA”. The establishment of subsidiaries around the world continued in the late 1990s in Poland, Canada, and Australia.
In 1993, Ernst Tanner was elected CEO of Lindt & Sprüngli and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. In 1994, he succeeded Rudolph R. Sprüngli as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
In 1994, Lindt & Sprüngli (Austria) Ges.m.b.H. was founded in Salzburg, and later that year relocated to Vienna when the well-known Viennese confectionery companies Hofbauer and Küfferle were acquired and integrated into the Austrian Lindt & Sprüngli subsidiary.
Due to the strong growth of the Lindt & Sprüngli Group, and to meet the requirements of international expansion, the Group’s structure was redesigned, and a holding company based in Kilchberg was established in 1994. With this step, all companies became wholly-owned subsidiaries of Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG. The former parent and manufacturing company in Kilchberg thus was renamed Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli (Schweiz) AG.
In 1997 and 1998, further steps were taken in the company’s geographic expansion program, with the goal of becoming the world leader in the premium quality chocolate segment in all markets. Two such milestones were the acquisition of the traditional chocolate manufacturer Caffarel in Turin, Italy, as well as the establishment of a new subsidiary in Australia in 1997, which took over distribution and sales activities throughout the region.
1998: Expansion in the North American market
In January 1998, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in San Francisco, USA, was acquired. This marked the beginning of a significant expansion in North America, the world’s largest chocolate market.
1998: Lindt Master Chocolatiers represent the Lindt brand
Also in 1998, the Lindt Master Chocolatiers became ambassadors of the Lindt brand. Not only do the Lindt Master Chocolatiers appear in our advertisements around the world, they are also the creative experts behind each Lindt creation with their profound expertise and genuine passion for chocolate.
High quality cocoa is the heart of our chocolate. It is our most important raw material, and we are committed to sourcing it responsibly. That's why we developed our own sustainability program for cocoa in 2008, the Lindt & Sprüngli Farming Program.
The Farming Program is aimed at three main outcomes: increasing the resilience of farming households, reducing the risk of child labor, and conserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems. We aim to achieve this by facilitating higher productivity of farms, farmer premiums, access to finance, diversified household incomes, community development and improved infrastructure.
Since 2020, 100% of the cocoa beans we source have been traceable and externally verified by an independent third party, the Earthworm Foundation. Our goal is to source 100% of all our cocoa, i.e. also cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate mass, through our own Farming Program or other sustainability programs by 2025 (in 2023, we have reached more than 72%).
In 2013, the Lindt Cocoa Foundation was established with the purpose of working to achieve social and ecological sustainability in the cultivation process of cocoa beans. In the same year the Lindt Chocolate Competence foundation is founded and aims to sustain, cultivate and promote Switzerland’s long-term standing as a business location for chocolate and further strengthen Swiss chocolate-making expertise. The Foundation’s aim is the non-profit promotion of science and research, education, culture, and information to the public about chocolate.
2009-2014: The start of Global Retail and a popular ambassador
The expansion of the global distribution of Lindt products through our own retail network was another achievement in Lindt & Sprüngli’s history. Since its establishment in 2009, the Global Retail division has offered an exceptional brand and chocolate experience to visitors around the world and has been an important growth driver for the entire Lindt & Sprüngli Group.
In 2009, Lindt’s popularity grew even more when tennis star Roger Federer became Lindt brand ambassador. Lindt and Roger Federer are a perfect match, as both share important core values such as quality, passion, and Swissness.
In 2014, Lindt & Sprüngli acquired the American chocolate manufacturer Russell Stover with its brands Whitman’s and Pangburn’s as an ideal addition to the Group’s portfolio.
Lindt & Sprüngli today
Lindt & Sprüngli has been enchanting the world with chocolate for over 175 years. The traditional Swiss company with its roots in Zurich is a global leader in the premium chocolate category. Lindt & Sprüngli produces quality chocolates today at its 12 own production sites in Europe and the USA. They are sold by 36 subsidiaries and branch offices, as well as via a network of more than 100 independent distributors around the globe. In addition, Lindt & Sprüngli runs around 520 own shops.
