Lindt has expanded its bean-to-bar facility in Stratham, New Hampshire, US. It can produce 450 chocolate bars and 7,200 truffles per minute.
Chocolate has been produced here, at Swiss company Lindt & Sprungli’s sole manufacturing facility in the US, since 1989. But the plant didn’t have the capability to roast and grind beans to chocolate liquor and importing it became too expensive.
A five-year expansion culminated in the company’s inauguration of its new 40,000-square-foot bean roasting and cocoa liquor facility.
Lindt can produce 7,200 truffles and 450 bars per minute at the facility. 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.
The company has also named a new vice president of operations. Robert Michalski will be based at the Lindt USA headquarters in Stratham and be responsible for all manufacturing, distribution, engineering, logistics and demand planning for Lindt USA.
Michalski has more than 25 years of experience in the food and beverage business. Prior to joining Lindt in June 2010, Michalski previously worked for M&M/Mars and Cadbury Italy.
