Ibach-Schwyz, in the heart of central Switzerland, is home to the headquarters of the Felchlin chocolate factory, one of the leading companies in the production of the finest Swiss chocolate and semi-finished products and known as a niche producer of the most exquisite couvertures.

By Carmen Rist

At Felchlin, "Made with a passion for quality" has been a reality for more than a century. The passion for craftsmanship and the highest quality without compromise have stood the test of time and are the driving force behind all company processes: From cocoa cultivation to refinement, through sustainability and transparency, in fair, personal cooperation with the cocoa farmers, with renowned B2B customers and partners around the globe.

Around 180 employees ensure the highest Swiss quality and traditional production processes with passion, care and expertise. Only in this way is it possible to constantly develop the characters, aromas and intensities of the individual couvertures in an innovative and creative way.

At the company's own Condirama training center, renowned external instructors – including MOFs (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) – and highly qualified Felchlin consultants pass on their in-depth industry knowledge in courses for bakers, pastry chefs, confectioners and chocolatiers or to visitors.

Felchlin supports and promotes its cocoa farmers, the environment, education and talent in various projects. LCM Schokoladenmaschinen GmbH has been based in the south of Germany, near Lake Constance, for over 20 years. LCM develops and manufactures high-quality tempering and coating machines, cooling tunnels and chocolate dissolvers in its own factory.

The family business with 24 employees is characterized by its high quality in consulting, planning and processing and by its excellent service. The focus is on the customer, whose everyday work is made easier by high-quality machines for chocolate processing, with consistent chocolate quality in the work process.

The two companies, Felchlin and LCM, are not only united by their commitment to quality, but also by 22 years of cooperation from which the customers of both companies benefit.

Felchlin sets new standards in 2018 with the construction of its new 'Condirama' training center, which has been in existence since 1988. The aim and motivation is to train, promote and network international specialists in the confectionery sector in order to enable the development and implementation of new, extraordinary recipes and to set creative processes in motion.

Machine work is also an important aspect of this and Felchlin is also setting clear standards here: The employees at Condirama are working intensively on LCM machines.

Two LCM enrobing machines and a TWINTemper with various accessories are available at Condirama for courses, training, product development and test runs. The experience gained in the Condirama is used by LCM to further develop the machines for its customers.

Yves-Alain Braichet, Head of Condirama and technical consultant, explains "It was a stroke of luck for us to find a company like LCM to cooperate with. Both companies have benefited over the last two decades, which has ultimately benefited our joint customers and can continue to do so."

Markus Leute, Managing Partner of LCM, explains "We at LCM have also benefited as a company from the experience of the experts at Condirama. The practical exchange of experience has supported us in the development of the machines and continues to do so." At Condirama, tests are carried out with different types of chocolate and individual customer products on LCM machines, the results of which are incorporated into the development of the LCM machines.

The two companies, Felchlin and LCM, place the customer at the center of their work and agree that despite the advantages for the companies themselves, the customer should and has the greatest benefit from this cooperation.

LCM customers, or those who want to become customers, regularly visit Felchlin at Condirama. Their own products are coated with LCM machines there by the experts from Felchlin. LCM interested parties therefore have the opportunity to test LCM machines with their own products and at the same time receive professional advice and expertise from Felchlin on the manufacturing process, possible alternatives or simplifications for machine work.

Employees of the Lindenhof Foundation in Oftringen, Switzerland, a 4-generation home and health center, were recently on site to have various LCM machine models demonstrated to them. Various products from the Lindenhof Foundation were covered with LCM machines that afternoon.

Carole Vogt, Deputy Head of Gastronomy, explains "For us, the day at Max Felchlin AG in Ibach was very interesting, as well as instructive on how to work with LCM machines. We were able to gain an insight into how we can work even more efficiently with the LCM machines. The technical training also gave us a lot of practical tips. The decision to add a second LCM machine to our production has been simplified by this day. We can only warmly recommend this day, which Max Felchlin AG and LCM made possible for us.