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Hochdorf Holding

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Hochdorf Holding
ISINCH0024666528
IndustryDairy
Founded1895
HeadquartersHochdorf, Switzerland
Key people
  • Ralph Siegel (Chairman of the Executive Board and Delegate of the Board of Directors)[1][2]
  • Jürg Oleas (President of Board of Directors)[1][3]
Revenue303.5 mil. CHF(2021)[4]
Number of employees
387 (2021)[4]
Websitehochdorf.com
Share certificate worth 500 francs of the Centralschweizerische Naturmilch-Export-Gesellschaft dated July 1, 1895

Hochdorf Holding, often referred to as the Hochdorf Group, is a Swiss food company based in Hochdorf and the fourth largest dairy company in Switzerland (after Emmi, Cremo and Estavayer Lait and ahead of Züger Frischkäse).[5] As of 31 December 2021, the group of companies employed 387 people and generated a consolidated net sales of 303.5 million Swiss francs.[6] Hochdorf Holding is one of the 500 largest companies in Switzerland. Its shares have been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 17. May 2011.[7]

Production

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The Hochdorf group produces milk powder, baby food, sports and diet products and other milk-based ingredients and products. Production takes place at the Hochdorf and Sulgen sites.[8]

History

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Production site Hochdorf

The company was founded in 1895 as the 1. Centralschweizerische Natur-Milch-Exportgesellschaft (1. Central Swiss natural milk export association)[8] by 21 members of the Hochdorf cheese dairy cooperative and was renamed to Swiss Milk Company in 1899.[9]

Around 100 years later, in 2000, the company was renamed Hochdorf Nutritec AG.[9] In 2003, they acquired Multiforsa AG in Steinhausen and Schweizerische Milch-Gesellschaft AG (Swiss Milk-Association AG) in Sulgen.[10]

In 2006, the now total of seven companies, were recognized under the umbrella of Hochdorf Holding and the market presence was unified under the Hochdorf name. Multiforsa AG, which specifies in the field of animal health, was sold to Vital Holding GmbH in 2007. At the beginning of 2009, the two subsidiaries Hochdorf Nutrifood and Hochdorf Nutrition were merged.[11]

Hochdorf Nutrimedical AG was founded in 2011 and then sold in 2013.[12]

In September 2014, Hochdorf announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in the east German dairy factory Uckermärker Milch GmbH, which would be officially complete by the beginning of 2015. They also took over 26% each (block minority) in the Ostmilch Handels GmbH (which markets Uckermärker Milch products and holds the remaining 40% of its stakes) and in two associated fresh-service companies. The dry milk plant was said to receive an expansion to produce baby food for sales in Europe, Central and South American markets, which the previous Hochdorf capacities were insufficient for.[13] At the end of February 2020, Hochdorf sold its 60% stake in Uckermärker Milch GmbH to Ostmilch.[14] The milk protein plant in Medeikiai Lithuania had already been sold in 2018.[15]

At the end of 2014, Hochdorf took over the German wheat germ processor Marbacher Ölmühle in Marbach am Necker with a turnover of almost 10 million euros (2013). Marbacher Ölmühle GmbH was sold at the end of 2020.[16] In April 2018, Bimbosan AG, which specializes in baby food and is based in Welschenrohr, was taken over.[17] In 2021, the headquarters were relocated to Hochdorf and merged with HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG.[18] Production in Welschenrohr was then closed down.[19] In 2021 Bimbosan baby food made out of goat milk was introduced.[20]

At the beginning of 2019, Hochdorf took over the majority of shares (56.12 percent) in Thur Milch AG. Before 17.65 percent of the shares were already owned by Hochdorf.[21] As a consequence, a third of the suppliers quit.[22] In addition, Hochdorf still owned 51 percent of the Tunisian marketing organization Pharmalys Laboratories SA until the end of 2019.[23] In 2019, Hochdorf reported a net loss of around 271.4 million Swiss francs.[24]

In August 2021, the Hochdorf Group announced that production in Hochdorf would be phased out by the end of 2023 and more than a hundred jobs would be cut. The area in Hochdorf is to be sold and production pooled in Sulgen.[25] Group management and administration will remain in Hochdorf.[26] Eventually the Hochdorf Group and its pension fund sold the land and area in Hochdorf to the municipality for a total of CHF 60.2 million. The transaction is scheduled to be completed on 30 December 2021. The Hochdorf Group would therefore become the tenant of these properties.[27]

In September 2023, it was announced that the site in Hochdorf would be retained until 2026.[28] Then in March 2024, the company announcement that the site was to be sold.[29][30] In April 2024, it was announced that the Italian food group Newlat had acquired almost 11 percent of the share capital.[31] At the Annual General Meeting on 15 May 2024,[32][33] the current Board of Directors was confirmed for another year of office, after Newlat wanted to replace the entire Board of Directors with its own candidates.[34]

Ownership

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The main shareholder of the Hochdorf Group is Amir Mechria, the owner of Pharmalys Laboratories SA with 20%. He became the majority shareholder of the Hochdorf Group by converting three quarters of his mandatory convertible bonds.[35] Other shareholders are ZMP Invest AG (18%; a 100% subsidiary of the Zentralschweizer Milchproduzenten and majority shareholder of the largest Swiss milk processing company Emmi AG), Bermont Investments Ltd. (British Virgin Islands) (14.6%), Innovent Holding AG of the Weiss family from Wollerau (5.58%), HOCHDORF Holding AG (1.38%), Quaero Capital SA (1.14%), Credit Suisse Asset Management (Switzerland) AG (0.76%), Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (0.73%), UBS Asset Management Switzerland AG (0.33%) and Pictet Asset Management SA (0.11%).[36]

Miscellaneous

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  • In 2015 alone, the Hochdorf Group collected 11.2 million Swiss francs in state export subsidies.[37]
  • Hochdorf Holding is a member of IG Bio.[38]  

References

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  1. ^ a b "HOCHDORF Holding AG". Handelsregister des Kantons Luzern. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  2. ^ "Peter Pfeilschifter verlässt die HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG – Ralph Siegl übernimmt die CEO-Funktion". hochdorf.com. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  3. ^ "Hochdorf: Jürg Oleas wird Präsident des Verwaltungsrats". BauernZeitung. 2020-07-01. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  4. ^ a b "Erfreuliche Bilanzverbesserung und schwieriges Milchjahr". hochdorf.com. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  5. ^ "Milchverarbeiter". Swissmilk (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  6. ^ "Erfreuliche Bilanzverbesserung und schwieriges Milchjahr". www.hochdorf.com (in Swiss High German). 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  7. ^ "HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG: Share details". www.hochdorf.com. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  8. ^ a b "Wieso verpulverte Hochdorf 500 Millionen Franken für eine riskante Strategie?". diegruene.ch (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  9. ^ a b Grimm, Thorsten (2013-09-15). "Hochdorf Holding: steht 2014 vor Veränderungen im Verwaltungsrat". schweizeraktien.net. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  10. ^ "Wechselhafte Geschichte". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). 2014-06-28. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  11. ^ "Hochdorf-Gruppe setzt "strategische Fokussierung" fort". foodaktuell (in German). 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  12. ^ "HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG: Geschichte". www.hochdorf.com. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  13. ^ "Hochdorf übernimmt die Uckermärker Milch GmbH" (PDF). hochdorf.com (in German). 2014-09-22. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  14. ^ "Hochdorf verkauft Uckermärker Milch GmbH an die Ostmilch Handels GmbH". bauernzeitung.ch (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  15. ^ "Hochdorf: In die Verlustzone gerutscht". schweizeraktien.net. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  16. ^ "Hochdorf sells Marbacher Ölmühle". Dairy Industries International. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  17. ^ "BRIEF-Hochdorf Holding Takes Over Bimbosan AG". Reuters. 2018-05-24. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  18. ^ "HOCHDORF Swiss Nutrition AG". Handelsregister des Kantons Luzern. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  19. ^ "Hochdorf schliesst Welschenrohr". www.schweizerbauer.ch (in German). 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  20. ^ "Hochdorf lanciert Babynahrung aus Ziegenmilch". www.schweizerbauer.ch (in German). 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  21. ^ Borkert, Stefan (2018-11-22). "Hochdorf investiert in der Ostschweiz". Luzerner Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  22. ^ Meile, Silvan (2019-10-19). "Ein Drittel der Lieferanten hat gekündigt: Thurgauer Bauern flüchten vor Krise bei Milchverarbeiter Hochdorf". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  23. ^ "Hochdorf sells Pharmalys stake to Pharmalys Invest Holding". dairyreporter.com. 2019-12-09. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  24. ^ "Milchverarbeiter in der Krise - Hochdorf muss riesigen Verlust wegstecken". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  25. ^ "Einschätzung – Hochdorf will Fabrik schrittweise schliessen". Finanz und Wirtschaft (in German). 2021-08-31. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  26. ^ "Hochdorf: Grundstückverkauf vor Abschluss". www.schweizerbauer.ch (in German). 2021-11-15. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  27. ^ "Hochdorf: Millionen dank Areal-Verkauf". www.schweizerbauer.ch (in German). 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  28. ^ "Hochdorf: Standort Hochdorf schliesst 2026". www.schweizerbauer.ch (in German). 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  29. ^ "Verkauf von Hochdorf ist eine Option". www.schweizerbauer.ch (in German). 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  30. ^ "Schluckt Emmi Milchverarbeiter Hochdorf?". zentralplus (in Swiss High German). 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  31. ^ "Rettung? Hochdorf hat neuen Grossaktionär". www.schweizerbauer.ch (in German). 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  32. ^ "Milchverarbeiter Hochdorf vor entscheidender Generalversammlung". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  33. ^ "Milchverarbeiter unter Druck - Hochdorf-Aktionäre schmettern Kaperversuch von Newlat ab". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2024-05-15. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  34. ^ "Hochdorf: Newlat VR-Kandidat Bösiger zieht sich zurück". Schweizer Bauer. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  35. ^ "Hochdorf-Gruppe: Amir Mechria wandelt einen Teil seiner Pflichtwandelanleihe und wird grösster Hochdorf-Aktionär". bauernzeitung.ch (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  36. ^ "HOCHDORF Holding AG : Aktionäre Vorstände Geschäftsführer und Unternehmensprofil | A0MYT7 | CH0024666528 | MarketScreener". de.marketscreener.com (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  37. ^ "Umgetopfte Subventionen: Millionen fliessen weiter". Handelszeitung (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
  38. ^ "Mitglieder / Partnerschaften". Interessengemeinschaft IG BIO (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-29.
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