History Stollwerck

franz stollwerck

in 1839 baker franz stollwerck started business in cologne, germany. diversified chocolate , other candy, having particular success cough drops. local pharmacists requested prevented selling such medicinal items in 1845, rejected. business flourished in germany , opened 2 coffee houses in cologne. 1 of these briefly converted music hall before becoming chocolate , candy factory in 1860s. in 1871 sons registered separate company gebrüder stollwerck (stollwerck brothers) merged original company in 1876, after death of franz stollwerck.

stollwerck vending machine, 1887



preferred share of gebrüder stollwerck ag, issued 17. july 1902

stollwerck s 5 sons expanded business multinational corporation plants in europe , america. second youngest of brothers, ludwig stollwerck instrumental in introducing new technology including first vending machines in 1887. these used sell small samples of chocolate, immediate popularity meant used sell entire bars. in 1893 stollwerck selling chocolate in 15,000 vending machines. set separate companies in various territories manufacture vending machines sell not chocolate, cigarettes, matches, chewing gum , soap products. 1890 cologne works alone had 1500 staff.

stollwerck turned focus exporting products. subsidiaries formed in england, belgium , austria-hungary. in 1894 stollwerck founded volkmann, stollwerck & company in usa, in partnership german businessman john volkmann produce vending machines in factory in new york. 1890s there on 4,000 of vending machines on new york train stations. became leading manufacturer of cinematographs. in 1902 company went public, world war brought stollwerck s rapid expansion halt.

in 1927 karl stollwerck built stollwerck mausoleum in upper bavaria, rare combination of protestant church , family burial chamber.

costly acquisitions , global economic downturn of great depression devastated stollwerck s finances. had rescued deutsche bank in 1930s, marked end of family ownership.

in second world war food rationing , scarcity of cocoa drastically reduced firm s market.

from post war period present

after second world war firm left damaged factories , of manufacturing equipment expropriated reparations. restarted production in 1949 , fared moderately in face of intense competition in 1950s , 1960s. finances worsened until 1972, when hans imhoff bought company , guided great success chocolate manufacturer plants in germany , abroad, directly competing long-established brands such sarotti.

after reunification of germany, stollwerck invested in former east germany, buying thuringian chocolate factory gmbh in saalfeld, makers of rotstern brand chocolate , german democratic republic s largest chocolate producer.

stollwerck opened chocolate factory in székesfehérvár, hungary in 1995 , became market leader. achieved similar success in poland , russia.

in 1993 imhoff-stollwerck chocolate museum opened in rheinauhafen, cologne exhibit items stollwerck s history , history , science of chocolate making.

in 1998 stollwerck acquired sarotti nestlé.

in 2001 hans imhoff retired , stollwerck sold eastern european subsidiaries kraft foods.

in 2002 stollwerck sold barry callebaut ag, world s largest chocolate company, bought public shares , ceased production @ parent factory in cologne, leaving administrative functions there.

in 2011 barry callebaut sold stollwerck baronie group of veurne, belgium.

in 2011 stollwerck had 5 factories in belgium, germany , switzerland , employed 1700 staff. annual production around 100,000 tonnes of chocolate.