Innovation is not a coincidence – it is a decision. It is created where people are curious, question things and have the courage to persevere in breaking new ground. It is precisely this pioneering spirit that has made Emmi what we are today – and what will make the difference going forward.
A pioneering spirit has made Emmi great
Our heritage has been shaped by entrepreneurship and ingenuity for over 100 years. We have always inspired new moments of indulgence and created new occasions – Comella, Gerber, Aktifit, Emmi Caffè Latte, Good Day and many more. We have entered new markets and joined forces with pioneers – Kaiku in Spain, Mexideli in Mexico, Laticínios Porto Alegre or Verde Campo in Brazil, Quillayes in Chile, Vitalait in Tunisia, Cypress Grove, Meyenberg and Roth in the US and, of course, our dessert innovators in Italy, the US and most recently in France, England, Belgium and the Netherlands. Pioneering spirit reflects not only in products and markets. We are also constantly reinventing ourselves at our production sites – with bold ideas from the idea box, innovative packaging and, through close collaboration with our dairy suppliers, setting new standards for sustainable dairy farming.
Why we need more pioneers than ever before today
The world has never been so dependent on pioneers as it is today – given the great upheavals and tech -
nological leaps we are experiencing. The world is changing rapidly – and so are the expectations of our consumers. At Emmi, it’s in our own hands: if we spot and pick up on trends, we can help shape the future – and remain pioneers.
Innovation starts with all of us
Innovation doesn’t happen by itself. It is not the best universities or the biggest companies that drive progress – it is the people who consciously choose to do so. Today, each of us can embody a little more pioneering spirit. It starts on a small scale:
• with a good question,
• with a courageous idea,
• with a word of encouragement or a supportive action
• and with a lot of perseverance and passion.
Let’s stay pioneers together
The first Link issue in 2025 is dedicated to the topic of innovation. I wish you a lot of joy in reading and thank you for exploring new paths and creating our future with curiosity, openness and perseverance. We are the people who define Emmi’s pioneering spirit. After all, it’s not the best universities or the biggest companies that drive innovation – it’s people like us. And that’s exactly what makes me so optimistic and excited for the future.
Ricarda Demarmels CEO Emmi Group
Growing together as a team
The Management Practice Programme 2024 saw four interdisciplinary teams from different countries and Emmi companies aiming to “reach new heights together”.
Interest in the travel reports from the four teams was high: With more than 50 guests, the room at Emmi’s headquarters was filled to capacity. Members of Group Management, internal and external coaches, managers and former graduates of the Management Practice Programme all came to the Emmi headquarters in Lucerne (Switzerland) at the end of January 2025.
In the past, Emmi Group Management had dealt intensively with the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in their strategy workshops. They consider it to harbour significant opportunities for Emmi to improve its quality of work, accelerate workflows and productivity, and promote innovation. Sending 16 tal -
“There are a variety of wonderful and unique Champions at Emmi who are interested in developing you as a human being and a manager. ”
ented managers on a ten-month journey of discovery seemed to be the ideal task. Their aim was to find out how Emmi could use AI responsibly and purposefully in the future.
Focusing on the personal development of each individual
Equipped with an individual briefing, each group set off on its journey. Some were tasked with presenting an overarching perspective of AI, others with a view to the market as well as value creation and continuous improvement, and others still with a focus on people. Alongside specific project work, the Management Practice Programme promotes the personal development of its participants by putting them into an intercultural team and having them work together. To enable the four symbolic balloons to take to the skies, individual strengths, abilities and knowledge had to be determined first.
Sustainable action comes from those who feel secure
All groups presented their results with confidence and a great deal of preparation in Lucerne, and the project participants handled questions brilliantly from the panel, with the majority coming from members of Group Management. The 16 participants also reported that their journey had not only been exciting, but had taken a lot of time, energy and nerve – with many getting personal and some emotional. All presentations shared a high entertainment value. Some showed a video clip of their journey – AI-generated, of course – in which any similarities between AI members and coaches were “purely coincidental”. Others recalled their time at the (imaginary) campfire in the form of a role play where they were giving each other feedback. Other balloonists talked about →
“ The most enjoyable aspect was bonding through extra-program activities like skiing, socializing, and networking, which strengthened team cohesion and relationships. ”
Remco van Gastel, Supply Chain Director, from Bettinehoeve, Netherlands
Team with Winnie Marie Fuchs, Marina Niederberger (both Switzerland), Jacopo Piromalli (Italy) and Marc Wickham (United Kingdom)
Jacopo Piromalli, Planning Manager Supply Chain, Emmi Dessert Italia, with Winnie Marie Fuchs, Project Manager Corporate Development, Emmi, Switzerland
Team with Miriam Haupt (Switzerland), Alejandra Miranda (Chile), Christian Eisenacher (Germany) und Remco van Gastel (Netherlands)
the importance of psychological security, vulnerability and inclusiveness during the project, summarising that we can only act sustainably if we feel secure. Others decided that competence alone was not enough to make the balloon fly. Trust, courage in the face of conflicts, clear responsibilities and a focus on results are needed.
“Different people from different countries or departments are used to different ways of working together. It is important to build on the strengths of every colleague instead of trying to make everyone work in the same way ”
“It starts with us”
What began as a group journey ended as a journey to oneself. The idea that it starts with each individual came up again and again. In this way, everyone acknowledged that they had put their individual experiences into practice. Feedback culture was a recurring theme: How do I give and receive feedback? And how did I learn to trust the person giving the feedback? In private, we heard that the teams had grown together. Mutual visits and hard work on the subject gave birth to friendships – even beyond the project itself.
“For constructive collaboration, occasional disagreement is also necessary. With trust in the team, this leads to better solutions; without trust, there is a risk of conflicts. ”
Management Practice Programme
The Management Practice Programme is geared towards employees in middle management anywhere within the Emmi Group and is held every two years. In groups of three and four, they work on a project that has been chosen by Group Management. The programme mainly focuses on the personal and professional development of the participants. The results of the projects are intended to be implemented accordingly in the business. You can find out more about the Management Practice Programme on EmmiNet. In the 4/2024 edition of “Link”, we reported about how AI is already able to support your work at Emmi.
Text Carsten Glose Photos André Scheidegger
Team with Heather Engwall (US), Alejo Suarez (Spain), Nadine Wyss, Michel Baumgartner (both Switzerland)
Team with Eszter Kata Davies, Thaddäus Perrot (both Switzerland), Anna Beatriz Dias Carneiro (Brasil) and Jared Fischer (US)
Anna Beatriz Dias Carneiro, Gerente Comercial Nacional, from Laticínios Porto Alegre, Brazil
Heather Engwall, Vice President Marketing, Emmi Roth, USA
CEO RICARDA DEMARMELS
“Only when everyone brings their full passion something truly great can emerge.”
Emmi achieved a good result in 2024. “We are working on the right priorities,” says CEO Ricarda Demarmels. In 2025, Emmi will once again focus on seizing opportunities and take it to the next level with the ‘power of X’.
Ricarda, you are clearly very enthusiastic about innovation. Where do you get that feeling from?
I'm excited about innovation because it changes and improves the world – and because it always starts with human beings and curiosity. The question that drives me is: How can we make things better? How can we create real added value? All food trends happen in the dairy aisle. The next decade belongs to the milk. Standing still is not an option – pushing bold ideas and making innovations a reality together with committed teams gives me a tremendous amount of energy and is fulfilling for me.
How do you look back on 2024?
I am pleased to see that after two years of declining volumes and flat organic sales growth in the first half of the year, we reached a turning point in 2024. This is a strong joint achievement, with all divisions, all strategic markets and three strategic niches contributing to this success. We were able to gain market shares in all key countries with our biggest brand Emmi Caffè Latte. I am proud that we won 25 medals at the World Cheese Awards. This is a recognition for all our employees, especially for the incredible effort and commitment of our colleagues in our production sites, who have perfected the art of cheese making that goes back centuries. Incidentally, with this year’s awards taking place in Switzerland, we’ll have a home match. We look forward to an exciting competition and can’t wait to see how many medals Emmi will win in 2025.
Let’s take a look ahead. Last year, we focused on seizing opportunities and growth by “Growing Together”. What are the next steps?
Our plan for 2024 was to grow: with important customers and partners in the market, as winning teams and each and every as individuals. With the firm believe that we are working on the right priorities and knowing that we have not achieved all our goals, we will continue adhering to our “Growing together” aspiration in 2025. We’re putting our market orientation at the heart of what we’re doing with “to the power of X”. “X” stands for clarity – a crucial driver for successful collaboration and growth at every level.
Why are market orientation and clarity so important?
Profitable growth is the only way that we can shape our future. Market orientation is crucial because it helps us to identify new consumer needs, set ourselves apart from the competition, create relevant innovations, use resources efficiently and build longterm customer relationships.
And clarity?
Clarity creates focus, enables quick decisions, and strengthens collaboration and motivation with clear goals and roles. What’s also important is that clarity does not mean rigid guidelines. It is about providing direction, a key leadership task, so that people can act with maximum energy and creativity.
How can each one of us seize these opportunities and support growth?
The acquisitions of Mademoiselle Desserts, Verde Campo and Hochstrasser have brought many new employees to Emmi, and we are now more than 12,000 around the world. I firmly believe that together we will continue the more than 100-year-old heritage of entrepreneurship, pioneering spirit and inventiveness. Our curiosity, openness and perseverance will help us seize the right opportunities to grow and succeed.
And what does that mean for each and every one of us?
As a Swiss citizen, I naturally think of the clockwork –every cogwheel, no matter how big or small, is crucial to ensuring that everything runs smoothly. The same goes for dominoes: if just one tile is missing or does not tilt at the right moment, the entire chain is broken off. Only when everyone brings their full commitment and passion can something truly great emerge.
Where and how do you want to invest in your growth and learning?
We at Group Executive Management completed the Finance Academy in 2024 and I focused on the goodness of dairy, the key trends shaping our category and how we can enhance our commercial strength to secure more relevant market and brand positions in a competitive environment. This year, the Group Executive Management will be holding a Commercial Excellence Bootcamp together with the commercial teams of our biggest brands – dealing with how we can create added value for our customers and consumers. Above all, I will also want to look at the development of food consumption and dairy aisles over a longer period of 10 to 15 years. What I’m looking forward to most of all is learning from you in our conversations, during site and store visits and product tastings. And I look forward to hearing about the learning goals and growth opportunities you’re aiming for in 2025.
In this interview, Emmi CEO Ricarda Demarmels talks about “Growing Together x” and explains the importance of market orientation and clarity.
Interview Carsten Glose
Photo Keystone
Cyber fraud: Watch out!
Picture this: You receive an email from your bank. They tell you that there is a problem with your account and ask you to click on a link to confirm your details. As a trained Emmi employee, you know that this may be an attempt at fraud and you act responsibly. Really?
The ideal scenario would be as follows: You check the email for suspicious features, such as unusual form of address, possible grammatical or spelling errors, urgency or deadlines, unknown sender address or suspicious links or attachments. You are wary and mark it as a phishing email. And that’s how you successfully fought off the attack.
In practice, unfortunately, things are usually more like this: Many people are prepared for alleged notifications from banks, as such cases are now wellknown. But phishing emails now take many forms: fake notifications from online shops, social networks, authorities, technical support, competitions or booking portals. A lot of people can fall into traps like these.
Defender protects Emmi
Every month, Emmi receives dozens of phishing emails and thousands of spam emails. Microsoft Defender protects Emmi against cyber attacks and also plays an important role in preventing them: Every year, it sends more than 25,000 emails to Emmi employees in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, the Benelux countries, the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom, asking them to either click on a link or disclose confidential and personal information such as their password, username or bank details. Evaluations of the results have revealed that there is a need to continuously train awareness of the risks posed by digital attacks.
Fraud attempts on business email addresses, including those of Emmi, are particularly treacherous: Fraudsters impersonate Emmi employees and ask you, for example, to carry out urgent bank transfers. These attacks are often well researched and appear credible. Or they target specific employees, sometimes with personalised emails designed to steal confidential information or login details. Ransomware phishing is also used to send emails with attachments or links that install malware when opened. This encrypts company data and then demands a ransom for the decryption. Other emails try to get employees to enter their login details on fake login pages. Attackers use this data to access company systems.
All of these attacks can lead to financial losses, data breaches and reputational damage. It is therefore important to Emmi that you act responsibly and cautiously, in your private and professional life alike.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND EMMI
What to watch out for
Multi-factor authentication
Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) anywhere this is not already a requirement, such as on your personal PC.
Strong password
Choose a strong password; more than anything, it should be long and easy to remember. Ideally, you should use password management software such as LastPass.
No third-party devices
Do not connect any third-party devices to the Emmi IT environment (e.g. USB sticks, keyboards or mice not supplied by Emmi IT) and do not allow external parties to connect to the LAN network – either in the production facility or in the office.
Check emails
Check emails from unknown senders carefully. Remember: Never respond to an email received by logging in through entering your password.
Protect yourself and Emmi against phishing attempts
1 You receive a external message.
2 The sender superficially appears as an internal email address, but behind this lies a questionable external sender address. The box also indicates an external sender.
3 During a mouse-over (moving over without clicking) of the sender’s address, individual copied fields are visible and the link indicates an unknown or suspicious site. The address and sender are often not available in the usual way.
4 You should also be careful on collaboration platforms such as Teams: If you work with external parties there, only link to companies/people you know and do not chat with people you do not know. Never give out links or access to files.
5 Do not browse websites that do not comply with the Emmi values.
6 Only scan QR codes if you are sure they are authentic. To ensure this, use apps that show the link before you open the page. Be careful with forged bank notes, covered QR codes (in public places such as e-charging stations or parking machines), fake parking tickets and posters on public transport.
Cybersecurity in Emmi’s business protection framework
Emmi has established a business protection framework for the purposes of protecting its business and continuously optimising its protective measures. This framework consists of the pillars of crisis management, business continuity management and cyber security. You will hear and read about this protection of our business again and again.
Organic innovation from Upper Austria
Our Austrian location in Wartberg an der Krems shapes the future of food day in, day out through passion and sustainability. There, around 80 employees pour their experience, passion and conviction into creating good products.
Wartberg an der Krems (Austria), a municipality with around 3,000 inhabitants that is situated 50 kilometres southwest of the state capital of Linz (Austria), is the home of Leeb Biomilch GmbH. The company is dedicated to producing milk, quark and yogurt from sheep’s and goat’s milk, as well as vegan yogurt. It employs around 80 people, most of whom work in production, who form a multinational team with roots in Croatia, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia, and of course also in Austria.
Each one contributes their passion and conviction for organic products every day – organic goat, organic sheep and organic vegan. “What makes them stand out is their down-to-earth and solution-oriented nature, and their firm belief that their work makes a difference,” says Nichole Duttine. Nichole has been Managing Director of Leeb since 2024 and talks about her team with appreciation and pride:
Pasteuriser Mladen Biljesko, Machine Operator
Robert Heidecker, Division Manager Palletising Julia Hubinger and Production Manager Idi Shatri represent many of the people with whom Nichole Leeb is aiming to position the company as visionary for economic success with social fairness. “Together with my team, I want to change things for the better,” she says. “This aspiration is guided by our vision ‘We as one team Leeb powered at Emmi’. ”
Nichole knows the business well. Having worked for Danone for ten years, most recently as Managing Director for Austria and Slovenia, she sees a great deal of potential in efficiency improvement and the further development of her employees. Nichole wants to bring about a cultural shift that promotes flexibility and the courage to change. Being part of a larger network provides additional security and support. The location is set to undergo modernisation soon.
Leeb Biomilch
Founded 1990, part of Emmi since 2019
Head
Nichole Duttine, Managing Director
Centrepiece
Quark, yogurt and long-life milk made from sheep’s and goat’s milk, as well as vegan yogurt.
Interesting to know
Leeb manufactures 120 individual products. In the warmer months, it also offers ice cream and sorbet, and frozen goat yogurt from summer 2025 onwards.
Raw materials exclusively from certified
suppliers
Leeb products are manufactured under strict quality standards. The raw materials are carefully selected and processed to preserve the natural flavours and nutrients. Sustainability plays a key role in organic products, from the procurement of raw materials through to production and packaging. Leeb obtains its raw materials exclusively from certified partners –for example, the coconut products come from a single farmer in Sri Lanka – and does not procure them arbitrarily from just anywhere on the market. The goat’s and sheep’s milk is supplied by around 60 farmers from the region, mainly from Salzburg, Lower Austria and Upper Austria. This close collaboration enables Leeb to precisely know and secure the quality and origin of its raw materials.
The Leeb team has a clear vision for the future. They not only want to achieve economic success, but also make a positive contribution to the organic food industry. Their passion and innovative capacity equips them with the ideal tools to do just that.
Text Carsten Glose
1 Leeb produces quark, yogurt and long-life milk from sheep’s and goat’s milk, as well as vegan yogurt.
2 Production Manager Idi Shatri
How we create fresh ideas for shop shelves
In our more than 100-year history, innovation has been the strong foundation of our success. With a clear focus on the needs of consumers and the ongoing development of new products and concepts, Emmi manages time and again to hold its own in a highly competitive environment. “Link” shows you just how.
Focus
If you ask consumers in Switzerland, they would probably say that Emmi Caffè Latte is Emmi’s biggest innovation. However, Emmi pursues innovation on an ongoing basis across all brands. It finds its way onto the shelves through new products, new product lines or brands, or through the further development of existing products. This is due to the constantly changing needs and preferences of consumers, new technological opportunities and external requirements, such as in terms of sustainability. Marketing and development are the driving forces behind innovation. However, this can also come to Emmi through the acquisition of highly innovative companies, such as Verde Campo in Brazil with its functional premium milk products made from high-quality protein or Mademoiselle Desserts with their high-quality premium pastry products. →
“LINK” EXPLAINS THE EMMI INNOVATION PROCESS
Innovation is versatile, innovation is multifaceted
No innovation, no power. No innovation, no success. At Emmi, innovation is an integral part of our strategy, and one of its core areas relates directly to it: We want to be an innovative pioneer in selected niches. In other words, we want to get even closer to our consumers, identify their needs and address them in the best possible way, and in doing so, set ourselves apart from our competitors. In particular, we want to create innovations behind discernible consumer trends, defining the most relevant trends for Emmi as our Emmi growth fields. These are 8 selected thematic areas that universally span categories and geographies, and where we see potential for further growth.
We place a particular focus on selected niches in which we already have leading market positions or are striving to achieve such positions. We have defined four platforms for this, with ready-to-drink coffee, speciality cheeses, chilled premium desserts and plant-based alternatives to dairy milk.
Fresh ideas for success:
Success stories with dairy products
Our unique, nutrient-rich natural product milk provides us with a valuable raw material that we can use to keep pace with the most relevant trends of our time. These include issues such as protein and gut health. Meanwhile, we offer suitable products for consumers who opt for plant-based alternatives to dairy milk for various reasons. We also have our own response to these trends, such as with beleaf, Kaiku Begetal and MyLove-MyLife.
What does innovation look like at Emmi in practice?
In “Link”, five colleagues from different areas of the Emmi world report on how they contribute to innovation at Emmi using our innovation process. They share with us personal success stories with their products.
Name : Elixabete Garavilla
Position: New Concept Innovation Manager at Kaiku
Location : Derio (Spain) Joined Emmi in : 2005
In Kaiku’s new product development team, Ainhize Lekerika and I have the mission to whip up cool, relevant and affordable concepts for our consumers, driving profitable growth for the company. Kaiku’s strategy gives us an initial direction – target innovative selected niches, and from there, we define our playing fields. To nail this, we require an in-depth understanding of the category dynamics in Spain – what’s on the rise, what’s falling off, and trends within growth fields, consumer needs, and shopper insights.
Transparent and fresh brands were in demand
Back in 2021, Spain was still under lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19. Consumers were getting more health-conscious and focusing more on local consumption. Economic concerns, job uncertainty, and stability were also top of mind. Transparent and fresh brands were in high demand.
Looking at the market, the gut health category with the bifidus and lactose-free segments have always been strong in the Spanish chilled section for years. We identified spoonable kefirs with a liquid texture and tart flavor profiles from mid-sized and private label brands, gaining prominence. This upcoming kefir segment, aligned perfectly with our holistic health growth field, became an opportunity, even though we were playing catch-up. We asked ourselves: How do we differentiate ourselves from existing products? How do we discover and address perhaps still unmet consumer needs?
Further innovations for special moments of pleasure
To play the game we needed to tackle low awareness in addition to taste and texture barriers. Sour taste, bubble formation or liquid consistency were some of the challenges. But these challenges also spelled opportunities to develop a consumer-relevant concept for Kaiku Kefir. With our objective set, the next step in the innovation process was scouting and concept developing, which later would be detailed in a diamond gate document for product development.
We are currently working on further high-quality innovations. We want to further accelerate growth and expand this segment with additional products in order to continue to create many special moments of pleasure.
My favorite Emmi product: Emmi/Kaiku Choco Latte
Step 2 :
Scouting and concept development
How trends become Emmi innovations.
At Emmi, we attach great importance to having a structured innovation process. This helps us as a global innovation team to address locally identified potential, compare it with global trends at an early stage and identify new, relevant product concepts and transfer them to the Emmi world. We support our subsidiaries in the further development of their product portfolio and help them to identify white spots, which essentially describe exciting growth potential that is not yet covered or insufficiently so by the existing product portfolio.
While the potential is defined locally for each country, trend and product scouting takes place globally. International store checks, scouring through trend platforms and online research into new trends give us an overview and inspiration for new concept ideas. This not only involves examining markets in which Emmi has a presence, but also taking a look at exciting global trends.
Once we have discovered an exciting trend, the next step is concept development. We write a concept and process the inspiration we find to make them fit to Emmi and represent our brands and values.
Speed is key
In order to be successful on the market, the speed with which we implement our concepts is crucial. Effective trend scouting, successful concept creation and speed in development are the key to success in order to get ahead of the competition on the market and enjoy relevance amongst our consumers.
We create a “diamond” to pass on all information to the Research and Development department after the successful completion of the “Scouting and concept development” step and in doing so, officially request resources to initiate the development of a promising concept.
Step 3: Product development
How the new creamy beleaf yogurt was brought to life.
Our team was faced with the challenging task of developing a tasty and healthy yogurt alternative without any plant-based tastes for the beleaf brand. The opportunities, risks, consumer needs and added value for Emmi were analysed and set out in a document known at Emmi as the “diamond”. This process takes place before every product development and serves as a decision-making basis for the Innovation Committee to approve the release of resources. Even before we started the actual development, →
Position : Team Leader R & D Milk
Location : Emmen (Switzerland)
Joined Emmi in: 2020 My favorite Emmi product : beleaf hazelnut yogurt
Name : Aline Engel
Position : Senior Project Manager
New Business & Innovation at Emmi
Location : Lucerne (Switzerland)
Joined Emmi in: 2021
My favorite Emmi product : Emmi Jogurt Pur
Name : Patricia Furtwaengler
Alternatives at Emmi in Emmen (Switzerland)
we carried out the feasibility study. We worked with the production site to define the appropriate manufacturing and packaging process. We also identified possible challenges, such as minimum production quantities, complexity and allergens.
Looking for suitable raw materials
Following the positive assessment of feasibility with production, development of the new beleaf yogurt began. For this purpose, we worked with the Marketing department to create a precise product briefing that clearly defined the desired end product. Criteria included taste and appearance, nutritional values, packaging sizes and labels. For our beleaf yogurt alternative, we focused on its creamy texture, neutral flavour and nutritional values, similar to cow’s milk yogurt. Based on a large consumer study on plantbased natural yogurt alternatives, we already knew that thick consistency, light sweetness and coconut flavour were popular with consumers.
We looked for suitable plant-based raw materials to produce the neutral yogurt base. Unlike cow’s milk, these come in a wide variety of forms and compositions. We selected the right raw materials from this huge variety and defined the corresponding production process. We tested various legumes such as peas, soybeans and broad beans, as well as almonds. The main factors under consideration were physical properties, flavour and consistency, nutritional value, availability and cost.
From kitchen scale to pilot plant
Inside our laboratory kitchen at the Emmen site (Switzerland), we developed various recipes, all of which were then tasted. Together with Marketing, we checked whether the requirements from the original briefing had been met or whether further adjustments to the recipe were necessary. This process is repeated several times until the final recipe is created. Then the recipe had to be transferred from the small kitchen scale to the pilot plant and later to the production facility in Bischofszell (Switzerland), where beleaf was to be produced.
Through what is known as the scale-up, we checked whether the ingredients and the process would produce the desired product on a large scale. These production-scale tests gave us the assurance that the product could later be produced flawlessly for our consumers. Once this had been achieved, the launch could begin, that is, the preparations to bring the product onto the shelves.
Step 4: Production
Modern filling plants for Emmi Caffè Latte and Emmi Energy Milk.
Name : Patrick Vielle (pictured with Aurelia Varrone)
Position : Head of Group Engineering at Emmi in Lucerne (Switzerland)
Location : Lucerne (Switzerland)
Joined Emmi in: 2018
My favorite Emmi product : Emmi Skyr by YoQua Raspberry
In 2020, the filling plants for longer-life bottles in Ostermundigen (Switzerland), our largest production plant for milk-based drinks, reached their age limit. The packaging material in the form of HDPE bottles was also under criticism for its lack of drinking comfort (sharp drinking edge and aluminium foil) and lack of sustainability. We wanted to change that.
Focus on new markets
At the same time, we wanted to make two of our top brands, Emmi Caffè Latte and Emmi Energy Milk, available in bottles with a longer product shelf life in order to increase growth opportunities and tap into new markets such as France and the Benelux countries. With the market moving towards easy-to-use and recyclable packaging, we decided to use PET as the packaging material.
With this decision, the Ostermundigen engineering and production teams rolled up their sleeves to implement an innovative solution with the vision of being the first to offer dairy products in PET bottles in and from Switzerland.
Milk-based drinks in PET bottles for the first time
Due to a lack of space for a new filling plant on the plant premises, we needed to plan and construct a new building. We took this opportunity to create an innovative, integrated system in which the building and the plants form a symbiosis in order to achieve optimal product quality and production performance.
Production, engineering, marketing, sales, finance –many teams worked together. Alongside this process, we had to make coordinated progress in order to find the right innovative solution for Emmi and, above all, for the markets and consumers. Following two years of hard work, the new building and the filling plant were commissioned in 2023 as a result of a major team effort. →
With the new filling plant, we achieved several improvements at once for Emmi Caffè Latte and Emmi Energy Milk:
• Increased consumer comfort – bottle opening is possible with just one move, with no more sharp edges.
• High flexibility in the bottle shape, also enabling the production of new bottles and products from this filling plant in the future.
• Reduction of packaging material and better recycling opportunities.
• Optimised and cheaper transport and storage of packaging material.
• Increased plant output and growth capacity.
• Potential for further innovations in PET bottles.
After the market launch, some challenges regarding the shape and strength of the bottle still emerged, but thanks to strong teamwork, solutions to these were quickly found. The commissioning of the new PET filling plant in Ostermundigen (Switzerland) enabled Emmi to offer milk-based drinks in recyclable PET bottles for the first time, allowing it to assume a pioneering role in the market.
Step 5: Strategic marketing
Dips & Spreads from Emmi Roth are the first choice.
We at Emmi take pride in being a pioneer of award-winning specialty cheeses in the U.S., with a strong emphasis on creating products that cater to consumer needs. Recognizing an emerging trend in the early 2020s, we were among the first to introduce a full line of flavored natural cheese dips and spreads, made with our own award-winning cheeses.
While traditional cold-pack cheese spreads are common in many of our key markets, premium, natural cheese spreads remain a rarity. This presented a unique challenge: in a crowded market filled
with long-standing options, why should consumers choose Roth Dips & Spreads? That’s where strategic marketing came into play.
Strong presence in the social media
To drive awareness and support retail distribution, we launched a targeted marketing campaign that combined digital advertising and strategic partnerships. A robust media plan was implemented to ensure consumers discovered our products as they hit the shelves.
We strategically aligned our marketing efforts with key entertaining moments, such as the holidays and sporting events, to position Roth Dips & Spreads as the go-to solution for high-quality, hassle-free hosting. Leveraging our strong presence on social media, we collaborated with brand partners to share creative recipes and usage ideas with our loyal fanbase, generating excitement and engagement.
Leading position in the market for specialty cheeses
A standout example of our innovative approach was our partnership with The Campbell's Company for a Super Bowl promotion January 2025, through which
we reach many millions of consumers. This collaboration highlights the versatility and appeal of our dips and spreads during a prime snacking occasion, amplifying visibility and consumer interest.
Our influencer partnerships also delivered impressive results. These collaborations showcased the creativity and quality of Roth Dips & Spreads, further solidifying our position as a leader in the specialty cheese market.
By staying ahead of trends and innovating in both product development and marketing, we continue to set the standard for premium cheese products that delight consumers and elevate their dining experiences.
Name : Heather Engwall
Position : Vice President of Marketing at Emmi Roth
Location: Stoughton, Wisconsin (US)
Joined Emmi in: 2016 My favorite Emmi product: I could never pick a favorite.
Texts Carsten Glose and Dominik Schärer Photos zVg, André Scheidegger and Sarah Trendle
“With the standardised collection and recycling solution for plastic packaging and beverage cartons, we are establishing the first Swiss-wide solution,” said Marc Heim (3rd from right), Head of the Switzerland Division, at the launch of the RecyPac collection on 16 January 2025 in Bern (Switzerland).
Our packaging solutions are supporting the circular economy
By 2027, we aim to make our packaging 100 % recyclable and use at least 30 % recycled material. To achieve this, we are relying on innovative packaging solutions.
The commissioning of our new PET filling plant in Ostermundigen (Switzerland) in 2023 was a big step. Together with Coop (a supermarket in Switzerland), Emmi was able to launch selected dairy products such as Emmi Energy Milk High Protein, Comella Choco Drink, Emmi Caffè Latte Mr. Huge and the I’m your meal drink in opaque white PET bottles. The PET bottles offer good product protection and guarantee a consistent taste. Compared to the previously used polyethylene bottles, they not only reduce the amount of material used by about 25 %, but also the number of shipments, as the PET blanks are only inflated into bottles on site. In Switzerland, white PET bottles are currently the only plastic food packaging that is recycled in a closed loop and reused for dairy products.
The circular economy is a partnership
No company is able to organise such cycles on its own. Holistic solutions are needed that involve all stakeholders – from packaging producers and distributors such as Emmi to retailers, municipalities and recycling companies. This is why RecyPac was created. The organisation implements a national recycling solution for plastic packaging and beverage cartons. Emmi Schweiz AG is one of the founding members. On 16 January 2025, RecyPac achieved its breakthrough towards the circular economy with the launch of the standardised collection of recyclable plastic packaging and beverage cartons in Switzerland. The city of Bern (Switzerland) and the municipalities of Dietikon (Switzerland), Greifensee (Switzerland), Oetwil an der Limmat (Switzerland) and Schlieren (Switzerland) are the first to take part
in RecyPac. The city of Schaffhausen (Switzerland) is also discussing participation in RecyPac.
In addition to the recycling of plastic packaging, there is another example that works primarily in a regional context. This is the organic milk in reusable glass bottles launched by Coop (a supermarket in Switzerland) that consumers can take back – a project in which Emmi played a significant role and which won the Sustainability Award from Promarca in 2023. The reusable glass bottle is now available in 350 Coop (supermarket in Switzerland) shops. The takeback rate is 72 %.
Three questions for …
1 Raphael, what does successful innovation mean to you?
An innovation has to be incremental, meaning it needs to fulfil a new task that our existing portfolio does not yet perform. A good example is Emmi Caffè Latte Double Zero, which has managed to overcome key consumer barriers: Unlike existing products, it does not contain any added sugar or artificial sweeteners. An innovation also has to improve our profitability through an attractive gross margin. In the long term, this increases our ability to invest in our businesses and, above all, in our brands. Ultimately, however, success depends very much on how the launch is implemented: Can we persuade our trading partners to list the product? Are we achieving a sufficiently high distribution to justify large advertising investments? Focusing increasingly on fewer yet stronger innovations is crucial in order to do justice to the above aspects.
2 How do you contribute to strengthening our culture of innovation?
My main management style is based on the clear coordination of goals with my teams, coupled with a high degree of freedom as to how to achieve these goals. I consider this degree of freedom to be the basic prerequisite for innovation. New ideas only emerge when everyone takes an open and far-reaching perspective to tackle challenges. The best ideas can come from anywhere. As a manager, my job is to create an environment in which these ideas can be heard, seen and implemented.
3 Where do you personally get inspiration for new innovations?
I’m a classic “heavy media user” and am lucky enough to remember a lot of things. This means that all kinds of different content mixes together in my head, which often leads to nothing but also produces something interesting from time to time. If I could highlight one source, it would be store checks, because there is always new inspiration to find there, whether by finding grievances or interesting concepts from other categories. As Group Excecutive Management, we always devote plenty of time to store checks during our market visits to make the most of this important source of inspiration.
Text Leandra Meier
Photos zVg, Morphbox and Carsten Glose
Blanks for PET bottles
The bottles are inflated and filled in the PET filling plant in Ostermundigen (Switzerland).
Raffael Payer, Chief Marketing Officer and Member of Emmi Group Management
