The History of Suchard Chocolate in Neuchâtel
- In 1826, Philippe Suchard established a chocolate factory in the vallon de Serrières, a neighborhood west of Neuchâtel.
- Entrepreneur Philippe Suchard initiated chocolate manufacturing by opening his facility in the Serrières valley.
- By December 1984, the television program Midi public broadcast a segment hosted by journalist Pierre Gisling, who toured the facility where Sugus candies were produced.
In 1826, Philippe Suchard established a chocolate factory in the vallon de Serrières, a neighborhood west of Neuchâtel. This launch initiated an industrial legacy that shaped the industry of the canton. Over subsequent decades, the enterprise expanded from a local operation into Jacobs Suchard, eventually passing to foreign ownership before production and development activities were entirely relocated away from the canton in the 1990s.
Philippe Suchard Sets a Swiss Industrial Legacy in Motion
Entrepreneur Philippe Suchard initiated chocolate manufacturing by opening his facility in the Serrières valley. According to historical archives, this vision established a major cornerstone for the region’s manufacturing economy. In March 2000, the folkloric music broadcast De si de la visited Boudry, the birthplace of the founder, and featured historian Pierre-Henri Béguin outlining the chocolatier’s background.
Sugus Production and Reliance on Foreign Labor
By December 1984, the television program Midi public broadcast a segment hosted by journalist Pierre Gisling, who toured the facility where Sugus candies were produced. A manufacturing manager demonstrated how the four-flavor candy paste was processed into small, distinctive squares wrapped in red, yellow, orange, or green packaging. Hans Konrad Lichti, then honorary president of Suchard, highlighted the product’s fruit flavor and smooth texture.
During the 1970s, the factory relied heavily on international personnel. On October 8, 1974, when Swiss voters rejected the National Action initiative against foreign dominance and overpopulation, a Suchard representative noted that the chocolate factory employed more than 300 foreign workers and depended on immigrant staff to sustain operations.
Corporate Mergers, Philip Morris, and Cité-Suchard
Suchard merged with Tobler before joining with Jacobs to form the Jacobs Suchard group in 1982, retaining Swiss ownership at that time. In 1990, American conglomerate Philip Morris Companies acquired the group and incorporated it into its Kraft Foods subsidiary. Chocolate production was subsequently shifted to the canton of Berne.
Quand on parlait de Suchard, c’était nous
recalled Berthe, a 90-year-old former worker who lived in Cité-Suchard, during an August 2011 interview with Couleurs d’été. Constructed starting in 1887 near Lake Neuchâtel by factory management, Cité-Suchard housed workers who maintained tight community bonds long after the company’s departure.
Final Relocation and Preservation of Archives
Five years after the initial acquisition, the group announced that research and development activities would move permanently to Germany. This final transfer concluded the local industrial and human history of the enterprise.
By February 1996, machinery, molds, films, and promotional posters remaining inside the Serrières facility were transferred to the State of Neuchâtel for preservation across several regional institutions.