Strategic Mergers Shaping the Chocolate and Coffee Industry: The Journey of Suchard, Tobler, and Jacobs

The 1970 merger of Suchard and Swiss chocolatier Tobler marked a major consolidation in the chocolate industry. Founded by Philippe Suchard in 1826, Suchard was well-known for its premium chocolates and pioneering production methods. Tobler, established by Jean Tobler in 1868, gained fame for its Toblerone chocolate bar, distinguished by its unique triangular shape and honey-almond nougat flavor.

This merger brought together the strengths of both companies, forming a powerful entity in the chocolate market. The new company capitalized on Suchard’s broad distribution network and Tobler’s strong brand identity to enhance its market reach and expand its product offerings.

In 1990, the company underwent further evolution by merging with Jacobs, a leading coffee maker famous for its high-quality coffee blends. This merger created Jacobs Suchard, a diversified company with a significant presence in both the chocolate and coffee markets. By integrating Jacobs’ coffee expertise with Suchard’s and Tobler’s chocolate legacy, the company introduced innovative products like coffee-flavored chocolates.

These strategic moves positioned Jacobs Suchard as a dominant force in the European confectionery and beverage markets. However, the company's journey continued in 1993 when Kraft General Foods International acquired Jacobs Suchard, expanding its global reach. Kraft, a major player in the food and beverage industry, viewed the acquisition as an opportunity to enhance its product lineup and bolster its presence in Europe.

The acquisition allowed Jacobs Suchard to leverage Kraft’s vast resources, marketing expertise, and global distribution channels. This facilitated the introduction of Jacobs Suchard’s products to new markets, driving the brand’s international growth and recognition.

These mergers and acquisitions underscore the dynamic nature of the food and beverage industry, highlighting the importance of innovation and adaptation in maintaining market leadership.
Strategic Mergers Shaping the Chocolate and Coffee Industry: The Journey of Suchard, Tobler, and Jacobs

Business history of Philippe Suchard confectionery company

Philippe Suchard (1797–1884) was born in Boudry, Switzerland. In 1814, he started an apprenticeship in confectionary with his older brother Frédéric in Berne. In the year 1825 Suchard opened his first confectionery shop in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He offered fine chocolate made by hand and laid the cornerstone for Suchard's success.

In 1825, Philippe Suchard opened a confiserie in Neuchâtel, and a year later, in 1826, he set up a chocolate factory in Serrières, where he raised manufacturing standards and lowered prices.

With just one worker, he was already producing 25 to 30 kg of chocolate per day. He invented various machines and devices. The one that is very important to the chocolate production is a special machine to mix sugar and cocoa powder to make the chocolate a homogeneous mass.

By 1833 Suchard was the largest chocolate company in Switzerland, producing half of the nation’s total production, employing approximately 250 people.

After Philippe's death in 1884 in Neuchâtel, his daughter, Eugénie Suchard and her husband Carl Russ-Suchard, took over the functioning of his factory. Carl Russ-Suchard opened the first Suchard factory abroad in 1880 in Germany, at Lörrach, the first in a series of international expansion efforts. In 1901 Suchard established the Milka chocolate brand, one of Europe's oldest and most popular brands of milk chocolate.

The Suchard and Tobler companies joined forces in 1970 to form Interfood, which Jacobs’ coffee company joined 12 years later to form Jacobs Suchard. The Tobler company began in 1867 when Jean Tobler, formally Johann Jakob Tobler, opened a small shop called Confiserie Spécial in Switzerland.

In 1990 Kraft General Foods acquired Jacobs Suchard, making it number one in the European roast and ground coffee market and a leader in confectionery.
Business history of Philippe Suchard confectionery company

History of Milka chocolate

Made with Alpine milk, Milka has been delighting consumers in Germany and beyond since 1901.

The invention of Milka is strongly based on milk powder’s existence. It started back in 1901 when the first Milka bar was produced in Germany by Swiss chocolatier Philippe Suchard.

In 1826 Suchard founded Chocolat Suchard and moved production to nearby Serrières, where he produced 25–30 kg of chocolate daily in a rented former water mill. By 1880, Suchard expanded to Germany, establishing its first international presence.

Philippe Suchard passed away in 1884, leaving the factory to his son-in-law Carl Russ and Carl Russ continued to make it grow up. Chocolate milk Suchard has made his appearance in 1890 and quickly followed by 1901, Chocolat Suchard launched new chocolate brand Milka in lilac-colored wrapper. Milka script logo and lilac cover were trademarked in 1960.

This famous brand simply owes its name to the contraction of two German words: Milch (milk) and Kakao (cacao).

In 1970, Suchard merged with Tobler to become Interfood. Interfood merged with the Jacobs coffee company in 1982, becoming Jacobs Suchard.

Kaft Foods Company, an American multinational in the agri-food sector, has finally acquired the majority of Suchard products including Milka, in 1990. Since 2012, it has been owned by us-based company Mondelez International.
History of Milka chocolate