Press releases

• No suitable alternative found to avoid closure

Lenzburg, October 30, 2023 – The Hero Group today announces that the jam production plant in Lenzburg, Switzerland, will close down by the end of 2024. The decision was taken by the Group’s Board of Directors after employee proposals submitted during the consultation period did not provide a viable alternative.

The plant was opened in 2011 but never managed to reach an adequate capacity utilization despite numerous efforts by Hero. This was further compounded by an ongoing decline in jam consumption in Switzerland.

A total of 48 employees will be affected by the closure.

“We are very saddened by this decision to close the production facility in Lenzburg, and especially by the loss of employment for 48 of our people. It is a sad day at Hero, but at the same time it is our duty to take decisions that will ensure the long-term competitiveness of the company,” said Rob Versloot, CEO Hero Group.

Employees made redundant by the closure of the production plant will be supported by the company through a generous social plan.

Even after the closure, more than half of all products sold in the country will still be produced in the Switzerland / Liechtenstein customs area.

The Hero company name will remain in Lenzburg as the global headquarters of the Group as well as the Hero Switzerland organization with around 170 employees in total remain in the current location.

About Hero Group
The Hero Group is an international food company focused on branded nutritional food products. The company was founded in 1886 in Lenzburg, Switzerland, where its headquarters are still located today. Hero's main product categories of Baby & Toddler Food, Natural Spreads, and Healthy Snacks are complemented by its activities in Baby & Toddler Milk, Gluten Free and Specialties. The Group, which lives by its mission to delight consumers by conserving the goodness of nature, boasts a global footprint and its portfolio consists of many well-known international and local brands. In 2022, the Group generated revenues of CHF 1.2 billion.

Medienkontakt
communications@hero.ch / medienanfragen@hero.ch