Lindt's Profit Increases 21 Percent In 2006

Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Spruengli achieved a 21 percent profit growth last year, to 209 million Swiss francs.

Since American consumers are developing a growing affinity for Lindor praline and chocolate bars, the companies' sales earnings grew 15 percent last year, to 2.59 billion francs. The income made in North America in the same period totalled more than 500 million dollars. 

From one year to the next, our two brands, Lindt and Ghirardhelli chalk a double-digit growth rate and we are consequently increasing our market share, said CEO Ernst Tanner at a press conference.

The Swiss giant of the chocolate industry that has production facilities in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and the United States, announced that it had exceeded the growth of the overall chocolate market in several instances, which resulted in an increase of the company's market share. 

Tanner announced the group's plans to make investments worth more than 500 million francs over the period of three years, with the aim to improve processing, storage, and logistics in the company's production facilities. This will be the company's biggest investment ever made.