All employees lose their jobs: The traditional Glarus margarine factory ceases operations

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A heavy blow for employees of the margarine manufacturer Grüninger in Mitlödi in Glarus. The company, one of Switzerland’s two most important industrial and commercial margarine suppliers, is ceasing its operations. By the end of 2024, as stated in a press release.

It is said that costs are increasing rapidly, the industrial margarine market is shrinking, and competition is fierce at home and abroad. «Switzerland is a country of milk and cheese. But we are not big consumers of margarine and are far down in the European rankings,” a spokesperson told Blick.

High logistics and raw material prices

And: “On the one hand, we have very high logistics costs,” says the spokesman. The production site is in Lyss, the refinery in Mitlödi and the warehouse in Reichenburg. “Things are getting worse, competitors and foreign providers have put it at great risk,” he continues. Operating costs have increased greatly due to the global raw material availability and the sharp increase in energy costs.

Result: Due to this general situation, the ultra-modern Mitlödi location can no longer be operated profitably. For this reason, it will be closed at the end of 2024. Eye-catching trucks bearing the slogan “Quality from Glarnerland” will not be on the country’s roads anytime soon.

Social plan is being prepared

Margarine production is now being moved to Florin AG in Muttenz BL. The aim is to maintain at least a “competitive production location in Switzerland”. A social plan will be developed for Grüninger AG employees. It is not yet clear what it looks like.

However, the good intentions of the management seem obvious. It says: “And we are working on an amicable and socially acceptable solution for all 19 affected employees.” That’s what they’re committed to.

Source :Blick