90 years of Hilcona: from canned vegetables to ultra-fresh
This was soon followed by beans, spinach and plums. From the very beginning, the company founded by Toni Hilti was characterised by a feel for the customer requirements of the time. In a society where food shortages were commonplace, canned food provided a reliable supply and extended shelf life.
When the Scana canning factory was finally renamed Hilcona in 1973, both pillars - canned and frozen products - were already well-established. The third was added ten years later with the introduction of fresh products. The increasing use of refrigerators in private households opened up new possibilities for storing and consuming fresh food. As Hilcona already had extensive expertise in the production of tinned ravioli and frozen pasta, it made sense to also focus on pasta in the fresh segment.
Successful pioneer
Once again moving with the times, Hilcona started producing chilled fresh pizza in 1993. The acquisition of two pizza factories enabled the company to secure an impressive 100 per cent market share in this sector in Switzerland.
At the end of the 1990s, it combined its production at the new pizza factory in Orbe. In the meantime, chilled products such as pasta, pizza and sauces had become the most important business area for the Schaan-based company – driven by the trend towards everyday meals that are quick to prepare and made with fresh ingredients. The influencing factors included changing family structures, increasing employment and an urban lifestyle.
New paths with strong innovative power
Hilcona took the next step in 2002 by embarking on the production of ultra-fresh products. Since then, freshly filled sandwiches have been delivered to petrol stations and kiosks throughout Switzerland within a few hours. This was Hilcona’s response to the growing demand for enjoyable, high-quality to-go products.
Hilcona also plays a pioneering role in the market for meat substitutes. In addition to tofu production, the internal start-up «The Green Mountain» has been ensuring that Hilcona is one of the leading veggie producers in Switzerland with vegan meat substitutes since 2019.
With this step, the Liechtenstein company is tapping into a new target group: people who value sustainability, health and conscious consumption. And we can’t wait to see what the next chapter in their success story will be.
