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However, it all started off quite modestly in a small place called Schaan in the Principality of Liechtenstein, in 1935. That was when 21 year old butcher’s son Toni Hilti set up a preserved foods factory called Scana AG. Back then, nobody would have guessed that it would become one of the most innovative food companies in Europe.

As early on as 1961, the first deep frozen product left the company - an innovative range that was not only embraced by consumers visibly increasing in buyer power, but that was also a decisive step for the company on the way to becoming a convenience and freshness pioneer in Europe. Ten years later, the sons of the founders, Ekkehard and Jürgen Hilti, became part of the management and went all out to fulfil increasingly wealthy consumers’ rising demands for convenience and a variety of flavours.

A new name was needed to express this agenda: In 1971, they decided to call the company HILCONA, derived from Hilti Convenience Nahrungsmittel (foods) – setting down the objectives for the future.

Anniversary film: 70 years of Hilcona
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HILCONA conquers the refrigerated compartments
Using their feel for the zeitgeist, the junior chefs introduced a development that would have a lasting effect on HILCONA’s name. “With wealth, demands on food also increased, while at the same time increasingly few people had time to cook for themselves”, recalls Jürgen Hilti, chairman. “So in 1984, we became a pioneer in Switzerland and Liechtenstein again, as the first company to manufacture chilled fresh pasta on an industrial scale. We made a decisive contribution to tapping in to this segment of the market.” The innovative products quickly proved to be right on target and were followed by other pioneering achievements. HILCONA used the goodwill of consumers to conquer the entire German speaking area within just a few years.

From Liechtenstein to Europe
Expansion began in 1988 with the establishment of a subsidiary in Germany and just three years later a sales branch in France was added. Other milestones in the history of the company were: The 1993 take over of a small fresh pizza factory, called Deni's Pizza, in western Switzerland. A trend-setting investment, with which HILCONA set new standards in the fresh foods and convenience sectors, because the products also developed into best sellers within just a few years. Today, more than half of pizzas eaten in Switzerland are bought from the refrigerated cabinets – and naturally consumers’ first choice is HILCONA. The Liechtensteiner's most recent success: Successful entry into the impulse market. As a specially established sales organisation, HILCONA Fresh Express provides takeaway fresh sandwiches, crispy salads and other snacks at filling station shops, kiosks, convenience stores and vending machines in Switzerland. This means that Hilcona Fresh Express supplies fresh food daily 365 days a year, throughout the whole of Switzerland:

Something for everyone's taste
Thanks to innovations, intensive marketing work and professional category management, HILCONA AG has grown by 25 percent in the past 5 years and has become the uncontested market leader in the sectors of fresh and convenience foods in Germany, Austrian and Switzerland. Production is continuing and the volumes produced are constantly increasing in this sector - particularly as the company is the largest supplier of vegetables in Switzerland. However, the core skill and the most important business sector are high quality fresh, chilled products. Today they make up 63 percent of the turnover of 300 million Swiss Francs. Consumers’ favourites naturally include filled and unfilled pasta and fresh sauces. Delicious pizzas and sophisticated ready-meals are also very popular.

The healthy eater principle
The secret of HILCONA's success is in the unique freshness of their products. The most modern production technologies and optimum supply chain minimise the time between harvest and processing and therefore contribute to the preserving the natural flavour of ingredients for a long time. True to their high requirements for quality, HILCONA AG also only uses carefully selected raw materials such as deep-litter system eggs and high quality durum wheat and continually refuses to use flavourings and preservatives. Other strong sales arguments: All production operations are certified in accordance with ISO 9001 and the International Food Standard, IFS. Hilti guarantees that “we only make products that I would be completely happy to serve to my own family”. “After all our aim is to always exceed healthy eaters’ demands for enjoyment and quality and to renew the trust they place in us, every day.”

Plus points for trade
So it’s high time to set the course for success in trade. One thing is for sure: Fresh products represent particular challenges in logistics, order and supply frequency and sales handling. In contrast to other suppliers, HILCONA also have to persuade their customers using tailor-made system solutions. Finally, the Liechtenstein company doesn’t just sell freshness and enjoyment, they also manage them perfectly. The strategy is called “category management” and it is used by the company to bring pure convenience to its trading partners too - starting with the best designed range possible, then price positioning and finally optimum placement on the shelves. The result can be seen, because customers praise the commitment both through loyalty towards shops and through highly profitable impulse and additional buys.

Brands and growth
HILCONA has also proven itself to be a pioneer and a manufacturer of branded products with premium demands not just in trade, but also in the media. In addition to the striking packaging design with its unmistakable logo, surprising and lively communication is also mainly responsible for the rapid growth in recent years. Just think about the international prize winning TV campaign “for healthy eaters”, started in 2000 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland that HILCONA used to definitively establish themselves as an ultra-fresh cult brand. While other manufacturers had cause to be concerned about their significance, the Liechtensteiners constantly listed image profits and increases in turnover - which they owe to their unique knowledge and experience, their entrepreneurial dynamic and creativity and the personal commitment of all HILCONA staff. Manager Hilti explains that “our common goal is to become the strongest independent brand for fresh and convenience foods in Europe”. “In fact, we are on course to achieve this progress in our career, particularly since export business is really booming and its share of the total turnover is increasing steadily.” One thing is for sure: The core value for all company activities and the most convincing triumph over the competition is and will remain freshness. Fresh product ideas, fresh category management and fresh marketing – for which trade offers a unique opportunity to continue to present HILCONA as a real trendsetter and to achieve powerful growth in the fresh and chilled segment. We're right to be excited about what the future will bring..