THE NEW RITTER SPORT CHOCOLATE CENTER
Waldenbuch, November 2021 - After almost three years of construction, Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG is opening the extension to its chocolate headquarters. The state-of-the-art, sustainable building is currently being certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). It is a clear commitment to the Waldenbuch site and, with a volume of around 20 million euros, an important investment in the future of the chocolate manufacturer.
“This is where the heart of the Ritter Sport brand beats. With our new chocolate headquarters, we have created premises that promote innovation and enable our employees to work even more closely together on an interdisciplinary basis," says Ritter CEO Andreas Ronken. "The newly opened extension building reflects both the company's claim to do business in harmony with people and nature, as well as the typical Ritter passion for cocoa and really good chocolate".
Innovation. Sustainability. functionality.
With the new chocolate center, which consists of the new building and the existing building, Ritter Sport is setting a clear example for a new, more innovative way of working. In order to achieve measurable results in the areas of ecology, economy and socio-cultural sustainability, the building was constructed in accordance with the DGNB certification system. The certification phase is not yet complete, the declared goal is DGNB Gold. In addition, the "Cradle to Cradle" principle was implemented, according to which the materials used can be returned to the material cycle after the building's lifetime.
Ritter Sport also shows innovative spirit in the choice of building materials and technical elements: From the invisible wooden facade and the use of rainwater for toilets and green areas, to the concrete core temperature control, which is used for heating and cooling purposes, to the biodynamic lighting of the rooms and a 500 square meter photovoltaic system on the roof.
A light-flooded gallery was added as a link between the new building and the existing building, which is currently being gradually modernized. It combines both parts and, thanks to attractive lounges and a green roof terrace, serves as a place to meet and relax.
Make the brand tangible
One of the most important goals of the extension building, in addition to sustainability, was to create an agile working environment for more innovation and exchange across all departments. In addition, the product and the Ritter Sport brand should come to life. The architecture, design and project planning team succeeded in doing this in an exemplary manner. Anyone who walks through the extension of the chocolate headquarters from the basement to the second floor will experience the creation of the Ritter Sport chocolates from the idea to their way into retail in all its facets.
The basement forms the foundation for security and processes. The new medical center is located here, as are the gate, the entrance and the storage and technical rooms. On the ground floor, the focus is on the product. This is where the Innovationswerk is located, the home of the research and development department with everything that is needed to produce really good chocolate: from the cocoa bean to small-batch production and packaging. In particular, the chocolate workshop and the cocoa workshop are technical and design highlights. There, employees and external parties have the opportunity to taste new products and thus participate in the development.
Modern, open-plan workspaces and meeting rooms for around 100 employees are located on the first and second floors. On the first floor, the focus is on communicating and experiencing the Ritter Sport brand. The second floor is finally under the motto "Bring it to the world". This is where all the areas responsible for sales and distribution are located. All work surfaces are adapted to the special needs of the employees and designed according to the latest standards. The result was an innovative, colorful office landscape with a wonderful view of the wooded surroundings and Waldenbuch Castle.
About Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Founded in 1912, the family company with its headquarters in Waldenbuch, Swabia, a second production site in Breitenbrunn, Austria, and subsidiaries in other international markets today employs around 1,650 people and achieved sales of 470 million euros in 2020. Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG is the first and so far only large chocolate bar manufacturer to only purchase certified sustainable cocoa for the entire range, which includes the Ritter Sport and Amicelli brands. Ritter has been a climate-neutral company since 2020 - another example of our own claim to do the right thing to make really good chocolate, e.g u do. The colorful Ritter Sport squares are sold in over 100 countries worldwide
Contact
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG
Bianca Kulik
Alfred-Ritter-Strasse 25
71111 Waldenbuch
Phone: +49 (0)7157 – 97-1176
Email: presse@ritter-sport.de
NIERAGDEN COMMUNICATION
Marc Alexander Nieragden
Eimsbuetteler Chaussee 81
20259 Hamburg
Phone: +49 (0)40 – 8797 69 68