History
Ricola began in 1930 when master baker Emil Wilhelm Richterich and Daniel Ruoss Sr. established Confiseriefabrik Richterich & Co. Laufen after the purchase of a small bakery in his birthplace Laufen, just outside Basel. Under Richterich, the bakery specialized in confectionery such as Fünfermocken, a sweet similar to caramel. In 1940 Richterich experimented with the healing power of herbs and created Ricola's Swiss Herbal Sweet incorporating a blend of 13 herbs, which remains almost unchanged today.[14] In the 1950s the sweet became appreciated for its ability to be dissolved in boiling water, creating an aromatic herbal tea or tisane, which inspired Richterich to create a Ricola Herbal Tea a few years later.[15]
In 1967, Emil Richterich and his sons Hans Peter and Alfred renamed the company Ricola, an abbreviation of Richterich & Compagnie Laufen. Export began in the 1970s, introducing Ricola's products to foreign markets in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. At the end of the decade, Ricola moved to a new purpose-built factory in the vicinity of Laufen, where its headquarters are still located.[15]
In 1976, after extensive research on sugar-free confectionery, Ricola launched Switzerland’s first chewable sugarless herbal sweet. Ricola first started to advertise its products on television in the 1980s, an era that saw increased awareness of the need for good dental hygiene, increasing the demand for sugar-free products such as the ones that Ricola offered. In 1985, the cooperation with Swiss farmers for the natural cultivation of herbs according to Bio Suisse standards began.[16] The Klosterfrau Healthcare Group has been responsible for the distribution of Ricola products in Germany since 1987.[17] In 1988 the company started packaging their products in small boxes.[15] In 2019, sales in Germany switched to CFP Brands, a joint venture in which Ricola participated.[18][19]
In 1993, the confectionery producer Disch from Othmarsingen was taken over, which was sold to the investment company Alrupa Finanz Holding in 2015. Disch produces the brands Sportmint and Mocken, which belong to Ricola.[20]
In 2006, the company put a state-of-the-art candy factory into operation in Laufen[21] and in 2014 the new Kräuterzentrum production building was put into operation at the same location.[22] It is made of clay and is the largest clay house in Europe. The construction was developed by the Austrian ceramist and clay building pioneer Martin Rauch, the architects were Herzog & de Meuron.[23]
In 2022, the company opened the first Ricola shop in Paris, where customers can also create their own sweets.[24] In March 2023, the company opened its Ricola shop in Laufen, Switzerland.[25]
In 2023, Ricola and IP-SUISSE agreed on a long-term partnership for the sustainable cultivation of sugar beets to produce 25,000 tons of sugar annually without the use of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides.[26][27]
In December 2023, Ricola was certified as a B Corporation by the non-profit organisation B Lab.[28]
The company is now managed by Thomas P. Meier as CEO and Felix Richterich as President of the Board. Today, Ricola exports to over 50 countries in Asia, North America and Europe.[29]
