Switzerland's Coffee Valley: A Global Hub for Innovation

Switzerland is considered to be the center of the global coffee industry. More than 40 members of the Swiss Coffee Trade Association control over half of ‘green coffee’ (beans not yet roasted) that is bought and sold worldwide. In financial terms, Switzerland is also the largest exporter of roasted coffee beans, with exports totaling more than 3 billion Swiss francs (around USD 3.4 billion) in 2023.
 

Coffee meets cutting-edge technology

Thanks to its strategic location in the heart of Europe, excellent infrastructure, political stability and its strong financial system, Switzerland offers the ideal conditions for international trade, especially in commodities such as coffee. What’s more, brands such as Nespresso are known worldwide for their innovations in coffee machines, establishing Switzerland as an industry leader, particularly in technological excellence and innovation in coffee preparation. Brands such as Jura, Schaerer, Thermo­plan and Nespresso lead the way on quality and technical innovation in coffee machines, setting high standards in precision, taste, food safety and sustainability.  Switzerland’s state-of-the-art research and development infrastructure allows it to continually develop new technologies and products that influence the global market. Around 70% of all fully automatic coffee machines sold worldwide come from Switzerland, according to Professor Chahan Yeretzian, head of the Coffee Competence Center at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).

Precision engineering from Degersheim

Nolato Treff AG plays a central role in the Swiss coffee ecosystem, in particular through the production of precision plastic components for the world's leading coffee machine manufacturers. Its Degersheim site develops and manufactures tailored solutions using a high degree of automation and constant innovation, ensuring Nolato Treff remains an essential partner in the coffee machine industry.

To guarantee the highest quality standards, the company complies with a large number of strict regulatory requirements that are crucial to the food industry. Particular attention is given to the use of specific plastics that are approved for food contact and that meet stringent usage requirements. These factors, often developed and supplied by Swiss companies such as EMS Chemie, are an integral part of the Swiss coffee industry. 

In addition, sustainable business practices are becoming increasingly relevant in the industry, as reducing the environmental footprint has become more and more important. Like the rest of the Group, Nolato Treff has been involved in this area for many years; it uses 100% green energy and has a consistent recycling management system in place.   Looking to the future of the Swiss coffee industry, it’s clear that Nolato Treff will continue to play a key role. Nolato Treff remains a reliable partner for high-quality plastic solutions and actively contributes to shaping the industry.

Nine questions for three people in the Swiss coffee ecosystem

Roland Dillitzer, Senior Key Account Manager at the material producer EMS-Chemie AG. 

 

What role has EMS-Chemie AG (EMS) played in developing plastics suitable for use in coffee machines?

We were pioneers in developing high-performance plastics for coffee machines back in the 1990s. These plastics, which met all food approvals, allowed metal die-cast components to be replaced for the first time. This led to considerable cost reductions, as it meant reworking was no longer necessary, so EMS made a significant contribution to reducing manufacturing costs.

What trends and developments do you see in the plastics industry, particularly with regard to applications in coffee machine production?

The market is increasingly demanding sustainability and the use of recyclates or bioplastics. EMS has had “Greenline” products in its portfolio for many years, and these are made from renewable raw materials. The plastics used in coffee machines and all other EMS plastics are fully recyclable. EMS is proud to have been CO2-neutral worldwide and at all its sites since 2020.

Sandro Hurschler, Commodity ­Manager Injection Moulding at the coffee machine producer Thermoplan. 

How important is local production in ­Switzerland for your company, and what benefits does it provide?

Local production in Switzerland plays an extremely important role for Thermoplan. The high level of training of our employees enables us to manufacture products that embody the worldwide reputation of "Swiss Quality". Local production not only ensures maximum precision and reliability, but also allows us to respond flexibly to customer requests and guarantee short delivery times. This combination of expertise and quality is a major advantage that has contributed to our worldwide success.

How important to your company is sustainable production and what efforts are you making in this area?

Sustainability is of central importance to Thermoplan, especially as we sell our products globally and are aware of our responsibility to the environment and future generations. We have defined clear goals to promote sustainable practices in our manufacturing. These include reducing our carbon footprint, optimizing energy and resource use, and using eco-friendly materials. Through these measures, we aim to make a positive contribution to global sustainability and consistently fulfill our environmental responsibilities.

What role do Swiss plastics suppliers play for you? 

Thermoplan generally works with longstanding partners in procurement. Swiss plastics suppliers play an extremely important role for us in our supply chain. We value their expertise and in-depth understanding of our specific requirements and the high quality standards we place on our products. Their many years of experience and reliability are decisive factors for us, which is why we will continue to work closely with them in the future. This also applies to Nolato Treff, with whom we have a longstanding partnership.

Guido Vollrath, MD at Nolato Treff.

How do you ensure your products always meet the latest technological and regulatory requirements?

Coffee machines have to withstand extreme conditions; high pressure of up to 20 bar, temperatures of up to 100°C and high levels of humidity. Our products need to withstand these extremes for many thousands of cycles. To meet these requirements, we rely on modern machinery, stable process control and consistently high-quality raw materials. And continuous investment ensures we always remain at the cutting edge of technology.

How has Nolato Treff established itself as one of the leading manufacturers of coffee machine components and what key factors have contributed to this success?

We’ve been manufacturing components and complete brewing units for coffee machines for around 40 years and have continually kept pace with the growing requirements of the industry. Regular investment in high-performance and reliable machinery, the necessary infrastructure and a high degree of automation have helped us establish ourselves as a leading manufacturer in this field.

To what extent do sustainability and social responsibility play a role in production at Nolato Treff, and how do you integrate these aspects into your corporate strategy?

Sustainability has long been a key issue throughout the Nolato Group. We’ve made considerable progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions for many years by purchasing our electricity using hydroelectric certificates of origin. There is still great potential to reduce indirect greenhouse gas emissions, which can only be achieved in close cooperation with our customers and suppliers. We have already launched various initiatives and are confident we will see the first successes in the next 12 to 18 months.