Nestlé to Create Visitors Centre in Henri Nestlé’s Historic Buildings in Vevey

The visitors centre will consist of a recreation and discovery area for families, consumers, employees and anyone interested in Nestlé, covering all aspects of the company.

12 Feb 2013 --- To mark its 150th anniversary in 2016, Nestlé has decided to transform the buildings formerly belonging to Henri Nestlé into a public visitors centre. "Visitors will meet and discover our company in the main building where they also learn about Nestlé’s past, present and future," said Nestlé Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe at the publication of planning proposals. Nestlé’s CEO Paul Bulcke added: "This new centre, located on Nestlé’s original site, marks our historical roots in Vevey and Switzerland. From a small manufacturer of an innovative product, Nestlé has become, in 150 years, the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company, employing more than 330,000 people worldwide. We are proud of our roots."

The visitors centre will consist of a recreation and discovery area for families, consumers, employees and anyone interested in Nestlé, covering all aspects of the company. Special exhibitions will present Nestlé’s current and future activities, its role in society in general and its contribution to nutrition, health and wellness. Visitors will also learn about Nestlé’s history and the company’s archives.

The site called "Les Bosquets" is situated in the industrial zone behind the Vevey train station. The existing original buildings will be renovated, including the former factory, Henri Nestlé’s administrative building "La Villa", and the steel structure of the former bakery. A new glass structure will connect the historical buildings. It will serve as a welcome and recreation area connecting the exhibition sections, it will include a restaurant and will be open to the public. The glass roof will collect rain water to keep the building cool in summer. A solar installation is also planned. The new centre is a two-minute walk from the train station via a pedestrian zone.

The centre will open in 2016. At the same time, a new exhibition will open in the Alimentarium, a Nestlé foundation which has been successful since its opening in 1985. For Nestlé’s 150th anniversary, a new concept will be launched at the Alimentarium and its historical building will be renovated. The goal of the Alimentarium will remain unchanged: to explore and highlight food from the perspective of history, society, culture, science and nutrition. These two separate institutions – one specifically dedicated to Nestlé, and the other to nutrition in general – demonstrate our presence and our roots in the town where the company was founded. Having over the years become the world’s largest food company, Nestlé still cherishes the Swiss roots and values which have helped the company grow.

In 2016, the Nestlé Group will celebrate 150 years since it was founded. In 1866, Henri Nestlé developed his infant cereal in Vevey, while the first can of sweetened condensed milk in Europe was produced by the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co. in Cham. The two companies merged in 1905, forming the base of the Group. Henri Nestlé moved to Vevey at the age of 25, from Frankfurt, Germany. A trained pharmacist he was very creative and a born entrepreneur. He purchased a small factory where he produced oil, brandy, bone meal, oil lamps and even mineral water. But it was the creation of infant cereal that would ensure his and Nestlé’s fame.