“We’re all crazy about cheese here”
Emmi subsidiary Baumann Käse with its countless cheese specialties is a family business through and through. What is the secret to its long-term success?
Countless cheese specialties can be found in the cheese counter and shelves in the Chäsbueb in Aarau. It is a true gourmet paradise, featuring some specialities that can’t be bought anywhere else. The constant search for all kinds of cheese varieties, the craftsmanship of cheese making and the joy of indulgence – all this is what makes Baumann Käse AG so passionate about what it does.
Just like in the cheese cellar
Along with the Chäsbueb in Aarau, the company also operates its own shops, the “Chäsbuebe” in Bern, Zollikon and Olten. Baumann Käse AG’s regular customers includes many smaller retailers, though major retailers such as Coop and Migros also receive their deliveries. In addition, there are eleven humidors in various Coop branches in the regions of Bern and Western Switzerland, cheese shops that are cooled and humidified to make them suitable for storing cheese and make customers feel like they are in a cheese cellar.
An in-house cheese dairy for exclusive artisanal products
Several years ago, the company witnessed one of its long-cherished dreams come true: with PurCrü in Entlebuch, Baumann Käse runs its own small dairy, which sees the production of creative, exclusive artisanal products that make the company so unique. But who is behind Baumann Käse AG?
A part of Emmi for more than 20 years
Management of Baumann Käse AG, which has been part of the Emmi Group for more than 20 years, was taken over from long-running CEO Jörg Baumann by Martin Urfer, an “Emmian”, last spring. Brigitte Niklaus, Head of Marketing and Retail, and Alex Baumann, Jörg’s brother and Head of Purchasing, have plenty of positive things to say about Martin: “He brings us closer to Emmi and creates valuable connections.”
Good relationships as a key to success
After all, connections are often what matter. Through them, Alex Baumann, Head of Purchasing, has built up a vast network of 220 suppliers, often small dairies. Around 60 percent come from Switzerland, and the rest from abroad. And therein lies the secret of success: in relationships. “This is how we keep coming up with such great and unique products – and that’s exactly what our customers appreciate and are looking for.”
Winning teams
The example of Emmi subsidiary Baumann Käse is not an isolated case. Emmi fosters a working culture that enables all employees to work together well and demonstrate a high level of commitment. Employee development is firmly anchored in our strategy as another way of ensuring that our business stands the test of time. Emmi offers its employees many development opportunities and attaches great importance to modern management and organisational methods. We provide an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued and inspired.
“We practise the Emmi culture while also enjoying our own. We put our body and soul into our work and we’re all a little crazy about cheese here.“
