Schwarz Produktion is investing more than EUR 300 million in its Bonback Halle (Saale) industrial bakery, for which it will hire more than 400 people.
A significant expansion of the existing production facilities is planned. In addition to the two existing baking lines, a new production building will be constructed on two levels, providing space for further equipment. A new, automated deep-freeze warehouse with space for around 60,000 pallets is also in the works. The entire site will be supplied entirely with green electricity. Construction work is expected to start at the beginning of 2026, with the expanded production facility due to commence operations in the course of 2027.
Bonback Halle (Saale) has been part of Schwarz Produktion since the beginning of 2024. Since 2018, more than 180 employees have been producing around 150 million rustic stone-baked products per year in Halle (Saale), then still under the name ARTiBack.
“The expansion of Bonback Halle (Saale) is our response to the great success of our baked goods in the Lidl and Kaufland bakery stores,” says Jörg Aldenkott, CEO of Schwarz Produktion, who presented the project at a press conference.
In total, around 6,000 employees in 16 locations produce food, packaging and materials at the Schwarz Produktion companies. In addition to baked goods, the companies produce mineral water and soft drinks, chocolate, dried fruit, ice cream, coffee, pasta and paper. It also includes three plastics and recycling plants.
Schwarz Produktion is part of the Schwarz Group retail group, with around 13,900 stores and 575,000 employees in 32 countries. In the 2023 financial year, the companies of the Schwarz Group generated total sales of EUR 167.2 billion.
Photo (from left to right): Chairman of the Board of Schwarz Produktion Jörg Aldenkott, Member of the State Parliament Elke Simon-Kuch, Minister Sven Schulze, in the middle – three Bonback Halle trainees, the Mayor of Halle, Egbert Geier, and the Managing Director of Bonback Halle, Marc Michael Saam.
Credit: Kirsten Nijhof
