Fully automatic espresso machine maker Eversys is set to take the next step in its expansion, which will include massively ramping up its factory operations at a cost of almost £25m.
The move has implications for the US market, where Eversys is working on a major project with a leading coffee chain.
Eversys, which was founded in 2009 and acquired by the Italian De’Longhi Group last year, plans to extend its premises in the Swiss city of Sierre to support orders from a multinational coffee chain.
Like the entire gastronomy-related industry, the company has felt the effects of the pandemic. In 2020, it bucked the trend by growing its sales by 15%. But in 2021, it had to digest a 10% drop in sales.
Since last autumn, however, orders have picked up significantly, and Eversys expects year-on-year growth of over 50% for 2022, which could see it break the CHF100m ($102m) turnover mark for the first time. The biggest challenges in achieving this milestone currently lie in material procurement.
Eversys foresees continuous growth for 2023 thanks to a well-filled pipeline and substantial customer projects.
In addition, preparations for the launch of a new product line called ‘Légacy’ are currently in full swing. With this latest innovation, Eversys believes it can open up new customer segments worldwide.
Last year the opportunity arose for Eversys to tackle a joint project with one of the world’s leading coffee house chains.
The project, a fully automatic coffee machine for cold brewed coffee, has progressed so well that the two parties are tackling the next phase, which involves planning and preparing for production, based on an LOI.
From the beginning of 2024, large quantities of the new product will be built in Sierre and delivered initially to the USA.
Eversys has already created around 60 new jobs in Sierre in 2022 and is constantly looking for more staff in multiple functions, including 20 people for assembly.
These organisational reinforcements will continue throughout next year to ensure it is ready for the production of the cold-brew machine.
To make the planned growth possible, Eversys is also expanding its production and office space.
The existing 7,500 square metre facility, which was newly built only three years ago, will be extended by 11,000m square metres in the coming year.
The land required for this was made available by the municipality of Sierre. This project represents an investment of around CHF25m (£25m) with the aim of completing it before the end of 2023.
Martin Strehl, CEO of Eversys, said: “Eversys has promising prospects, and we feel comfortable in Sierre and well-supported by the cantonal and municipal authorities.
“Provided that the global environment does not have a significant negative impact on the economy, we should be able to double turnover in the coming years and grow our global team to around 500 people.”
