Since last May, the South Tyrolean company Loacker, one of the international market leaders for wafers and chocolate specialties, has had a new management team for its location in Heinfels, East Tyrol: Tinneke Gies has taken over the commercial management and Gerhard Figl the production management. The two new directors replace the long-standing management team of Frank Hess and Andreas Burger.
Hess and Burger significantly characterized and characterized the Loacker factory in Heinfels. As plant manager and management manager, Frank Hess was present from the beginning, from the planning of the site to the construction of the new Heinfels plant in 1998. The few employees at that time have grown over the decades to almost 400 currently and the production site is today considered a flagship of the European confectionery industry.
A new top management was appointed in Heinfels in May: Tinneke Gies and Gerhard Figl are now at the helm of the Loacker plant in East Tyrol supported by the management team.
Tinneke Gies is originally from Belgium, has lived in Austria since 2009 and has worked for 15 years in the food wholesale trade in product development and private label marketing, also in the role of managing director. For the last two years you have worked in IT and supported companies in the digital transition.
Gerhard Figl has worked at Loacker since 1998, covering various roles, and since 2016 has taken on a management position in production at the Heinfels plant.
The new management team will face numerous challenges. “The world and markets are rapidly changing, and this also calls into question Loacker as an international company,” explain Gies and Figl. With the appropriate structures and the necessary procedures and innovations, both want to create the conditions to “face future challenges and support the growth of the group.”
Founded by Alfons Loacker, the family business has grown over the past 90 years from a small patisserie in Bolzano to a world-famous brand whose products delight consumers in over 100 countries. Even today, all Loacker products are produced in the heart of the Alps, in Auna di Sotto (South Tyrol) and Heinfels (East Tyrol), at over 1,000 metres above sea level, following the highest quality standards and the most modern processes. The company places particular importance on selected, natural ingredients and produces its products without added flavourings, colourings or preservatives. Despite its strong international footprint, Loacker follows sustainable business strategies that respect the environment and people. The family-run company works in all areas by optimising resources and remains committed to social and environmental issues in the region.
