The outdoor Cailler chocolate game
A pioneer in the fields
Sixth stop: Esplanade
Narrator:
From this esplanade, from which you can see Gruyère Castle and the mountains in the direction of Vevey, his birthplace, you can see exactly what Alexandre Cailler saw in 1912: a prosperous land, which is establishing its place in world trade thanks to a product in which he has specialized: milk chocolate. View point that allows you to think ahead, beyond the mountains, to the countries to which Alexandre Cailler exports, such as France, England, Italy...
But watch out, Alexandre Cailler is not alone in the world! Here in Switzerland, closeby in Vevey to be exact, the competition is fierce.
Alexandre Cailler:
My dear Federal Councilor, do not let all of this mislead you: life is not so easy, here in Broc. Our success is huge, at least in Switzerland. We have even overtaken the business of my uncle Daniel Peter, and his partner Jean-Jacques Kohler. But abroad, it’s another story. Let’s be frank: It’s hard to make a name for ourselves. The competition is very tough. My uncle produces chocolate for Nestlé since 1905, you know, and thanks to this agreement his chocolate is sold all overt the continent, and even in the United States!
So what can be done? Continue to fight amongst ourselves, or become partners? Last summer I asked myself that question. If competition is too fierce, it can become life-threatening, at least that's what I believe. It's better to consolidate our strengths and join forces.
We lost no time here either: we signed the agreement in September 1911.
So 1911 has been a good year!
It's also the year when I was elected to the National Council, my dear Decoppet, do you remember?
