Who created Ricola? The Swiss confectioner who became rich with thirteen herbs

On Sunday, July 15, 1973, the news spread quickly through the streets of Laufen, a town of just over 5,000 inhabitants near Basel, Switzerland. Emil Wilhelm Richterich, one of the town's most beloved sons, had just died. He was deeply rooted in the community: he had been a baker and confectioner, a town councilor, president of the retirement home, and a patron of contemporary art. But above all, he was the founder of the valley's most successful industry: Richterich & Compagnie Laufen. That name probably doesn't ring a bell, but if you take the first two letters of each word and put them together, you'll discover one of the world's most famous candy brands, also found in Catalonia: Ricola.

Today, Ricola is a group with a turnover of nearly €440 million annually, exporting to more than fifty countries and producing 7 billion candies each year. It employs over 400 people and works with more than 100 Swiss farms that cultivate the thirteen herbs featured in each candy's formula. Everything is still manufactured in Laufen, the same town where its founder was born. But how exactly did a baker from a small Swiss town manage to transform a local confectionery into a global brand?

The discovery of the herbs

Richterich was born on February 2, 1901, in Laufen. He didn't come from an industrial family, but rather from a modest background: he was the son of a school caretaker. He attended primary and secondary school in the village and trained as a baker. He then completed his apprenticeship as a confectioner and spent time in Lausanne and Zurich, two cities that allowed him to broaden his horizons and perfect his craft.

In 1930, at the age of 29, he bought a small bakery in his hometown and transformed it into a confectionery shop: Richterich & Co. Initially, he made popular sweets, but in the summer of 1940, once the business was up and running, he took a crucial step. He began experimenting with alpine aromatic plants. He wasn't a doctor or pharmacist, but he was familiar with the traditional properties of many herbs that grew in the surrounding mountains. He selected thirteen: elderberry, marshmallow, mallow, mint, sage, thyme, yarrow, plantain, primrose, burnet, white horehound, speedwell, and lady's mantle.

His intuition wasn't to create a medicine, but a unique candy. He envisioned a product that combined an intense flavor with a touch of freshness and a certain feeling of well-being. After several trials, he achieved a balanced blend that maintained the herbal taste without being overly bitter. This herbal candy, cut into small cubes, quickly became the company's flagship product.

Ricola's expansion

During the 1950s, the herbal candy began to gain popularity beyond the town. It was not only eaten as a sweet treat, but also dissolved in hot water, becoming an aromatic infusion. Demand grew, and the small confectionery shop was forced to expand its facilities.

In 1967, the company officially adopted the name Ricola and began exporting. First to Germany and Italy; then, in the 1970s, to more distant markets such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. This leap was not only geographical but also industrial. As demand grew, Ricola automated processes and strengthened its quality control. The formula remained the same, but production was no longer artisanal.

In the 1980s, the company made another strategic move. It deepened its collaboration with mountain farmers to ensure the natural cultivation of its herbs under Swiss organic standards. In 1988, it launched sugar-free versions of its candies. Shortly after came what was perhaps its greatest marketing coup: television commercials. Under the leadership of the founder's second and third generations, Ricola continued to professionalize its management and invest in upgrading its facilities.

Today, 90% of production is destined for export, and yet everything is still manufactured in Laufen, the same place where, in the summer of 1940, a baker decided to mix thirteen alpine herbs to create a new candy.