Laima (confectioner)

Laima is the largest confectionery manufacturer in Latvia. The company is based in Riga, the company is named after Laima, the goddess of destiny of the Latvian mythology.

History

The company's roots lie in the 19th century. Theodor Riegert founded in 1871, a company that became the largest manufacturer of confectionery goods in the Baltic provinces of the Russian Empire. Although the Russian market was lost after the First World War, the company in Latvia could also claim after a dominant position.

The competitors of LW Goegginger presented since 1881 candies, chocolates and various foods forth in cans. From 1910, sold under the brand name Vilhelms Kuze Staburadze sweets and chocolate.

Another chocolate producer Laima was the company founded in 1925, quickly expanding. As the Jewish owner in 1937 emigrated to Palestine, the Latvian state bought the shares of the companies AS Riegert and Laima and merged the two companies.

1941 nationalized all private enterprise. Laima specialized in the production of chocolate and pralines, LW Goegginger was renamed to Uzvara and produced candies, Staburadze called henceforth the June 17 and produced pastries.

1993, respectively, in 1994, Laima and Uzvara were re- privatized as joint stock companies. In 1998, she merged under the name Laima, Uzvara remained as the brand name given, together Staburadze, which had already been absorbed into Laima.

Unlike other regional brand manufacturers, such as the members of the American Special Forces Group Karuna in Lithuania, Marabou and Freia in Sweden, Norway, Laima was able to avoid a takeover by an international company so far. Principal shareholder of Laima is the Nordic Partners Group, which in turn is dominated mostly by the Icelandic investor Gisli Reinison. In December 2006, Laima went public in Riga, this step but was undone by a share buyback in July 2007.

Laima is now the largest manufacturer of candy in the Baltics. The annual output is 16,000 tons, the annual turnover 24 million Lat. 700 people are employed by Laima.

This and that

• The Chocolate Sweet Serenade has the longest history to current brand in Laimas offer. The recipe has remained unchanged since 1937.
• The Laima clock in Riga near the freedom monument is a popular and much besungener meeting of the Latvian capital. The clock was erected in 1924 with the intention that the workers appear to work on time.