Company in Wolfern happy

Tourism boom is good for dumpling production

Weinbergmaier achieved a turnover of €72.1 million last year. This year, the company is celebrating its 55th anniversary.(Bild: Weinbergmaier)

It all started in Steyr, followed by the move to Wolfern 30 years ago, where 25 million euros have been invested in the expansion of the site in recent years: We are talking about Weinbergmaier. How the frozen food manufacturer behind brands such as "Toni Kaiser" is benefiting from the boom in local tourism and defying inflation.

From Kaiserschmarrn and pancakes to semolina dumplings: Weinbergmaier in Wolfern produced 9,000 tons of frozen food last year.

"Anyone who eats a yeast dumpling in a ski hut in Austria is 90 percent likely to eat one from our production," says Gerald Spitzer, who manages the food manufacturer's business with Christian Kübek.

"We produce 600 typical Austrian specialties," reveals Managing Director Gerald Spitzer.(Bild: Weinbergmaier)

Two robots are put into operation
25 million euros were invested in the expansion in Wolfern between 2020 and 2023. No major investments are planned for this year. However, the commissioning of two robots that will take over tasks in the palletizing station is a fixed date.

Last year, we were looking for 20 employees who we couldn't find because the job market was empty. At peak times, we had over 30 temporary workers in the company. Now that has changed and we can work on a permanent team.

Gerald Spitzer, Geschäftsführer Weinbergmaier

Weinbergmaier is also pleased that tourism is developing so well in Austria. "That plays into our hands," explains Spitzer: "Of course there are guests who are more sensitive about how much they spend due to the cost increases, but basically things are going in an absolutely positive direction." This is also boosting the production of yeast dumplings: 15 million are produced each year.

Counter-trend back to quality
Has consumer purchasing behavior changed in terms of frozen food in the previous year? Spitzer saw a growing popularity for entry-level products, i.e. cheaper items. "But at the latest when you eat something like this, you know what you have bought and some things are put into perspective," says the Weinbergmaier boss, who therefore perceives a counter-trend - back to quality.