Oberbüren (CH) / Borgholzhausen, November 26, 2025 – Warehouse automation specialist Westfalia Technologies Switzerland AG has already expanded the Züger Frischkäse AG site in Oberbüren in the canton of St. Gallen four times. However, even during the final westward expansion of the Swiss premium manufacturer of cream cheese products and vegan alternatives in 2022, it was clear that capacity would have to increase further. This time with a greenfield project, again in Oberbüren.
The successful family-owned company is once again relying on Westfalia for this project. In June 2025, exactly 15 years after the completion of the first automated warehouse, it placed the order for the second warehouse complex: a new triple-deep frozen food warehouse with transverse storage and 2,700 storage spaces for Euro and plastic pallets, a new double-deep cold storage system with longitudinal storage and 2,336 storage locations for Euro pallets, both combined in a 30-meter-high silo building, and a multi-deep packaging warehouse. This stores Euro pallets in 5,078 spaces lengthwise in double, sevenfold, and eightfold deep storage channels and is to be placed on the roof of the new production facility as a 10-meter-high silo. The second warehouse complex is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2027.
This “storage system 2.0” thus comprises around 3,000 more high-bay storage locations than the existing complex because more floor space is available. This was already “occupied” by production at the first location. Westfalia quickly climbed onto the roof of Züger Frischkäse AG at the time. Production on the ground floor, storage on the upper floors with patented Satellite® technology – a principle that has proven itself at Züger for years and is once again proving its worth logistically in the packaging warehouse, optimizing capacity and material flows.
“We know the quality, competence, and people of our intralogistics partner and have good personal contacts,” says Christof Züger, who owns the family business with his brother Markus, explaining the decision. "We are convinced of the Satellite® technology and are planning to modernize the existing systems and add further interfaces from our ERP system to Westfalia's Savanna® Warehouse Execution System. Therefore, it makes sense for us to take the next steps with the same technology."
“It's always something special to be commissioned again,” says Ralf Linz, Sales Technologies & Systems at Westfalia Technologies Switzerland AG. “Because that means we did everything right with Züger Frischkäse AG right from the start with the first storage system.”
A joint 15-year success story
In 2010, the automated cold storage system with 2,500 storage locations and two storage and retrieval machines (SRMs) mounted on one rail was built at the first production site in Oberbüren, followed in 2012 by the deep-freeze warehouse with 1,400 storage locations at a storage temperature of -18°C. This was followed in 2014 by a packaging warehouse with 3,000 storage spaces for pallets with packaging materials. This allows the company to cushion fluctuating packaging material prices and stock up flexibly at the best price. In 2022, Züger Frischkäse AG expanded the fresh storage facility by 700 storage spaces to the west. Two more vertical conveyors were added to the existing six, increasing the daily retrieval capacity by 150 pallets and the storage capacity from production and packaging.
The combination of three storage systems seamlessly ties in with production that has grown continuously over the years: thanks to their compact dimensions, high storage density, capacity, and lightweight storage and retrieval machines (SRMs), the Satellite® Storage Systems fit perfectly on the roof of the original production building. They are ideal for the limited space available and for load units weighing up to one ton. A solar power system with an annual output of approximately 550,000 kWh went into operation in 2021 and, together with a vertical wind turbine, ensures the energy self-sufficiency of the unique technology ensemble in Oberbüren.
This is testament to the innovative strength of this family-run business. Today, in addition to mozzarella, butter, cream cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, and quark, shepherd's cheese, cottage cheese, grilling cheese, and frying cheese, the company also produces vegan and award-winning versions of many cream cheese specialties. These products are sold worldwide. Within ten years, the amount of milk processed has doubled: approximately 500 to 550 tons of milk are processed daily, of which about 20 percent is organic milk. “We want to continuously develop our company with the latest technologies and thus meet the ever-changing needs of our customers,” says Christof Züger.
Maximum capacity, reliability, and process efficiency
One of the strengths of the Satellite® technology is its high storage density. Two storage blocks and up to 18 storage channels deep on both sides of a single storage aisle are served by a total of four Chain Satellites in the storage system. This increases capacity, improves operational reliability and route efficiency, reduces the volume required per pallet and the number of vehicles needed, and lowers energy, maintenance, and transport logistics costs. Consistent logistics concentration eliminates the need for additional storage locations for refrigerated products and packaging materials.
Thanks to special bearing profiles in the channels, which support loading aids at additional points, and the Satellites designed for the gentle transport of heavy loads, malfunctions are minimized. The systems run reliably for years. They ensure an uninterrupted cold chain, consistently high product quality, and reduce material wear and damage to goods. Even disposable pallets can be stored for long periods without bending or jamming.
The Savanna.NET® Warehouse Execution System controls and manages the storage system – up to 8,000 transport orders and a throughput of 2,000 pallets per day for punctual retrieval without congestion at the truck docks. With dynamic queries, it creates complete warehouse transparency and helps to continuously optimize inventory and strategically align the product range structure with the market.
In addition to the software, Westfalia implemented additional Savanna® workstations from TERRA as clients for the CSB host system, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software specialized for the food industry. “Savanna® exchanges data with the CSB host system, automatically fills and empties a blast chilling zone, supplies a picking zone, and the three different product and temperature zones for fresh, frozen, and normal temperature packaging,” explains Christian Goltermann, Sales Director Software & IT at Westfalia.
“Although we implemented the first warehouse back in 2010, we were able to upgrade, convert, and bring it up to date,” says Silvan Egger, the Project Manager responsible at Züger AG, with conviction. “This expandability has great advantages for us. The recent expansion has enabled us to increase productivity massively. Westfalia is a highly specialized SME with very competent employees and its own production facilities. We look forward to working together to develop and implement the next solutions.”
