Grains & food resiliency propels Bühler’s margins
Bühler Group has reported a robust fiscal performance for 2025, driven largely by the stability of its Grains & Food business and a record-breaking surge in its chocolate and coffee segments.
Despite a volatile global investment climate, the Swiss technology giant successfully expanded its market share and boosted its EBIT margin to 8.0% (up from 7.6% in 2024).
The Grains & Food pillar proved to be the company’s bedrock during the year, gaining significant market share across multiple segments. While the broader group saw a turnover contraction of 7.8% (to CHF 2.8 billion) due to prior-year order cycles, the food and feed divisions provided the necessary volume and stability to offset external pressures.
Chocolate and “value nutrition” surge
The Grains & Food division reported an “encouraging and positive” year, with orders holding steady at CHF 2,147 million. Within this division, specific categories outperformed market expectations:
- Chocolate & coffee: achieved an outstanding 31.0% increase in order intake, reaching CHF 325 million.
- Value nutrition: recorded double-digit growth of 12.7%, fuelled by global demand for functional and plant-based foods.
- Customer service: now accounts for 38.3% of total Group turnover, with long-term service agreements jumping from 2,500 to over 3,000 as manufacturers prioritise equipment uptime and energy efficiency.
By contrast, the Advanced Materials division faced a 15.2% decline in orders, primarily due to weak investment in the automotive sector and “megacasting” projects materializing slower than anticipated. However, the Grinding & Dispersing business within that pillar bucked the trend with 51.0% growth, driven by massive battery-related projects.
Efficiency Gains and “Africa First”
The 2025 results highlight a significant shift in Bühler’s geographic footprint. For the first time, Africa emerged as the largest region for the company’s food and feed businesses, helping to mitigate a 31% drop in US order intake linked to tariff uncertainties.
Financially, the company leveraged its global supply chain to proactively manage costs. “Our strong financial position gives us the flexibility to advance our customers’ businesses through innovation,” stated CFO Mark Macus, noting that net liquidity increased through disciplined project management and reduced working capital.
Leadership transition and 2026 strategy
The year marked a major milestone in leadership continuity for the family-owned enterprise. Samuel Schär officially succeeded Stefan Scheiber as CEO on January 1, 2026, while Scheiber transitioned to chairman of the board.
The Grains & Food business also enters 2026 under new management; Mike Häfeli, a 25-year Bühler veteran, has taken the helm as CEO of Grains & Food, succeeding Johannes Wick.
Sustainability as a commercial driver
During its 2025 Networking Days, Bühler confirmed that 11 out of 15 industrial value chains can now reduce energy, waste, and CO₂e emissions by at least 50% using existing Bühler technologies. The company invested CHF 131 million (4.8% of turnover) into R&D during the year, launching approximately 60 new products to meet these sustainability targets.
“We demonstrated resilience and strength to continuously innovate for our customers,” said chairman Stefan Scheiber. “Our business has proven it can withstand challenging market conditions.”
