List of the 3 largest companies in the canton of Vaud

The canton of Vaud with its capital Lausanne is a strong business location and has a broadly diversified economy. This is also reflected in our list of the 3 largest companies in the canton of Vaud:

1) Nestlé S.A. (Vevey)

Nestlé is the largest industrial company in Switzerland and also the world’s largest food group. The business is managed from the corporate headquarters in Vevey. The Nestlé product range comprises an almost unmanageable variety of food products – with a focus on beverages, nutrition and health products, dairy products and ice cream, baby food, ready meals, sweets and pet food, among others. According to the Group, there are more than 2,000 Nestlé brands. In 2022, the group generated sales of CHF94.4 billion and employed about 275,000 people worldwide. Nestlé has 344 production plants in 77 countries. The most important sales markets are Europe and North America.

2) Debiopharm International SA (Lausanne)

Although a family-owned company, Debiopharm international is one of Switzerland’s top-selling companies, with sales of about CHF 25 billion – despite a more mid-sized workforce of 450 employees. The pharmaceuticals business is dominated by two products: a drug based on oxaliplatin for colorectal cancer and a drug based on triptorelin for prostate cancer. Debiopharm is also active in other fields – for example, in the area of corporate investments with investments in interesting business models or with its own residential real estate portfolio.

3) Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre (Le Sentier)

Jaeger-LeCoultre is a traditional Swiss watch manufacturer and produces watches in the luxury segment. The company was founded back in 1833 and has been part of the Richemont Group since 2000. Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, headquartered in Bellevue, Canton of Geneva, is entirely focused on luxury goods and owns numerous companies with traditional brands in watches, jewelry, fashion and accessories. Jaeger-LeCoultre employs around 1,400 people.

Picture source: Baptiste Gousset via Unsplash (29.04.2023)