Engineering coffee and more

Portrait

The success of Nespresso coffee and coffee machines cannot be attributed exclusively to the smart smile of Hollywood celebrity George Clooney. In fact, Nespresso coffee machines set the benchmark in the market for capsule coffee machines. The brand is an internationally acknowledged synonym for state-of-the-art coffee machines that offer a whole universe of different flavours and ensure excellent taste. The brand is also well-known for its excellent service quality, even after the expiration of the warranty period. Nicolet-Engineering SA, based in Romanel, Switzerland, specializes in the maintenance and repair of Nespresso coffee machines. Soon, the company will employ its engineering know-how in other industries.

The repair of Nespresso machines which have run out of warranty is the mainstay of the business. In addition, the company trains Nespresso account managers on the functionality of the machines and carries out analyses and audits for the development of new machines.

“Often, we are actively involved in the development of new Nespresso machines,” says Managing Director Yves Amaudruz. “For example, we contributed to the two latest Lattissima Pro machines.”

Nicolet-Engineering also carries out after-sales, maintenance and repair jobs for Nestlé vending machines for professional use. “The end users of the machines do not know us,” says Mr. Amaudruz. “But in fact, we have been a business partner of Nestlé and Nespresso for many years now. Our partnership is fruitful and based on mutual trust. Thanks to many years of experience, we draw on profound know-how about the coffee machines. Many of our employees have been with us for years and know the machines very well. Also, we react flexibly and quickly to the needs and wishes of Nespresso. This is part of our service philosophy.”

Nicolet-Engineering uses an ERP system so that the the whole repair process is transparent and Nespresso employees can track progress. All information is constantly updated.

Originally, the company was founded under the name Nicolet Jean-Marc ATELIER DE REPARATIONS by Jean-Marc Nicolet who repaired coffee machines for Nespresso even before the official company foundation. In 2009, the current owner, Pascal Mauroux, a former executive of Nestlé, took over the business and founded Nicolet-Engineering SA.

Today, Nicolet-Engineering has 27 employees. In the coming years, the company aims to expand its scope of activities and to establish itself as a service partner in other industries. Only recently, Mr. Mauroux took over the Nagra Audio business unit from the Kudelski Group and founded a new company named Audio Technology Switzerland, which focuses on developing, manufacturing and distributing audio devices, targeting the high-end, professional and security market segments.