Introduction:
Nestlé’s products include coffee and tea, candy and confectionery, bottled water, infant formula and baby food, dairy products and ice cream, frozen foods, breakfast cereals, dry packaged foods and snacks, pet foods, and medical food. Twenty-nine of Nestlé’s brands have annual sales of over 1 billion CHF (about US$1.1 billion),including Nespresso, Nescafé, Nestea, Kit Kat, Smarties, Nesquik, Stouffer’s, Vittel, and Maggi. Nestlé has 447 factories, operates in 189 countries and employs about 339,000 people. It is one of L’Oreal’s leading shareholders, the world’s largest cosmetics company.
Coffee, tea, chocolates, confectionery, bottled water, food and formula, dairy and ice cream, frozen meals, breakfast cereals, dry food and snacks, pet foods and medicinal foods are all products from Nestlé. Nestlé’s brands, which include Nespresso, Nescafé, Nestea, Kit Kat, Smarties, Nesquik, Stouffer’s, Vittel, and Maggi, generate over 1 billion CHF (about US$1.1 billion) in sales annually. Nestlé employs over 339,000 people, operates in 189 countries, and has 447 factories. It is a major shareholder in L’Oreal, the biggest cosmetics company in the world.
George and Charles Page launched the “Anglo-Swiss Milk Company” in 1866, while Henri Nestlé founded the “Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé” in 1867. These two companies merged to form Nestlé in 1905. The business expanded its product line beyond its initial condensed milk and newborn formula items during World War I and again after World War II. Findus was acquired by the company in 1963, followed by Libby’s in 1971, Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, Klim in 1998, and Gerber in 2007.
History and Evolution:
The two distinct Swiss businesses that would eventually come to be known as Nestlé were established in the 1860s. Over the next few decades, the two rival companies grew their operations across Europe and the US.
Timeline:
- 1866: The Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company was founded in Cham, Switzerland, by brothers Charles and George Page, the US consul to Switzerland and residents of Lee County, Illinois. In 1873, the business opened its first location in Britain in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
- 1867: Henri Nestlé created a milk-based baby meal in Vevey, Switzerland, and quickly started selling it. Daniel Peter started working for seven years to master the process of making milk chocolate the following year. Peter needed to eliminate all the water from the milk that was poured to his chocolate in order to keep the product from growing mildew, and Nestlé had the answer.
- 1875: When Henri Nestlé retired, the business continued to be known as Société Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé under the new ownership.
- 1877: When the Nestlé Company added condensed milk to its range the following year, Anglo-Swiss became a direct competitor after adding milk-based infant meals to its lineup.
- 1879: Nestlé and Daniel Peter, the creator of milk chocolate, merged.
- 1890: Henri Nestlé died.
Evolution:
For Nestlé, the first half of the 1990s was favorable. World marketplaces became more or less integrated trading areas as trade restrictions fell. Numerous acquisitions have taken place since 1996, such as D’Onofrio (1997), Spillers Petfoods (1998), Ralston Purina (2002), and San Pellegrino (1997). In 2002, there were two significant acquisitions in North America: Nestlé combined its US ice cream division with Dreyer’s in June, and Chef America, the company behind hot pockets, was acquired for $ 2.6 billion in August. In the same period, Nestlé and Cadbury made a joint offer that almost resulted in the acquisition of Hershey’s, one of its most formidable rivals in the candy industry, but the deal failed.
The Swedish company EQT AB purchased the Findus brand from Nestlé in 1999.
Nestlé paid 240 million euros to purchase the Greek company Delta Ice Cream in December 2005. With a 17.5%stake, it became the largest ice cream manufacturer in the world when it totally acquired Dreyer’s in January 2006. Acquiring Novartis Pharmaceutical Medical Nutrition Division. The agreement also included the purchase of the “Boost” and “Resource” nutritional supplements, Optifastast Diet products, and the Ovaltine Milk Flavor Product.
Returning to its origins, Nestlé paid $ 5.5 billion to purchase US Baby Food producer Gerber in April 2007. Nestlé formed a strategic alliance with Pierre Marcolini, Belgian chocolate maker, in December 2007.
The Hong Kong government discovered melamine in a Nestlé milk product in Chinese at the end of September 2008, resulting in death damage to six babies and hospitalization of 860.
In August 2010, he bought Vitaflo, a British pharmaceutical company that produces clinical nutritional products for individuals with genetic diseases. For approximately $ 1.7 billion, Nestlé Sa agreed to buy 60% from HSU Fu Chi International Ltd. In July 2011. Nestlé won a joint offer by Danone and Mead Johnson to buy the Pfizer Inc.
Key milestones in Nestlé’s history include:
- Nescafé, one of the most well-known coffee brands in the world, was introduced in 1938.
- Purchasing Maggi, a market leader in food items in 1947.
- Nestlé entered the cosmetics business in 1974 with an investment in L’Oréal.
- Ralston Purina was acquired, bolstering the company’s pet food business in 2002.
- Starbucks’ retail coffee division was acquired for $7.15 billion in 2018.
Product Portfolio:
Nestlé offers a wide variety of products in several categories, such as:
- Dairy and Nutrition: With an emphasis on nutrition and health, companies like Nestlé Milk, Nido, and Lactogen serve customers of all ages.
- Beverages: Nesquik, Milo, and Nescafé are some of the most popular drinks in the world.
- Confectionery: KitKat, Smarties, and Aero are popular chocolates and candies.
- Prepared Foods: Nestlé sells ready-to-eat meals, soups, and sauces under the Maggi and Stouffer’s brands.
- Pet Care: Brands including Purina ONE, Friskies, and Pro Plan are part of Nestlé Purina PetCare.
- Infant and Medical Nutrition: Products like Cerelac and NAN are frequently used to nourish mothers and babies.
CEO:
Chief executive officer:
- 1981-1997 : Helmut Maucher;
- 1997-2008 : Peter Brabeck-Letmathe;
- 2008-2016 : Paul Bulcke;
- 2017-2024 : Ulf Mark Schneider;
- Since 2024 : Laurent Freixe.
Board of directors:
- As of 2017, the board is composed of:[114]
- Paul Bulcke, chairman and former CEO of Nestlé
- Andreas Koopmann, former CEO of Bobst
- Beat Hess, former legal director/general counsel for ABB and Shell
- Renato Fassbind, former CEO of DKSH and former CFO of Credit Suisse
- Steven George Hoch, founder of Highmount Capital
- Naina Lal Kidwai, former CEO of HSBC Bank India, country head for HSBC in India
- Jean-Pierre Roth, former chairman of the Swiss National Bank
- Ann Veneman, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and director of UNICEF
- Henri de Castries, former CEO and chairman of Axa
- Eva Cheng, former executive vice president of China and Southeast Asia for Amway
- Ruth Khasaya Oniang’o, former member of the Parliament of Kenya, current professor at Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
- Patrick Aebischer, former president of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Awards
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Brand91_a94a7d-62> |
Award91_3bf1e7-05> |
Result91_f00ae6-e3> |
2010 91_052029-b4> |
Nestlé Purina 91_47cf5e-ba> |
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award 91_2e7bf9-a6> |
Won 91_062ae3-27> |
2010 91_969513-14> |
— 91_3d0366-c6> |
IUoFST Gold Food Industry Award 91_df7025-d6> |
Won 91_3c3a27-12> |
2011 91_bb9f3c-00> |
— 91_bd9603-9a> |
World Environment Center Gold Medal Award 91_8fce7d-fd> |
Won 91_4fce92-bd> |
2014 91_eafbbf-ad> |
— 91_1e7c2d-40> |
Henry Spira Corporate Progress Award 91_bb9488-44> |
Won 91_e4b0b0-e0> |
91_f0a5d0-46> |
— 91_cf2c0b-22> | 91_e104db-3a> |
Won 91_786035-b7> |
Conclusion:
Nestlé continues to dominate the worldwide food and beverage market by adapting to changing consumer demands and tackling issues of corporate responsibility and sustainability. The company’s ability to strike a balance between profitability and moral behavior will be essential to preserving its position as the industry leader going forward.