Industry

Food processing

Founded

Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company (1866) Farine Lacte Henri Nestl (1867) Nestl and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company (1905)

Founder(s)

Henri Nestl, Charles Page, George Page

Headquarters

Vevey, Switzerland

Area served

Worldwide

Key people

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe(Chairman) Paul Bulcke (CEO) Wan Ling Martello (CFO)

Products

Baby food, coffee, dairy products, breakfast cereals, confectionery, bottled water,ice cream, pet foods (list...)

Revenue

CHF 92.18 billion (2012)[1]

Operating income

CHF 14.44 billion (2012)[1]

Profit

CHF 10.61 billion (2012)[1]

Total assets

CHF 126.22 billion (2012)[1]

Total equity

CHF 62.60 billion (2012)[1]

Employees

339,000 (2012)[1][2]

Website

www.nestle.com

Nestl S.A. (French pronunciation: [nsle]; English /nsle/, /nsli/) is a Swiss multinational food and beverage company [3][4] headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland. It is the largest food company in the world measured by revenues. Nestl's products include baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, pet foods, and snacks. 29 of Nestl's brands have annual sales of over 1 billion Swiss francs (about $1.1 [3][5] billion), including Nespresso, Nescaf, Kit Kat, Smarties, Nesquik,Stouffer's, Vittel, and Maggi. Nestl has around 450 factories, operates in 86 countries, and employs around 328,000 people. It is one of the main shareholders [6] of L'Oral, the world's largest cosmetics company. On 4th September 2013, software and search-engine giant Google announced that they would be naming the next Android, version 4.4, after the ever-popular chocolate wafer "KitKat" with Nestle's legal permission. Nestle, confirming the team-up, announced the distribution of around 50 [7] million Kitkats worldwide, featuring the android mascot in the covers.

History 1867
In Vevey, Switzerland, our founder Henri Nestl, a German pharmacist, launched his Farine lacte, a combination of cows milk, wheat flour and sugar, saving the life of a neighbours child. Nutrition has been the cornerstone of our company ever since. Henri Nestl, himself an immigrant from Germany, was instrumental in turning his Company towards international expansion from the very start. We owe more than our name, our logo and our first infant-food product to our founder. Henri Nestl embodied many of the key attitudes and values that form part and parcel of our corporate culture: pragmatism, flexibility, the willingness to learn, an open mind and respect for other people and cultures. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Nestl Chairman

1905
The Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, founded by Americans Charles and George Page, merged with Nestl after a couple of decades as fierce competitors to form the Nestl and Anglo-Swiss Milk Company.

1914
The onset of World War I brought severe disruption to us along with the rest of the world. Acquiring raw materials and distributing products became increasingly difficult. Shortages of fresh milk throughout Europe forced factories to sell almost all their supplies to meet the needs of local towns.

1918
Nevertheless, the war created new demand for dairy products, largely in the form of government contracts. To keep up, Nestl purchased several existing factories in the United States and, by war's end, we had 40 factories worldwide.

1925
The 1920s were a time of deep economic hardship, and Nestl suffered severe difficulties along with much of the world. Operations were partially streamlined, but the company was able to continue, and with the acquisition of Peter, Cailler, Kohler Swiss Chocolate Company, chocolate became an integral part of our business. This sparked further variety in the products we offered including malted milk and a powdered drink called Milo.

1938
Nescaf coffee was launched.

1940
Nescaf became an instant success and was followed in the early 1940s by Nestea.

1939
During World War II, Members of the Board and General Management were transferred to the U.S. where they coordinated Nestl activities in the Western Hemisphere, the British Empire and overseas.

1943
Ironically, having slowed the initial launch of Nescaf, the war then helped to popularise it; with the United States entering the war, Nescaf coffee became a staple beverage of American servicemen serving in Europe and Asia.

1945
The close of World War II marked the beginning of a particularly dynamic phase of our history. Dozens of new products were added as our growth accelerated and we acquired outside companies.

1947
The Maggi products, from seasoning to soups, become part of the Nestl family following the merger with Alimentana S.A.

1948
Nesquik, the instant chocolate drink, was developed in the United States. Its original name of Quik was a direct allusion to the speed and simplicity of its preparation.

1974
For the first time we diversified outside the food industry when we became a major shareholder in L'Oral, one of the world's leading makers of cosmetics.

1977

Rising oil prices and slow growth in industrialised countries meant that we needed to respond to a radically changed marketplace. In 1977, we made our second venture outside the food industry by acquiring Alcon Laboratories Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of pharmaceutical and ophthalmic products. A boycott against Nestl was initiated by the U.S.-based organisation Infant Formula Action Coalition over concerns about our promotion of infant formula in developing countries. This led to a consultation process with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and non-governmental organisations. The U.S. boycott ended in 1984 with the signing of a Statement of Understanding between Nestl and the International Nestl Boycott Committee.

1981
In 1981 the World Health Assembly adopted the International Code for the Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (WHO Code) and recommended that its Member States implement it. Nestl was the first company to develop policies based on the WHO Code and apply them across our entire operations in developing countries.

1984
An improved bottom line allowed us to make new acquisitions, including a public offer of USD 3 billion for the American food giant, Carnation. At the time, this was one of the largest acquisitions in the history of the food industry.

1986
The Nespresso story began in 1986 with a simple idea: enable anyone to create the perfect cup of espresso coffee, just like a skilled barista.

1988
The Italian brand Buitoni, in Sansepolcro, became part of our portfolio in 1988. Nestled in the hills of Tuscany, Casa Buitoni is the symbol of the brands ongoing commitment to quality, creativity, and tradition.

The UK-based organisation, Baby Milk Action, launched a boycott against Nestl. While there are still boycott activities in the UK today, the following organisations have officially ended their support for it: the General Synod of the Church of England in July 1994, the Royal College of Midwives in July 1997, the Methodist Ethical Investment Committee in November 2005 and the United Reformed Churches in November 2011.

2006
We acquired Jenny Craig and Uncle Toby's

With the help of Harvards Michael Porter and Mark Kramer, we articulated for the first time the concept of Creating Shared Value. Creating Shared Value expresses our conviction that we can only be successful over the long term if we create value, not just for our shareholders, but also for society.

2007
We acquired Novartis Medical Nutrition, Gerber andHenniez.

2009
We held the first Creating Shared Value Forum in New York, with leading experts in the areas of nutrition, water and rural development coming together to discuss serious global challenges facing us in these three areas and the role of business in helping to solve them. The Creating Shared Value Forum has been held on an annual basis since then, with London in 2010 and Washington, D.C. in 2011.

We celebrated the opening of the Chocolate Centre of Excellence in Broc, Switzerland.

January 2010
We sold our remaining Alcon shares to Novartis and also acquired Kraft Foods frozen pizza busi ness.

March 2010
We faced a challenge from Greenpeace who wanted to be reassured about our commitment to sustainable Palm Oil. It was the first time we saw social media being used in a substantial way to challenge us and ask questions. We didnt get the handling of our response to the campaign itself quite right in social media, but on the issue at its heart palm oil - we took steps to both strengthen our position and to explain it more clearly.

May 2010
This month Nestl launched Special.T.

We launched the Nestl Cocoa Plan which will supply 38 million high quality, disease-resistant plantlets to farmers helping them rejuvenate their farms and increase productivity. The Nescaf Plan was also launched investing CHF 500 million to address responsible farming, sourcing and consumption across our coffee supply chain.

We also awarded the first Nestl Prize in Creating Shared Value to IDE Cambodia for its Farm Business Advisors programme and we announced our partnership with the Forest Trust to work to combat deforestation.

September 2010

We announced the creation of Nestl Health Science and the Nestl Institute of Health Sciences, innovative ventures aimed at the prevention and eventually treatment of chronic medical conditions with science-based personalised nutrition solutions.

January 2011
We voluntarily submitted our policies and procedures to the FTSE4Good Policy Committee for independent review.

March 2011
We became the first infant formula manufacturer to be included in the FTSE4Good Index. This is the London Stock Exchangess responsible investment index and the only index that evaluates companies on their responsible marketing of breast-milk substitutes, alongside human rights and supply chain criteria.

April 2011
China was at the forefront, as we announced a partnership in April with Chinese food company Yinlu, a manufacturer of ready-to-drink peanut milk and canned rice porridge.

July 2011
We announced a partnership with Hsu Fu Chi, a confectionery and snacks manufacturer.

November 2011
We became the first food company to partner with the Fair Labor Association. This partnership will help us investigate if children are working in cocoa farms that supply our factories and, where we find problems, to solve them. All our news can be found in News and Features.

products
Nestl has some 8,000 brands, with a wide range of products across a number of markets, including coffee, bottled water, milkshakes and other beverages, breakfast cereals, infant foods,performance and healthcare nutrition, seasonings, soups and sauces, frozen and refrigerated foods, and pet food. include:
[23] [22]

Nestl's brands

Baby foods
Cerelac
A range of nutritious, easily-digested instant cereals for infants from six months onwards. More on Cerelac ...

Bottled Water
Nestl Pure Life
Affordable bottled water from Nestl. Healthy hydration and great taste. More on Nestl Pure Life ...

Chocolates & Confectionery

KitKat
Delighting consumers all over the world, KitKat is a favourite chocolate treat thanks to light wafers and delicious chocolate. More on KitKat ...

Coffee

The worlds most trusted and enjoyed coffee - rich in natural goodness, flavour and convenience. More on ...

Dairy

Carnation
A delicious alternative to cream for creating your favourite meals and treats. And a good source of calcium. More on Carnation ...

Drinks
Nestea
Go on. Take the plunge! Refreshing, naturally-flavoured ice tea drinks.

More on

Nestea ...

Healthcare nutrition

Nutren Junior
Used in healthcare for total or supplementary nutrition for children who are struggling to get their nutrient requirements from regular food. More on Nutren Junior ...

Ice Cream

Extrme
A wonderfully convenient and delicious cone. A balance of taste and texture with the delight of a chocolate-filled tip. More on Extrme ...

Culinary, chilled & frozen food

Maggi
Bring out the best in every meal. Quick and easy solutions - like bouillons, soups, and seasonings - to aid cooking and flavour. Meals will never be the same again! More on Maggi ...

Food service - Nestl Professional

Milo
The worlds leading chocolate malt energy drink long -associated with good health. A popular product for food service operators in Asia, Africa and Oceania. More on Milo ...

Financial data[edit source | editbeta]

Sales by activity breakdown 27% from drinks 26% from dairy and food products 18% from ready-prepared dishes and ready-cooked dishes 12% from chocolate 11% from pet products 6% from pharmaceutical products 2% from baby milks

32% from Europe

Sales by geographic area breakdown

31% from Americas (26% from US) 16% from Asia 21% from rest of the world

Our Brands
Most people know us through our brands. Our portfolio covers almost every food and beverage category giving consumers tastier and healthier products to enjoy at every eating occasion and throughout lifes stages including times of special nutritional need. Here is a sample of some of our brands. For more information, visit our Brands section.

Baby foods Cerelac, Gerber, Gerber Graduates, NaturNes, Nestum Bottled water Nestl Pure Life, Perrier, Poland Spring, S.Pellegrino Cereals Chocapic, Cini Minis, Cookie Crisp, Estrelitas, Fitness, Nesquik Cereal Chocolate & confectionery Aero,Butterfinger, Cailler, Crunch, KitKat, Orion, Smarties,Wonka Coffee Nescaf, Nescaf 3 in 1, Nescaf Cappuccino, Nescaf Classic,Nescaf Decaff, Nescaf Dolce Gusto, Nescaf Gold, Nespresso Culinary, chilled and frozen food Buitoni, Herta, Hot Pockets, Lean Cuisine, Maggi, Stouffer's,Thomy Dairy Carnation, Coffee-Mate, La Laitire, Nido Drinks Juicy Juice, Milo, Nesquik, Nestea Food service Chef, Chef-Mate, Maggi, Milo, Minors, Nescaf, Nestea, Sjora,Lean Cuisine, Stouffer's

Healthcare nutrition Boost, Nutren Junior, Peptamen, Resource Ice cream Dreyers, Extrme, Hagen-Dazs, Mvenpick, Nestl Ice Cream Petcare Alpo, Bakers Complete, Beneful, Cat Chow, Chef Michaels Canine Creations, Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Felix, Friskies,Gourmet, Purina, Purina ONE, Pro Plan Sports nutrition PowerBar Weight management Jenny Craig