Nestlé S.A. History



Address:
Avenue Nestlé 55
CH-800 Vevey
Switzerland

Telephone: 41-21-924-2111
Fax: 41-21-924-28-13

Public Company
Incorporated: 1866 as Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company
Employees: 253,000
Sales: CHF 86.76 billion ($76.66 billion) (2004)
Stock Exchanges: Basle Geneva Zurich Amsterdam Brussels Frankfurt London Paris Tokyo Vienna OTC
Ticker Symbols: NESN; NSRGY (ADRs)
NAIC: 311514 Dry, Condensed, and Evaporated Dairy Product Manufacturing; 311520 Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing; 311511 Fluid Milk Manufac- turing; 311422 Specialty Canning; 311411 Frozen Fruit, Juice, and Vegetable Processing; 311412 Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing; 311230 Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing; 311111 Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing; 311320 Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans; 312111 Soft Drink Manufacturing; 311930 Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing; 311920 Coffee and Tea Manufacturing; 311823 Dry Pasta Manufacturing; 311999 All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing; 325412 Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing; 325620 Toilet Preparation Manufacturing; 551112 Offices of Other Holding Companies

Company Perspectives:

Quality is the essential ingredient in all of our brands and the reason why millions of people choose Nestlé products every day. Our consumers have come to trust in Nestlé's commitment to excellence and turn to Nestlé brands to maintain nutritional balance in a fast paced world.

Key Dates:

1866:
The Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company is founded in Cham, Switzerland.
1867:
Henri Nestlé begins selling cow's milk-food in Vevey, Switzerland.
1900:
Nestlé opens a factory in the United States.
1905:
Nestlé and the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company merge.
1938:
Nestlé introduces Nescafe.
1974:
Nestlé enters the nonfood business, becoming a major shareholder of the cosmetics company L'Oréal.
1979:
After numerous name changes, Nestlé S.A. is adopted as the official corporate title of the company.
1985:
Nestlé acquires Carnation and Hills Brothers Inc.
1992:
Nestlé acquires Perrier.
1998:
Nestlé acquires the Spillers pet food business belonging to Dalgety PLC, making it the second largest pet food maker in Europe.
2002:
Nestlé acquires Ralston-Purina to become co-leader in the global pet food business.
2003:
Nestlé acquires Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream.
2005:
Chief executive officer Peter Brabeck-Letmathe is named chairman of the board.

Company History:

Further Reading:

  • Choi, Candice, "Nestle to Shut Down Three St. Louis Plants," Daily News, April 2, 2005, p. 31.
  • "Daring, Defying, to Grow--Nestlé," Economist (US), August 7, 2004, p. 56US.
  • Hall, William, "Leading Swiss Banker to Be Nestlé Chairman," Financial Times, September 21, 1998, p. 26.
  • ------, "Maucher Keeps His Claws in Nestlé," Financial Times, May 7, 1997, p. 26.
  • ------, "Strength of Brands Is Key to Success," Financial Times, November 30, 1998, p. SII.
  • Harrisson, Pierre, L'Empire Nestlé, Lausanne, Switzerland: Editions P.-M. Favre, 1983, 493 p.
  • Heer, Jean, Nestlé: 125 Years, 1866-1991, Vevey, Switzerland: Nestlé, 1991.
  • ------, World Events, 1866-1966: The First Hundred Years of Nestlé, Vevey, Switzerland: Nestlé, 1966.
  • Interagency Group on Breastfeeding Monitoring, Cracking the Code, UK Committee for UNICEF, 1997.
  • Maucher, Helmut, Leadership in Action: Tough-Minded Strategies from the Global Giant, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994, 160 p.
  • Mudd, Tom, "Nestlé Plays to Global Audience," Industry Week, August 13, 2001, p. 34.
  • "Nestlé Closes $2.8 Billion Dreyer's Deal After Clearing Final Hurdle with FTC," Quick Frozen Foods International, July 2003, p. 10.
  • "Nestlé Consolidating Its Chocolate Production," New York Times, February 5, 1993.
  • Oram, Roderick, "Nestlé's Portfolio of Possibilities," Financial Times, August 8, 1996, p. 24.
  • ------, "Sweet Success for a Strong Leader," Financial Times, September 19, 1995, p. 53.
  • Pink, Robert "Richenberger Keeps Nestle on Straight and Narrow," Corporate Finance, May 2004, p. 18.
  • Rapoport, Carla, "Nestlé's Brand Building Machine," Fortune, September 19, 1994, pp. 147-48, 150, 154, 156.
  • Richards, Louise, "Repackaging of Nestle Cannot Hide Realities," Financial Times, February 25, 2005, p. 12.
  • Rohwedder, Cacilie, "Nestlé Goes on Investment Diet, Limiting Its Expansion: Emphasis Shifts to Strengthening Core Food Products in European Market," Wall Street Journal, September 27, 1994, p. B6.
  • Steinmetz, Greg, and Tara Parker-Pope, "All Over the Map: At a Time When Companies Are Scrambling to Go Abroad, Nestlé Has Long Been There," Wall Street Journal, September 26, 1996, p. R4.
  • Szabo, Andras, "Nestlé Posts Increased Revenue, Plans Investments," Europe Intelligence Wire, March 28, 2005, p. 32.
  • Templeman, John, Stewart Toy, and Dave Lindorff, "Nestlé: A Giant in a Hurry," Business Week, March 22, 1993, pp. 50-51, 54.
  • Thompson, Stephanie, "Nestlé Warns Stores: Prove It or Lose It," Advertising Age, September 13, 2004, p. 1.
  • Urry, Maggie, and William Hall, "Nestlé Buys Spillers for £715m," Financial Times, February 5, 1998, p. 21.

Source: International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 71. St. James Press, 2005.

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