Nestle has been called the most multinational of multinational companies. So ubiquitous is the Nestle brand name in the United States that most consumers assume it is an American firm. The Swiss-based giant has established manufacturing operations in all major markets, with a concentration of facilities in Europe, North America, and Latin America. Only a fraction of Nestle's sales are made in its home market.
Nestle has more than 400 plants in 60 countries and employs almost one-quarter of a million employees. The company's origins can be traced back to 1866 with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Corp. (the first condensed milk factory in Europe) and 1867 with the Nestle manufactured infant milk food company. The two companies merged in 1905. The company immediately embarked on its global expansion agenda, establishing operations in Europe, the United States and Latin America between the 1900s and the 1930s.
Nestle is Switzerland's largest industrial company and the world's leading food processor. The food giant ranks as one of the 100 largest companies in the world. Its principal products include beverages (coffee, chocolate drinks, mineral water, and soft drinks), dairy products, infant formula, culinary products (soups, seasoning, condiments), frozen foods and ice cream, refrigerated products (yogurt and chilled desserts), chocolate and confectionary, pet foods, restaurants and hotels, pharmaceutical products, and cosmetics.
Nestle is the world's market leader in instant coffee, mineral water, condensed milk, frozen foods, infant formula, and confections. The company holds the number two global market position in pet foods. Nestle's goal is to double its sales in a decade.
Industry analysts predict that Nestle will encounter difficulty in achieving its goal of doubling sales. One of the problems is that global food markets are flat. For instance, the percentage of Americans drinking coffee has remained u...