Created in 1930 following the merger of British firm Lever Brother and Dutch organisation Margarine Unie, Unilever has grown into a leading multinational food institution.
Although it is active across a number of sectors, it is particularly strong within the food industry, where it holds the top market position in multiple sub-sectors and owns various leading brand products, such as Stork, Viennetta and Ben & Jerry's. With operations in around 100 countries, the firm has more than 170,000 employees across the world.
Key categories and brands
While it has a significant presence in a variety of industries, Unilever holds the biggest market share - and is perhaps most famous - for its dominance in the food sector. The firm produces a variety of goods in the snack foods, fats and spreads, sauces and seasonings and beverages sectors.
In addition, it is also a major player in the ice cream industry, with Carte D'Or among the numerous brands it manages. First established in 1978, it produces a number of ice creams and sorbets, with the Italian-inspired Crema di Mascarpone, vanilla - which also comes in a lower fat light variety, Caramel Cinnamon Waffle among the flavours made. The product is the number one brand in the premium dessert sector in Europe.
Unilever also manages Ben & Jerry's, an ice cream firm first set up in United States in 1978, which sells its products throughout North America, the Middle East Europe and Asia.
In addition, Unilever has a presence in the snack food market, with Pepparami and Pot Noodle among the brands it owns. The latter holds a 77 per cent market share of the pot snack market in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
- Flora and Bertolli are among its leading fats and spreads brands, while another spread that forms part of the Unilever portfolio is I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! - first launched in the United States in 1986.
- Marmite, a paste made from yeast extract, is available in the UK, Canada, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Australia, among other countries.
- Bovril - a thick meat extract - can be made into a drink by diluting with water, used as a spread or put in soups and stews as a flavouring.
- Beverages - in particular tea - is another major area for Unilever, with PG Tips one of Britain's leading brands. It also owns Red Rose Tea, which was first established in Canada, while Bushells and Lan-choo are among the varieties available in Australia.
- Choysa tea - with its distinctive red and yellow logo - is one of the most popular teas in New Zealand. Lipton provides a number of tea-based drinks - including iced tea - and is available in more than 110 countries across the world.
- Hellmann's - one of the firm's sauces brands - produces a variety of mustards, sandwich spreads and tartar sauces. However, it is perhaps most famous for its range of mayonnaise products.
In addition to its numerous foods, Unilever holds a major presence in the personal hygiene market with Dove - which makes a range of soaps, haircare products and other cleansing and beauty products targeting women. Meanwhile, Axe - known as Lynx in the UK, Ireland and Australia - produces a variety of deodorants and other male grooming products and is the sector's leading brand.
Other brands under the Unilever banner include Domestos, Lux and Cif.
Company information
The firm was established in 1930 following the merger of British soap manufacturer Lever Brother with Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie. Since then it has expanded its interests throughout numerous markets across the world via a number of mergers and acquisitions. As of the end of 2008 it had some 174,000 employees and operates in around 100 countries.
A dual-listed company, the firm consists of Unilever NV in Rotterdam - with UN its ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange - and Unilever PLC in the United Kingdom, where it trades as NL again on the New York-based exchange. It also trades on the London Stock Exchange as ULVR.
