Danone. It is a French-Spanish multinational food products company that is based in Paris, France. It is specialized in dairy products, especially its famous yogurt.
Summary
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- 1 History
- 2 Expansion
- 3 Strategic reorientation
- 4 Sources
History
This currently French multinational has its germ in the city of Barcelona, where the Sephardic Jew Isaac Carasso marketed the first products in pharmacies back in 1919. Fermented milk was then considered a medicinal product, a heroic remedy that prolonged the lives of those consumed it. The headquarters of the dessert of happy digestion, which was even prescribed by the doctors of the time, was moved in 1929 from Barcelona to Paris, where it built its first large factory. The brand was led by Daniel, Carasso’s son, and since then its growth has been unstoppable. The company’s first success was the launch of flavored yogurt , which dazzled Parisian society. The true takeoff ofDanoneIt would arrive with the jump of the puddle from the European continent and its opening in the United States in 1937. Daniel Carasso decided to change the name of the brand there for Dannon to facilitate its pronunciation and therefore sales. In Spain, Danone SA will be chaired by Luis Portablella Comte-Lacoste since 1941 and for 40 years of business prosperity. The first large Danone factory in our country was opened in 1963 in Aldaia (Valencia). Today it remains standing converted into one of the most modern plants of the multinational. Danone also has industrial facilities in Salas (Asturias), Parets del Vallés (Barcelona) and Tres Cantos (Madrid). The latter was 20 years old yesterday with a current production of 160,000 tons per year. It is specialized in the manufacture of natural and flavor yogurt, Natural and skimmed activia, Vitalínea flavors and Danet. The rise of the food company continues unstoppable. Danone has become the brand with the best reputation among Spaniards thanks to the quality of its products and its constant innovation. Releases such as Petit Suisse, Actimel and Danacol have boosted its success and helped maintain consumption of Danone items despite the rise of private labels.
Expansion
In 1929 the company moved from Spain to France and the first factory was built there. During the German occupation of France during World War II, Daniel moved the company to New York to avoid persecution for being of the Jewish faith. Daniel partnered with Swiss-Spanish Joe Metzger and changed the name to Dannon to make it sound more American. In 1951 Daniel Carraso returned to Paris to manage the Danone group family in Spain and France and the American business was sold in 1959. Two years later he merged with Gervais, the leading cheese producer in France, and then became Gervais. Danone. In Spain, in addition to the Barcelona headquarters (Calle Buenos Aires, 21, Barcelona, near the Plaza de Francesc Macià), Danone has factories in Asturias, Valencia, Madrid, Parets del Vallés and Tenerife. In Latin America,dairy ), Uruguay (dairy and water), Mexico (dairy and water) and Colombia are produced in the new plant, built in association with Alquería (leader in the UHT segment). Its products also arrive in Chile, where production began in late 2007, after acquiring a Parmalat plant in Chillán.
Strategic reorientation
The acquisition of Alsatian beer Kronenbourg and Evian mineral water were made, which were the largest customers of the glass. This movement was necessary to fill the bottles of the factory. In 1973 the company merged with Gervais Danone and began to expand internationally. In 1979 , the company abandoned glass manufacturing, disposing of Boussois Verreries. In 1987, Gervais Danone acquired General Biscuit, owner of the LU brand, and in 1999 , bought Nabisco. In 1994 BSN changed its name to Grupo Danone, adopting the best-known brand nameinternational. Franck Riboud succeeded his father, Antoine, as company president and CEO in 1996 , when Riboud senior retired. Under Riboud junior the company continued its focus on three groups of products (dairy, beverages and cereals). In 1999 and 2003, the group sold 56% and 44%, respectively, of its glass container business. In 2000, the group also sold most of its European beer activities (the Kronenbourg brand and the 1664 brand were sold to Scottish and Newcastle entrepreneurs for £ 1.7 billion. Their Italian cheese and meat (Egidio Galbani Spa) were sold in March 2002. In August 2005, the Group sold its sauce business in the United Kingdom and the United States. In January 2006, its sauce business in Asia (Amoy Alimentos) was sold to Ajinomoto. Despite these divestments, Danone continues its international expansion in its 3 business units, with an emphasis on health and wellness products. In July 2007, it was announced that Danone had already reached an agreement with Kraft to sell its biscuit division, including LU and the Principe brands, for around € 5.3 billion. Also in July 2007, a € 12.3 billion cash offer was offered by Danone for a Dutch baby food brand
