Unilever was one of the world’s first genuine multinationals with operating companies in more than 40 countries.
The company produces and distributes a vast number of well known brands in the areas of nutrition, hygiene and personal care that are used by consumers all over the world.
The history of Unilever dates back to 1885, William Lever established a soap manufacturing company in the UK with his brothers and named the company Lever Brothers in 1885.
William Hesketh Lever was born at Bolton, Lancashire in 1852 was the son of grocer. Together with James Lever, William Lever opened soap factory at Warrington, England, in 1885.
Their products, Sunlight, the world’s first packaged soap, was very successful. The soup they made in ready moulded tablet.
Previously laundry soap was marketed in bars and grocers cut off pieces and sold them by weight.
Until 1919 Lever was wholly own and controlled by the founder. By 1919, as a result of ingle minded expansionist, commercial policies, his firm accounted for 60 percent of soap production in Britain.
Two butter makers, Jurgen and Van den Berghs formed Margarine Union in 1927. The Dutch Margarine Union merged with Lever Brothers of United Kingdom in 1929 to form Unilever.
During the 1930s, the structure and management of Unilever has been describe as a professional largely non-family managed hierarchy.
For tax, purpose, two separate entities were established, one in London and another in Rotterdam.
Historically, Unilever has grown to be a very multilocal company. However, while the company used to work with regional supply chains on regional brands. Unilever started to globalize their brands in the early and mid 1990s.
History of Unilever
