Wells Enterprises, Inc. is an American food company and is the largest family-owned and managed ice cream manufacturer in the United States, based in Le Mars, Iowa . It is the maker of Blue Bunny ice cream.
51-512: Wells is the second largest ice cream maker in the United States behind Unilever . Wells produces the Blue Bunny brand, along with 2nd St. Creamery, Bomb Pop and several private label brands. In addition, Wells is the licensee for Weight Watchers Ice Cream. In 2007 and 2008, Wells sold its cultured dairy and fluid milk business to Dean Foods and its yogurt business to Grupo Lala . In 2023, it
102-522: A colour cosmetics brand. In July, the company then announced that it had acquired the organic herbal tea business, Pukka Herbs. In September 2017, Unilever acquired Weis , an Australian ice cream business. Later that month Unilever acquired Remgro's interest in Unilever South Africa in exchange for the Unilever South Africa spreads business plus cash consideration. Even later that month, Unilever agreed to acquire Carver Korea, with 2.7billion USD,
153-468: A hair care products business. In 2017, significantly smaller Kraft Heinz made a $ 143 billion bid for Unilever. The deal was declined by Unilever. On 20 April 2017, Unilever acquired Sir Kensington's, a New York–based condiment maker. On 15 May 2017, the company acquired the personal care and home care brands of Quala, a Latin American consumer goods company. In June, the company acquired Hourglass,
204-486: A high-rise freezer helped the company double the North Plant's capability. After completion, the expanded plant covered the equivalent of one city block, with the first floor taking up 109,000 square feet (10,100 m) and its second floor comprising 44,000 square feet (4,100 m). When D.S Abernethy's company Merritt Foods closed down in 1991, Wells' Dairy bought the business, including Bomb Pops. The ice cream had remained largely
255-502: A holding company Unilever PLC and N.V. with Anglo-Dutch structure, which has its registered office at Port Sunlight in Merseyside, United Kingdom and its head office at Unilever House in London, United Kingdom. The company has been restructured several times, for example in 2018 and 2020 (see "history"). In 2018, Unilever announced its intention to simplify this structure by centralising
306-517: A large part in the economy, as they are inelastic products that touch every part of consumer life. Businesses that supply FMCGs to rural communities can help provide employment opportunities and reduce the cost of such products in those rural areas. For instance, FMCGs represent the fourth-largest sector in the Indian economy and generate employment for more than three million people in downstream activities. The retail market for FMCGs includes businesses in
357-457: A maker of products made of oils and fats, and expanded its operations worldwide. It has made numerous corporate acquisitions, including Lipton (1971), Brooke Bond (1984), Pond's (1987), Hellmann's (2000), Ben & Jerry's (2000), SlimFast (2000), Knorr (2000), Alberto-Culver (2010), Dollar Shave Club (2016), and Pukka Herbs (2017). Unilever divested its speciality chemicals businesses to Imperial Chemical Industries in 1997. In
408-531: A merger of UAC Ghana Limited and Lever Brothers Ghana Limited. In 1993, Unilever acquired Breyers from Kraft , which made the company the largest ice cream manufacturer in the United States. In the same year, it acquired the Isaly Klondike Company, makers of Klondike bar , and Popsicle Industries . In 1996, Unilever merged Elida Gibbs and Lever Brothers in its UK operations. It also purchased Helene Curtis , significantly expanding its presence in
459-624: A merger of the operations of Dutch Margarine Unie and British soapmaker Lever Brothers , with the name of the resulting company a portmanteau of the name of both companies. In the 1930s, the business grew, and new ventures were launched in Africa and Latin America. During this time, Unilever acquired the United Africa Company , created from a merger of the African & Eastern Trade Corporation and
510-758: A new stand-alone beauty business, Elida Beauty, which will own and manage the following brands: Brut, Brylcreem, Timotei, Q-tips, Noxema, TIGI, VO5, Toni & Guy, Matey, Moussel, Monsavon, Impulse, St Ives, Alberto Balsam, Badedas, Fissan, Pento, Pond's, Careess, Lever 2000, Williams, Elida, and Alberto. In August 2021, Florida governor Ron DeSantis placed Unilever on a list of "Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel" because it had "no current plan to prevent Ben & Jerry's from terminating business activities in Israeli-controlled territories". The ice-cream brand has 90 days to stop engaging in "the BDS movement ", or
561-451: A regional brand until 1992 when it began an aggressive program to expand nationally. The centerpiece of the expansion is a 900,000-square-foot (84,000 m) plant, which in addition to manufacturing includes a 12-story-tall freezer. The plant is referred to as the “South Ice Cream Plant” because of its physical location on the south side of Le Mars. Operating two ice cream plants in Le Mars, Wells is
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#1732869802214612-538: A relatively low cost . Examples include non-durable household goods such as packaged foods , beverages , toiletries , candies , cosmetics , over-the-counter drugs , dry goods , and other consumables . Fast-moving consumer goods have a high inventory turnover and are contrasted with specialty items, which have lower sales and higher carrying charges. Many retailers carry only FMCGs, particularly hypermarkets , big box stores , and warehouse club stores. Small convenience stores also stock fast-moving goods;
663-612: A result, Unilever began to operate a "hands-off" policy towards the subsidiaries and left American management to its own devices. Sunsilk was first launched in the United Kingdom in 1954. Dove was first launched in the US in 1957. Unilever took full ownership of Frosted Foods in 1957, which it renamed Birds Eye . The US-based Good Humor ice cream business was acquired in 1961. By the mid-1960s, laundry soap and edible fats still contributed around half of Unilever's corporate profits. However,
714-693: A skincare business brand of AHC in North Asia. In October 2017, Unilever acquired Brazilian natural and organic food business Mãe Terra. In November, Unilever announced an agreement to acquire the Tazo speciality tea brand from Starbucks . Later in November 2017, the company acquired Sundial Brands, a skincare company. In December 2017, Unilever acquired Schmidt's Naturals , a US natural deodorant and soap company. In December 2017, Unilever sold its margarine and spreads division to investment firm KKR for €6.8bn. The sale
765-481: A stagnant market for yellow fats (butter, margarine, and similar products) and increasing competition in detergents and soaps from Procter & Gamble forced Unilever to diversify. In 1971, Unilever acquired the British-based Lipton Ltd from Allied Suppliers . In 1978, National Starch was acquired for $ 487 million, marking the largest ever foreign-acquisition of a US company at that point. By
816-497: Is executive director. Jope will be proposed as joint executive director at Unilever's 2019 AGM. Previously, Paul Polman was CEO for ten years, succeeding Patrick Cescau in 2009. In November 2019, Unilever announced that Nils Andersen would be replacing Chairman Marijn Dekkers, who stepped down after three years in the role. In January 2023, it announced Hein Schumacher as its new CEO, effective July 2023. The three markets of
867-510: Is headquartered in London , England . The company's products include baby food, beauty products, bottled water, breakfast cereals, cleaning agents, condiments , dairy products , energy drinks, healthcare and hygiene products, ice cream , instant coffee , instant noodles , pet food, pharmaceuticals, soft drinks, tea, and toothpaste. It is the largest producer of soap in the world, and its products are available in over 190 countries. The company
918-599: Is now made up of 25 distinct symbols, each icon representing one of the company's sub-brands or its corporate values. The brand identity was developed around the idea of "adding vitality to life". Unilever's largest brands include Dove , Knorr , Axe (Lynx) , Ben & Jerry's , Hellmann's , Lifebuoy , Lux , Magnum , Omo (Persil) , Rexona , Sunlight , Sunsilk , and Wall's (Heartbrand) . Fast-moving consumer goods Fast-moving consumer goods ( FMCG ), also known as consumer packaged goods ( CPG ) or convenience goods , are products that are sold quickly and at
969-503: Is organised into five business groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream. It has research and development facilities in China, India, the Netherlands, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the 1930s, Unilever acquired the United Africa Company . During the second half of the 20th century, the company increasingly diversified from being
1020-644: The Birds Eye brand in the UK) and Batchelors Peas , one of the largest vegetables canners in the United Kingdom. In 1944, Pepsodent was acquired. In 1933, Unilever Indonesia was established in December as Lever Zeepfabrieken N.V. and had operations in Cikarang , West Java at Rungkut , East Java and North Sumatra . After 1945, Unilever's once-successful American businesses (Lever Brothers and T.J. Lipton) began to decline. As
1071-582: The Royal Niger Company , which oversaw British trade interests in present-day Nigeria during the colonial era. The Nazi occupation of Europe during the Second World War meant that Unilever was unable to reinvest its capital into Europe, so it instead acquired new businesses in the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1943, it acquired T. J. Lipton , a majority stake in Frosted Foods (owner of
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#17328698022141122-413: The 1980s. New corporate offices were added in 1980, and Wells built new facilities for its growing fleet of trucks used to deliver milk around Iowa. In 1983, Wells purchased an Omaha plant and after being remodeled, it processed milk, yogurt and fruit juice. In the mid-1980s the firm's North Plant in Le Mars was enlarged through the purchase of five adjacent lots. New production lines, a mix department, and
1173-615: The 2010s, under the leadership of Paul Polman , the company gradually shifted its focus towards health and beauty brands and away from food brands that showed slow growth. Unilever has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and a secondary listing on the Euronext Amsterdam , and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index and the AEX index . In September 1929, Unilever was formed by
1224-563: The Jimmie Johnson Foundation was announced. The partnership allows consumers across the United States to nominate educational charities to receive a $ 25,000 grant. Blue Bunny products were rated favorably in a 2013 edition of Consumer Reports . Unilever Unilever PLC is a British multinational fast-moving consumer goods company founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of British soap maker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie . It
1275-472: The N.V. to merge into the PLC. In October 2020 Unilever announced that 99 per cent of shareholders in its UK arm agreed with the merger, i.e., voted to base the group in London. The completion of the unification was announced on 30 November 2020. Since then there is one class of shares. In January 2019, Alan Jope succeeded Paul Polman as the chief executive officer. The chief financial officer, Graeme Pitkethly,
1326-542: The UK, it merged its Lever Brothers and Elida Fabergé businesses as Lever Fabergé in January 2001. In 2003, Unilever announced the sale of the Dalda brand in both India and Pakistan . In 2003, Bunge Limited acquired the Dalda brand from Hindustan Unilever Limited for reportedly under Rs 1 billion. On 30 March 2004, Unilever Pakistan accepted an offer of Rs. 1.33 billion for
1377-483: The United Kingdom's ninth best private sector employer based on millions of employee ratings and reviews. In 2020, Unilever announced it has reviewed its corporate structure again and that the company was to merge Unilever N.V. into Unilever PLC forming one holding company to be based in the United Kingdom. However, a Dutch 'exit tax' plan would require Unilever to reconsider this unification. In September 2020 Unilever's Dutch arm shareholders overwhelmingly voted for
1428-497: The United States shampoo and deodorant market. The purchase brought Unilever the Suave and Finesse hair-care product brands and Degree deodorant brand. In 1997, Unilever sold its speciality chemicals division, including National Starch & Chemical, Quest , Unichema and Crosfield to Imperial Chemical Industries for £4.9 billion. In 1998, Unilever established a sustainable agriculture programme. In 2000, Unilever acquired
1479-429: The United States, China and India account for over one third of turnover. Thirteen brands account for over half of sales. Unilever's largest international competitors are Nestlé and Procter & Gamble . In 1930, the logo of Unilever was in a sans-serif typeface and all-caps. The current Unilever corporate logo was introduced in 2004 and was designed by Wolff Olins , a brand consultancy agency. The 'U' shape
1530-418: The average cost can range from $ 100 per item per store to significantly higher amounts. Well-known CPG manufacturing companies include: Consumers in rural areas typically purchase goods from nearby towns and villages. A recent shift in consumer purchase behavior toward purchasing locally has prompted the need for better local promotional efforts to generate brand awareness in small towns. FMCGs play
1581-486: The blue bunnies in a department store window at Easter. After Fred H. Wells, Jr. died in 1954, his sons, Harold, Mike, Roy and Fay, and their cousin Fred D. Wells, son of Harry Cole Wells, ran the family business as a partnership. Meanwhile, new facilities were added in the postwar period. For example, the main part of the company, the North Plant, was built in Le Mars in the 1950s for the manufacture of ice cream products. In 1963,
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1632-562: The boutique mustard retailer Maille, Ben & Jerry's and SlimFast for £1.63 billion, Bestfoods for £13.4 billion. The Bestfoods acquisition increased Unilever's scale in foods in America, and added brands including Knorr , Marmite , Bovril , and Hellmann's to its portfolio. In exchange for European regulatory approval of the deal, Unilever divested itself of Oxo , Lesieur, McDonnells, Bla Band, Royco, and Batchelors . In 2001, Unilever split into two divisions: one for foods and one for home and personal care. In
1683-610: The brands Mazola, Argo & Kingsfords, Karo, Golden Griddle, and Henri's, along with several of its Canadian brands, to ACH Food Companies, an American subsidiary of Associated British Foods . In 2004, Unilever Bangladesh, which was established in 1964 changed its former name Lever Brothers Bangladesh Ltd to its present name in December 2004, is owned 60.4% by Unilever and 39.6% by the Government of Bangladesh . In 2007, Unilever partnered with Rainforest Alliance to sustainably source all its tea. In 2009, Unilever agreed to acquire
1734-488: The company announced its acquisition by Ferrero Group , an Italian confectionery manufacturer. Blue Bunny Ice Cream is a brand of novelty ice cream products manufactured by Wells Enterprises. The company received the "most delicious chocolate ice cream flavor award" at the 2008 International Dairy Foods Association Ice Cream Technology Conference, the same year the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope Program in partnership with
1785-430: The company constructed its Milk Plant. The family retained ownership and management of the business after it was incorporated under Iowa law in 1977 as Wells' Dairy, Inc. Fay and Fred Wells retired in January 2001, leaving the positions of CEO, president and COO to Fay Wells' sons and the positions of executive vice president and vice president of retail sales to Fred Wells' sons. The newly incorporated business expanded in
1836-502: The company would sell Elida Beauty to Yellow Wood Partners, a private equity firm in the United States. In March 2024, Unilever announced plans to spin off its ice cream unit, which makes among others, brands such as Magnum and Ben & Jerry's, into a standalone business starting in March 2024 and planned to complete by the end of 2025. The announcement was part of a cost-savings programme that would cut 7,500 jobs. Unilever has
1887-512: The duality of legal entities and keeping just one headquarters in Rotterdam, abandoning the London head office. Business groups and staff would have been unaffected, as would the dual listing. On 5 October 2018 the group announced it would cancel the restructuring due to concern that the United Kingdom shareholders would lose value if the company fell out of the London FTSE100. A shareholder vote
1938-517: The end of the 1970s through acquisitions, Unilever had gained 30 per cent of the Western European ice cream market. In 1982, Unilever management decided to reposition itself from an unwieldy conglomerate to a more concentrated fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company. In 1984, Unilever acquired Brooke Bond (maker of PG Tips tea) for £390 million in the company's first successful takeover . In 1986, Unilever strengthened its position in
1989-585: The ice cream distribution system in Sioux City along with the right to use the Wells name. In 1935, the Wells family decided to sell ice cream in Sioux City again. Unable to sell their product under their own name "Wells", they decided to hold a “Name That Ice Cream” contest in the Sioux City Journal. A Sioux City man won the $ 25 cash prize for the winning entry of “Blue Bunny” after noticing how much his son enjoyed
2040-495: The limited shelf space is filled with higher-turnover items. The following are the main characteristics of FMCGs: Between 2009 and 2023, shelf space in the U.S. supercenters and supermarkets decreased by 5 and 3.3 percent, respectively. This reduction has intensified competition for shelf space among brands, as the number of products available has increased. Retailers often charge slotting fees to brands for product placement. While some well-established brands may avoid these fees,
2091-929: The personal care business of Sara Lee Corporation , including brands such as Radox , Badedas and Duschdas. The Sara Lee acquisition was completed on 6 December 2010. In 2010, Unilever acquired the Diplom-Is in Denmark, Unilever announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell its consumer tomato products business in Brazil to Cargill , purchased Alberto-Culver , a maker of personal care and household products including Simple, VO5 , Nexxus , TRESemmé , and Mrs. Dash , for US$ 3.7 billion. acquired EVGA 's ice cream brands, which included Scandal, Variete and Karabola, and its distribution network in Greece, for an undisclosed amount. In 2012, Unilever announced it would phase out
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2142-479: The sale of its Dalda brand and related business of edible oils and fats to the newly incorporated company Dalda Foods (Pvt.) Limited. In 2002, the company sold its speciality oils and fats division, known as Loders Croklaan, for RM814 million (€218.5 million) to IOI Corporation , a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia–based oil palm company. As part of the deal, the Loders Croklaan name was maintained. Unilever sold
2193-672: The state will no longer contract with the parent company Unilever or any of its subsidiaries. In November 2021, Unilever agreed to sell most of its tea business under the Ekaterra division to investment firm CVC Capital Partners for €4.5 billion. This deal excluded the Unilever tea business in India, Indonesia and Nepal, and the Lipton Ice Tea joint-venture with PepsiCo. The deal was completed in summer 2022. In December 2023, Unilever announced
2244-629: The use of microplastics in the form of microbeads in their personal care products by 2015. In 2014, Unilever agreed to acquire a majority stake in the China-based water purification company Qinyuan for an undisclosed price, acquired Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, acquired Camay brand globally and the Zest brand outside of North America and the Caribbean from Procter & Gamble . In 2015, Unilever acquired British niche skincare brand REN Skincare, This
2295-515: The world skin care market by acquiring Ponds (merged from Chesebrough Manufacturing and Pond's Creams ), the maker of Ragú , Pond's , Aqua-Net, Cutex , and Vaseline in another hostile takeover. In 1989, Unilever bought Calvin Klein Cosmetics, Fabergé , and Elizabeth Arden , but the latter was later sold (in 2000) to FFI Fragrances. In 1992, Unilever Ghana was established in July following
2346-497: The world’s largest manufacturer of ice cream in one location (which in turn has prompted Le Mars to claim the title of “Ice Cream Capital of the World”). In 2003, an ice cream plant in St. George, Utah was opened to better meet the west coast market. In 2014 Wells announced it would be closing the St. George, UT facility. In November 2007, Mike Wells was named CEO of Wells. On 7 December 2022,
2397-413: Was completed in July 2018, and the new company was named Upfield . Upfield's notable brands include Flora , Stork , I Can't Believe It's Not Butter , Rama , Country Crock , Becel , and Blue Band . Unilever announced that to help tackle the global COVID-19 pandemic , it would contribute over € 100m through donations of soap, hand sanitiser, bleach and food. In April 2021, Unilever established
2448-521: Was followed in May 2015 by the acquisition of Kate Somerville Skincare LLC. The company also acquired the Italian premium ice cream maker GROM for an undisclosed amount. Unilever also separated its food spreads business, including its Flora and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! brands, into a standalone entity named Unilever Baking, Cooking and Spreading. The separation was first announced in December 2014 and
2499-536: Was made in response to declining worldwide sales in that product category. Unilever bought the United States–based startup company Dollar Shave Club for a reported $ 1b (£764m) to compete in the male grooming market. On 16 August 2016, Unilever acquired Blueair, a supplier of mobile indoor air purification technologies. In September 2016, Unilever acquired Seventh Generation Inc. for $ 700 million. On 16 December 2016, Unilever acquired Living Proof Inc,
2550-559: Was planned to decide for the listing of a new Unilever Dutch entity, which would have seen Unilever dropping out of the FTSE 100 Index . When it appeared that the vote would fail, due to uncertainty over the Netherlands dividend tax, the scheme was cancelled on 5 October 2018. In October 2018, it acquired a 75% stake in the Italian personal-care business Equilibra and acquired the high-end, eco-friendly laundry and household cleaning products company The Laundress for an undisclosed sum. In 2018, UK recruitment website Indeed, named Unilever as
2601-417: Was reported that Ferrero SpA had completed the purchase of the company. Fred H. Wells Jr. opened a milk route in 1913 in Le Mars after purchasing a horse, delivery wagon, and a few cans and jars for $ 250 from local dairy farmer Ray Bowers. Around 1925, Wells and his sons began manufacturing ice cream and selling it in neighboring Iowa towns: Remsen, Alton and Sioux City. In 1928 Fairmont Ice Cream purchased
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