21st Nov 2006 16:00
Unilever PLC21 November 2006 UNILEVER RESHAPES ITS EUROPEAN FOODS RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ORGANISING FOR THE FUTURE Unilever today announced plans to reshape its Foods R&D organisation in Europein order to further enable differentiated innovation. Foods R&D Europe will berestructured to provide the focus and critical mass that can deliver innovationsfor both the European and global market. The reorganisation is part of the One Unilever programme to increase leverage ofits scale, improve its marketplace competitiveness, deliver functionalexcellence, and create a more competitive cost-structure allowing it tostrengthen its focus on its consumers and customers. Today's announcement follows an extensive Science & Technology Review led byVindi Banga, President of Unilever's Foods Category. Vindi Banga said: "Thereview showed that we have great people and strong capabilities. However, italso showed that by organising ourselves so that we could leverage our scale andplay to our strengths we could improve our market competitiveness. By gettingthe benefits of focus and synergies I am convinced that today's announcementwill make a significant difference to our innovation delivery." The new structure will see new product development concentrated in six Centresof Excellence across Europe. Each of these Centres of Excellence will establisha world-class technical capability that can be applied across the categories,for global, regional and local innovations. In addition, local adaptation andimplementation of Foods innovations will be ensured through consolidated countryand factory teams. Vindi Banga said: "Unilever will implement these changes sensitively andprofessionally, with attention to all affected people. Unilever is committed toworking closely with works councils and employees to minimise redundancies andto provide redundancy packages where needed, in line with local legislation andcircumstances." Implementation of the changes in Unilever's European Foods R&D organisation willcommence in 2007 and be completed by the end of 2008. November 21, 2006 Notes: • The current European Foods R&D organisation employs 1,160 people in over 60locations across Europe. As result of this reorganisation, Unilever will move to29 Foods R&D locations in Europe. Unilever estimates that the reorganisation ofFoods R&D Europe will result in a loss of approximately 240 jobs due to thechange to a simpler, more focussed organisation. Unilever expects to relocate anadditional 260 jobs to the consolidated Foods R&D centres across Europe. • Unilever has informed its employees and European works council about theseplans. The affected employees are being contacted to discuss personal impact andnext steps. About Unilever - Unilever's mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs fornutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good,look good and get more out of life. Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goodswith strong local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe. Itsportfolio includes some of the world's best known and most loved brandsincluding twelve €1 billion brands and global leadership in many categories inwhich the company operates. The portfolio features brand icons such as: Knorr,Hellmann's, Flora, Bertolli, Dove, Lux, Pond's, Lynx, Sunsilk, Persil, Cif andDomestos. Unilever has around 206,000 employees in approaching 100 countries and generatedannual sales of €40 billion in 2005. For more information about Unilever and itsbrands, please visit www.unilever.com. SAFE HARBOUR STATEMENT: This announcement may contain forward-lookingstatements, including 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'expects', 'anticipates', 'intends' or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results and their negatives are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because theseforward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are importantfactors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matterswithin current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments,political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in theGroup's filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the USSecurities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report & Accounts on Form 20-F. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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