Companies in Vevey

Nestlé began with a lifesaving invention: in 1866, Swiss pharmacist Henri Nestlé developed a milk-based infant cereal for babies who couldn't breastfeed — and his product, 'farine lactée', saved the life of a premature infant within a year of its launch. The company named for him (Nestlé means 'little nest') grew into the world's largest food and beverage company, with more than 2,000 brands sold in 190 countries. The portfolio is a supermarket in itself: Nescafé (the world's most popular coffee), Maggi noodles and seasonings, KitKat and Crunch, Purina pet food, Perrier and San Pellegrino water, Gerber baby food, and the largest single brand in the portfolio — Nestlé's coffee systems (Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto). Its product range spans nutrition, hydration, dairy, confectionery, and pet care, with health sciences (medical nutrition and consumer health) as its fastest-growing division. Headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, with about 270,000 employees and annual revenue near CHF 93 billion (US$104 billion), Nestlé is navigating the same headwinds as all food giants: sugar taxes, health-conscious consumers, and supply chain complexity. Its answer is premiumization and health — plant-based foods, functional nutrition, and coffee systems — the strategies the 150-year-old baby food maker is betting on for the next century.