Table 2.
Material assets and resources of the world’s largest Big Formula corporations
| Corporation | Nestlé (Gerber / Wyeth) |
Danone (Nutricia) |
Reckitt Benckiser (Mead Johnson) |
Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) | Royal Friesland Campina | Feihe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | ||||||
| Headquarters | Switzerland | France | USA / UK | USA | Netherlands | China |
| Sector(s) of origin | Food manufacturing | Dairy / Food manufacturing | Consumer goods | Pharmaceuticals | Dairy / Food manufacturing | Food manufacturing |
| Year founded | 1867 | 1919 | 1905γ | 1888 | 1879δ | 1962 |
| Global 500 ranking (2018) | 76 | 426 | – | 103 | – | – |
| Total assets (US$ millions) 2018 | 139,244 | 52,096 | 44,399 | 67,173 | 10,403 | 1791 |
|
Total intangible assets (US$ millions) 2018α |
51,155 | 28,828 | 35,705 | 42,196 | 2014 | 7 |
| Total sales (US$ millions) 2018 | 93,242 | 29,070 | 14,855 | 30,578 | 13,940 | 1,570 |
| Profits (EBITDA) (US$ millions) 2018 | 18,475 | 5276 | 4363 | 7562 | 889 | 432 |
| Number of employees (foreign) | 308,000 (298,000) | 105,783 (98,378) | 42,400 (38,746) | ~ 103,000 (−--) | 23,816 (~ 16,000) | – |
| BMS-specific | ||||||
| World BMS market share % (retail sales value) 2018 (2010) | 17.9 (13.8) | 13.5 (12.1) | 10.6 (12.9) | 9.7 (11.5) | 5.1 (2.7) | 4.8 (1.4) |
| World BMS sales value ($US millions) 2018 (2010) | 9373 (3567) | 7093 (3126) | 5579 (3340) | 4097 (2985) | 2796 (706) | 2505 (354) |
| BMS sales as % of total sales 2018 | 10.0 | 25.5 | 33.7 | 13.4 | 20.8 | – |
| Number of countries with products | 190 | 120+ | 50 | 160+ | 100+ | 1 |
| BMS brands sold worldwide | 22 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| BMS brands with > 1% world market shareβ | NAN, Illuma, S-26, Nido | Aptamil, Nutrilon, SGM | Enfamil, Enfagrow | Similac, Pediasure, Eleva | Friso | Firmus |
| % sales from emerging markets 2016 (% from developed markets) | 71.5 (28.5) | 65.3 (34.7) | 52.3 (47.7) | 42.6 (57.4) | 92.8 (7.2) | 100 |
| Markets with subsidiary / affiliate firms | 114 | 77 | 28 | 89 | 36 | – |
| # employees in BMS division | – | 21,000 | – | – | 2348 | – |
Notes: Financial data sourced from Compustat, Fortune 500, Forbes, company annual reports and financial statements; data on compliance with The Code from Access to Nutrition Index; market share and sales data from Euromonitor Passport; currency conversions were made using 2018 average currency rate for the relevant financial year; α = intangible assets refer to non-physical assets, including brand recognition and intellectual property, such as trademarks, copyrights and patents; β = most brands include standard, follow-on, toddler and specialised milks under the same name; γ = founding date of Mead Johnson, acquired by Reckitt Benckiser in 2017; δ = the parent companies Friesland Foods and Campina merged in 2008, but were founded in 1879 and 1979 respectively