ARLINGTON, VA. — Nestle USA plans to transition its corporate headquarters to Arlington County, Va., from Glendale, Calif. The move will commence later this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. With this shift, the company expects to bring approximately 750 jobs to the Washington, D.C., area.
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| Paul Grimwood, chairman and c.e.o. of Nestle USA |
“With the food and beverage landscape continuing to transform at a rapid pace, Nestle has been innovating and making strategic changes to the business over the past five years,” said Paul Grimwood, chairman and chief executive officer of Nestle USA. “This move is the next step in our evolution. We carefully considered a number of options, and Arlington hits all the marks. Not only is it attractive to our current employees while offering a great talent pool for the future, but this location allows us to be closer to our business operations, our customers and other important stakeholders.”
The new headquarters, located at 1812 North Moore Street in Rosslyn, Va., is the tallest building in the metropolitan D.C. area, Nestle said. The building will house Nestle USA’s corporate functions, Beverage and Confections & Global Foods divisions, the eBusiness team, Center for Marketing Excellence and a team of nutrition experts.
The move to Virginia signals Nestle’s commitment to future investment and growth in the United States, Nestle said. The new site is also closer to the bulk of its business and stakeholders, as 75% of Nestle USA’s facilities and 85% of its top customers are located in the eastern half of the United States, the company said. Additionally, 80% of Nestle USA’s products are sold east of the Mississippi river.
Along with relocating its U.S. corporate headquarters, Nestle USA intends to move its Technical & Production organization and Supply Chain teams to Solon, Ohio, joining the company’s Nestle Prepared Foods, Pizza, Baking and Professional businesses. Nestle recently chose Solon as the site for its $50 million investment in the global Nestle Development Center.
“Nestle is proud of our American heritage,” Mr. Grimwood said. “Many of our brands have been staples in Americans’ kitchens for decades, from evaporated milk and chocolate to coffee and tea to prepared foods and pizza. With 87 manufacturing facilities across the U.S., we source ingredients and make our foods and beverages as close to the consumer as possible. This is an integral element of our Creating Shared Value strategy. Our growth over the past 150 years has enabled us to improve the lives of millions of people through the products and services we provide, employment opportunities, our supplier networks and the economic contributions we make here in the U.S.”
Nestle also announced plans to expand its manufacturing facility in Eau Claire, Wis., where the company produces Gerber infant formulas and Boost nutritional drinks. The company said the focus of the investment is to increase its manufacturing capacity and optimize plant assets. The expansion is expected to increase production to approximately 120,000 tons from 100,000 tons.
“We are proud to continue our investment in American communities through the expansion of our plant in Eau Claire, Wis,” said Bruno Malgrange, vice-president and head of technical and production. “The community and our workforce have been an important part of our success for many years, and we look forward to our continued partnership.”
