The Vermont-based ice cream giant continues to wage campaigns in line with the left-leaning political stances of its hippyish founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The company’s turnover exceeded $200 million in 2015.
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LONDON, Sept 19 Unilever is to buy Seventh Generation, a USA -based maker of soaps and detergents, it said on Monday, as it expands its home and personal care businesses.
John Replogle, CEO of Seventh Generation, is a former Unilever executive who also served as CEO of Clorox’s (CLX) Burt’s Bees.
Unilever said it signed the agreement Monday to acquire the company. “It puts a little more pressure on companies such as Procter & Gamble to offer what the consumer wants in terms of environmentally friendly products”.
A Seventh Generation bag. The company sold its North American laundry detergent business, which included the All and Snuggle brands, for $1.45 billion to a private-equity firm in 2008.
Unilever announced deals for Dollar Shave Club in July and Blueair air purifiers in August, following purchases skincare brands including Murad and Dermalogica. The fast-growing but unprofitable startup provides a mail-order service that ships disposable razors for a flat monthly fee. That business was recently acquired by another rival, Henkel AG.
“This addition to Unilever’s product portfolio will help us meet rising demand for high-quality products with a objective”, said Nitin Paranjpe, who heads Unilever’s home care business.
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Serena Ng contributed to this article.
