Do you remember sneaking into the kitchen late at night as a child to steal condensed milk? What about the early mornings, when you would wake up to the smell of your grandparents’ coffee?
Do your remember running to the shop to get Carnation milk so your mother could finish the macaroni pie for Sunday lunch?
Do you remember your parents coming to you with hot chicken noodle soup when you were sick, or now, as an adult, bringing that same soup for your children when they come down with a cold? Do you remember watching your children grow from drinking breast milk as a baby to drinking baby formula as a toddler, then eating cereal with warm milk as a little boy or girl?
One way or another, the global conglomerate Nestle has been a part of those memories.
Nestle’s history started in 1866 with the foundation of the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. Henri Nestle developed the breakthrough infant formula
farine lactee in Switzerland, to offer a safe and nutritious alternative to existing breast milk substitutes for mothers who were unable to provide it.
The company now operates in 188 countries (for reference, the UN operates in 193) and produces more than 2,000 brands, including pet food, coffee, cereals and dairy and healthcare products.
Nestle entered the Caribbean in 1914, establishing a trading agency in what is now known as Independence Square, trading products such as Nestle Sweetened Condensed Milk and, later on Lactogen and Milo. It now does business in 22 territories in the region.
Nestle Anglo-Dutch Caribbean celebrated its 110th anniversary in August at Stollmeyer’s Castle, Queen's Park West, Port of Spain.
But Eduardo Garcia Nestle Anglo-Dutch Caribbean market head, in an interview with Business Day on Tuesday at its Valsayn factory, said, despite its global reach, he does not consider Nestle a global company.
[caption id="attachment_1105552" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Nestle's market head Eduardo Garcia displays some of Nestle's products during an interview at its Valsayn office on August 27. - Photo by Ayanna Kinsale[/caption]
He said because of Nestle’s rich history in the region, its commitment to feeding the region and its mandate to use its core philosophies of innovation, respect and quality to create shared value for the region, Nestle has become more than just a global company in a local area.
“Every time someone says that Nestle is a global company, I ask them: ‘Is it really?’
"We were one of the first companies to open here in TT. What is more Trinidadian than a company that started here more than 100 years ago? In Guyana, and Jamaica, our products have been there for a very long time.
"We are not a global company. We are a ‘glocal’ company. We have global standards with local heritage.”
Creating value, driving innovation
Garcia said Nestle, whether in the Caribbean or any of the other regions in which it operates, focuses on creating shared value between the company and the communities where it is based.
“I believe creating prosperous communities creates
