From the outset, Nestlé was an international company, assuming the multicultural traditions of its parent country. Almost its first undertaking was to set up factories and distribution centres in other countries.

Nestlé has always had a policy of decentralisation, believing each country knows its own market and is best able to adapt the Nestlé brands to local preferences, backed by the strengths of a multinational group.

Since Henri Nestlé began his investigation into child nutrition, Nestlé has been a research-based company. Now it leads the way in food and nutrition research, with an international research head quarters in Vers-chez-les-Blanc, in Switzerland. Each company can draw on this investment in researching new products and advancing our knowledge of the scientific aspects of nutrition.