1866-1905 1905-1918 1918-1938 1938-1944 1944-1975 1975-1981 1981-1996 1996-On
1905-1918
Fierce competition for the condensed milk market raged in the early twentieth century.
The Company formed by the 1905 merger was called the Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Milk Company. By the early 1900s, the Company was operating factories in the United States, Britain, Germany and Spain. In 1904, Nestlé added chocolate to its range of food products after reaching an agreement with the Swiss General Chocolate Company.
Condensed-milk exports increased rapidly as the Company replaced sales agents with local subsidiary companies. In 1907, the Company began full-scale manufacturing in Australia, its second-largest export market. Warehouses were built in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bombay to supply the rapidly growing Asian markets.
Most production facilities remained in Europe, however, and the onset of World War I brought severe disruptions. Acquiring raw materials and distributing products became increasingly difficult. Fresh-milk shortages throughout Europe forced factories to sell almost all their supplies to meet the needs of local towns.
Nevertheless, the war created tremendous new demand for dairy products, largely in the form of government contracts. To keep up, Nestlé purchased several existing factories in the United States. By war's end, the Company had 40 factories, and its world production had more than doubled since 1914.
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