Givaudan SA history, profile and history video
Givaudan SA is a multinational manufacturer of flavours, fragrances and cosmetic ingredients, headquartered in Vernier, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. Its customers are from the food, beverage, consumer goods and fragrance industries.
HISTORY
Givaudan was founded in 1895 by Leon and Xavier Givaudan in Zürich, Switzerland. However, Givaudan’s historical roots date back to 1768, when Antoine Chiris entered the world of fragrances by harvesting flora and fauna.
In 1946, an olfactory apprenticeship was established, later becoming Givaudan’s Perfumery School.
In 1948, Givaudan entered the flavours business with the acquisition of Esrolko SA.
In the 1949-1955 period, Givaudan expanded its business to Latin America.
In 1963, Givaudan was acquired by Hoffmann-LaRoche.
In 1964, Hoffmann-LaRoche acquired Roure, one of Givaudan’s competitors. Roure’s origins date back to 1820 when Claude Roure established Roure-Bertrand & Fils, providing aromatic plants and essential oils such as jasmine and rose. In 1937, one of the first designer fragrances named ”Shocking”, was created by perfumers from Roure-Bertrand.
In 1991, Givaudan and Roure merged under Hoffmann-LaRoche. The same year, Hoffmann-LaRoche bought Fritzsche, Dodge and Olcott. Dodge & Olcott began in 1796, importing and selling essential oils.
In 1995, Givaudan expanded its business to Asia.
In 1997, the US flavours company Tastemaker was acquired.
In 1999, Givaudan launched TasteTrek (a technology that captures the chemical makeup of smell from living plants).
In 2000, Givaudan-Roure splitted from Hoffmann-LaRoche and changed its name to Givaudan SA. After the split, Givaudan was listed on the Six Swiss Stock Exchange.
In 2002, Givaudan acquired FIS, the flavour division of Nestlé.
In 2003, Givaudan acquired the International Bioflavors Inc. (IBF), a US fermentation technology company.
In 2007, Quest International was acquired.
In 2014, Soliance joined Givaudan.
In 2015, Induchem was acquired.
In 2016, Spicetec joined Givaudan.
In 2017, Activ International and Vika joined Givaudan.
In 2018, Naturex together with Centroflora Nutra and Expressions Parfumées joined Givaudan.
In 2019, seven companies joined Givaudan: the cosmetics business of AMSilk, Albert Vieille, Fragrance Oils, Golden Frog, the cosmetics business of Indena, drom fragrances and Ungerer.
In 2020, Alderys joined Givaudan.
In 2021, Custom Essence, Myrissi, DDW The Color House, and 25% of b.kolor makeup & skincare joined Givaudan.
OPERATIONS
Givaudan operates through the following business segments: Taste & Wellbeing and Fragrance & Beauty.
Taste & Wellbeing
The Taste & Wellbeing segment involves solutions for segments such as beverages, savoury, sweet goods, snacks, dairy & cheese, and nutraceuticals.
Fragrance & Beauty
The Fragrance & Beauty segment focuses on consumer products (personal care, home care, fabric care, and oral care), fine fragrances, fragrance ingredients, and Active Beauty.
With more than 16,000 employees, Givaudan SA is considered one of the world’s largest companies in the flavour and fragrance industries. According to Forbes, it is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and www.givaudan.com.
**Video published on YouTube by “Givaudan“.