News item | 13-02-2025 | 8:43 AM
Multinational Unilever has decided to privatize its ice division and to establish it in the Netherlands with a head office and stock exchange listing. “This decision confirms Unilever’s confidence in the Netherlands and underlines the competitiveness and attractiveness of our business climate,” said Economic Affairs Minister Beljaarts in a response.
In March 2024, Unilever announced that it wanted to split off its ice division and thereby explore various options, including an IPO, Sales or Joint Venture. Today’s decision means that the ice division as an independent company continues with a legal and physical location in the Netherlands and a stock exchange listing at Euronext Amsterdam. This retains an important economic activity for the Netherlands, with both hundreds of jobs at the head office and with suppliers.
Prior to this decision, the government regularly consulted with Unilever to secure as many activities and employment in the Netherlands as possible. The benefits of the Dutch business climate, such as the well-trained labor force, tax policy, international accessibility and the innovative Agri-Food ecosystem are underlined. In addition, the government has emphasized how a Dutch stock exchange listing can contribute to the strengthening of the European Capital Market Union. The Ice Division of Unilever is appreciated by analysts as a potential top 10 player within the AEX index. This underlines the economic importance of the decision, both for the company and for the Netherlands.
The cabinet sees the choice of Unilever as a confirmation of the policy pursued to promote an attractive business climate. The government continues to work for a stable and competitive business climate, with the aim of bringing back the Netherlands to the top 5 of most competing economies worldwide, as laid down in the government program. “The decision of Unilever is an important step forward in strengthening the international position of the Netherlands as a country for companies, from large to small,” says Minister Beljaarts (EZ).