1/4 A Unox van in Oss in the 1960s (photo: Oss City Archives).
For almost a century they were inextricably linked: Unox and Unilever. But that will change next year, because Unilever wants to get rid of Unox. The brand, known for smoked sausages and soups, will be taken over by Zwanenberg Food Group from Almelo, it was announced on Wednesday. This ends the relationship between the two Ossean-origin companies after about a hundred years. “The umbilical cord is now really being cut.”
Anyone who wants to know exactly how Unilever and Unox came into existence does not even have to look very far back in the history books. It all starts with the two margarine butter factories of the Van den Bergh and Jurgens families, who put Oss on the map as an industrial city from 1871 onwards.
The two competing butter magnates continued together as Margarine Unie from 1927. Two years later they merged with the British Lever Brothers into one company: Unilever. The company will then move from Oss to Rotterdam.
Between 1871 and 1927, Oss changed from a small center with crafts and farms to an industrial city. “Because of these large industries, a railway line came along Oss around 1880. That made the city attractive as a business location,” says historian Paul Spanjaard.
And meat processing family businesses Hartog and Van Zwanenberg also discovered this. They open factories right on the railway in Oss, next to each other. “They were only separated by a small street. That was also called the Competition Street. You can compare those two companies a bit with being a fan of Ajax and Feyenoord. You either worked for Hartog or for Zwanenberg. Those companies have a lot of influence on each other. competed,” says Spanjaard.
Just like the two butter factories, the two meat magnates eventually merged. Hartog, which has also started its own margarine factory, has long since been taken over by the Margarine Unie. With this takeover, the name Hartog had to make way for the internationally usable name Unox in 1937. “The name comes from Unilever and ox, the English word for ox,” says Spanjaard.
It was only in the 1970s that the meat factories of Hartog (Unox) and Zwanenberg (Zwan) really merged. “That was a bit of a shock,” Spanjaard remembers. “The two fighting cocks of once were suddenly one concern.”
Staff wait in the cafe
The emerging industry provides thousands of jobs in Oss. People often work in the meat factories without a permanent contract. If cattle have to be slaughtered, staff is needed.
At that time, people hoping for work were waiting in café Ulijn on Gasstraat, not far from the meat factories. The factory doorman comes to pick them up when they can come to work.
Source: Oss City Archives.
There is no longer a real link between Oss and Unilever due to the company’s move to Rotterdam and later to London. The sale of Unox does not make things any better, according to Osse heritage specialist Jurgen Pigmans.
“The line with Oss is becoming increasingly thin. Five years ago the butter branch was sold off, now also the meat branch,” says the heritage specialist. “And it has been so meaningful for Oss. It is a shame that Unilever is becoming increasingly disconnected from Oss, Rotterdam and the Netherlands.”
According to Pigmans, ‘sentimental fuss’ about the sale is not necessary, but he thinks it is a shame. “It’s especially nice when people know that there is a line between Unox and Unilever. It originated here, after all. But it doesn’t really matter which logo is on the label. It’s a shame that the parent company is closing it down after a century of history. let go anyway.”
About the takeover
No financial details about the sale of Unox were reported on Wednesday. The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets and the works councils will be involved in the takeover in the first quarter of 2025, Zwanenberg Food Group reports. It is still unclear what the takeover means for the staff. Unions are still being informed.
Zwanenberg and Unilever first started working together in 2004, when Zwanenberg started producing a number of Unox and Zwan products for Unilever. Zwanenberg Food Group has been the owner of the Unox factory in Oss since 2018. The company makes soup, sauce, pate, smoked sausage and frankfurter, among other things.
The Hema smoked sausage was also made in Oss. Here you can read why sausages are now manufactured elsewhere.
In 2018, the Unox store, which was always next to the factory, closed after eighty years:
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