Kalina buy helps Unilever increase Q1 revenue
MOSCOW. April 26 (Interfax) - Unilever increased first-quarter turnover 11.9% to EUR 12.1 billion, and the acquisition of assets such as Russian cosmetics and personal care products company OJSC Kalina had a positive impact on turnover (2.7%), a company statement says.
The integration of Kalina proceeds according to plan, Unilever said.
"Emerging markets, now 56% of the business, have again delivered strong growth and while the good performance in developed markets was against a weak prior year comparator, our performance is pleasing given struggling economies, continued fragile consumer confidence and competitor activity," CEO Paul Polman is quoted in the statement as saying.
Unilever has been operating in Russia since 1992. It has eight major enterprises in the country, including a margarine plant in Moscow, a sauce and tea-packaging plant and a perfumes and cosmetics plant in St. Petersburg, a food factory and ice cream plant in Tula, and more ice cream plants in Novosibirsk and Omsk.
In 2008, Unilever acquire the Russian ice cream producer Inmarko, and in 2009 the ketchup-maker Baltimor. At the end of last year, Unilever announced the purchase of Kalina, Russia's biggest producer of cosmetic products.
