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Gloucestershire Business News

Big county employer moves HQ out of UK

One of Gloucestershire's major employers is closing its London HQ.

Anglo-Dutch food giant Unilever has joint HQs in the capital and Rotterdam but has decided to create one centre in the Netherlands.

Unilever runs one of Europe's biggest ice cream factories in Barnwood but says the plant won't be affected by the decision. The group's many famous brands include Magnum, Cornetto, Flora and Bovril.

A spokesman said: "Unilever's employment of 7,300 people in the UK and 3,100 people in the Netherlands will be unaffected by the changes announced today.

"Today we are announcing the next steps in the transformation of Unilever into a simpler, more agile and more focused business. The changes will further drive long-term performance and shareholder value, and build upon our Connected 4 Growth programme.

"We are evolving our structure to be based on three divisions: Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment.

"The headquarters of the Beauty & Personal Care Division and the Home Care Division will be located in London. This secures nearly £1 billion per year of continued spend in the UK, including a significant commitment to R&D."

Marijn Dekkers, chairman of Unilever said: "The board believes the move to three divisions and the simplification of our corporate structure will create a simpler, more agile and more focused company with increased strategic flexibility for value-creating portfolio change.

"Our decision to headquarter the divisions in the UK and the Netherlands underscores our long-term commitment to both countries."

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