Nestle USA is relocating its Nestle Pizza Division from its present location in Northbrook IL to Solon OH. Nestle Pizza is the maker of America’s most popular pizza brands, including DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, and Jack’s. This move will be completed by mid-2014.
The Nestle Pizza Division brands were acquired from Kraft Foods in 2010 for $3.7 billion. This acquisition brought leadership in the frozen pizza category to Nestle, which already led the frozen prepared foods category with its Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, Hot Pockets, and Lean Pockets brands.
Nestle executive John Carmichael will return to the United States from his assignment as Nestle Zone Americas deputy in Vevey, Switzerland to become president of Nestle Pizza effective January 1, 2014. Paul Bakus, the current president of Nestle Pizza, has been named president of corporate affairs for Nestle, effective Jan 1, 2014.
Nestle Pizza will join other Nestle USA businesses in Solon, which include Nestle Prepared Foods, led by Frank Higgins as president. Together, Nestle’s pizza, prepared foods, and baking businesses employ approximately 8,800 people in 10 manufacturing locations across the United States.
The relocated pizza business will also benefit from close proximity to the expanding R&D facilities in Solon. In June 2013, Nestle announced its $53 million investment to build a Product Technology Center dedicated to frozen and chilled foods research. This new facility is now under construction and will be operational in early 2015.
The Nestle Pizza Division also operates two pizza production bakeries in the cities of Little Chute and Medford, both in Wisconsin. These facilities and their employees will not be relocating to Ohio.
For more information, access www.Nestleusa.com.
