Global strategies of European Union companies Master e-learning

Learning unit summary (Global strategies of European Union companies):

Rolls-Royce (UK)
Rolls-Royce plc is a global company providing power on land, sea and air. Rolls-Royce plc operates in four Global markets - civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine and energy. It is investing in technology and capability that can be exploited in each of these sectors to create a competitive range of products. Rolls-Royce employs around 36,000 people, of which 22,000 are in the UK. Forty per cent of its employees are based outside the UK - including 5,000 in the rest of Europe and 8,000 in North America.

The success of these products is demonstrated by the company's rapid and substantial gains in market share over recent years. As a result, engine deliveries have grown and the company now has a total of 54,000 gas turbines in service worldwide. The investments in product, capability and infrastructure to gain this market position create high barriers to entry.

Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces and more than 2,000 marine customers, including 50 navies. The company has energy customers in nearly 120 countries.

Most of the engines in service will have operational lives of 25 years or more, generating an assured aftermarket demand for the provision of spare parts and services. The company's strategy is to maximize aftermarket revenues which have increased by 60 per cent over the past five years due to the development of a comprehensive services capability.

Annual sales total nearly £6 billion, of which 50 per cent currently comes from aftermarket services. The order book stands at more than £17 billion, which, together with aftermarket demand, provides visibility as to future activity levels.

BENETTON
Today, the Benetton Group is present in 120 countries around the world. Its core business is clothing: a Group with a strong Italian character whose style, design expertise and passion are clearly seen in the United Colors of Benetton and the more fashion-orientated Sisley Brands; in The Hip Site, the brand for teenagers; and in sportswear brands Playlife and Killer Loop.
The Group produces over 100 million garments every year, over 90% in Europe. Its retail network of 5,000 stores around the world is increasingly focused on large floor-space points of sale offering high quality customer services and now generates a total turnover of 2.0 billion euros, net of retail sales.
Fabrica is Benetton's communication Research centre, created in 1994 from Benetton's cultural heritage. Fabrica is housed in a stunning building by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and is situated outside Treviso in Northern Italy.
Guided by an international team, which also supervises its strategic, cultural and communication policies, Fabrica supports the creative development of young artists/researchers from all over the world. Following a careful selection process, they are invited to develop concrete communication projects in sectors ranging from cinema to graphics, from industrial design to music, from publishing (Colors Magazine and other publications) to new media and photography, under the direction of some of the main players in these areas.
From the very beginning, Benetton decided to maintain direct control of the logistics phase and has invested heavily in automating logistics processes in order to achieve total integration within the production cycle, from customer orders to packing and delivery.

United Biscuits
United Biscuits was founded in 1948 following the merger of two Scottish family Business - McVitie & Price and McFarlane Lang. In 1960, United Biscuits added to its portfolio with the acquisition of Crawford's Biscuits and MacDonald's Biscuits. In 2000 UB was bought by Finalrealm, a consortium of investors, and reverted to private limited company status.
United Biscuits Finance plc and its subsidiaries is the largest manufacturer and marketer of biscuits in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Iberia and the second largest manufacturer and marketer of biscuits in each of France and Belgium.
The operations are organized around two key categories, biscuits and snacks, and are managed through six business units:
1) UK Biscuits Markets and manufactures biscuits and cakes in the United Kingdom and markets biscuits and cakes in the Republic of Ireland
2) Northern Europe Markets and manufactures biscuits in France, Belgium and the Netherlands
3) Southern Europe Markets and manufactures biscuits, dry dessert mixes, fruit juice, canned meat and tomato products in Iberia
4) General Export Exports branded products to over 100 countries around the world through third-party distributors
5) UK Snacks Markets and manufactures savoury snacks, nuts and crisps in the United Kingdom
6) Other Includes our Benelux snacks business, which manufactures crisps and savoury snacks in the Netherlands and markets them in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Husqvarna (Sweden)
Husqvarna is a world-leading manufacturer of forest, lawn and garden products and also one of the oldest companies in the world. Founded in 1689 as a weapons factory, Husqvarna is now a part of the Electrolux Group.
The company is headquartered in Huskvarna, Sweden, where approximately 1,800 of a total of 2,200 employees work in the areas of high-technology research, product development, production and marketing.
. World-leading in outdoor products
. Around 2,200 employees around the world (1,800 in Sweden)
. Represented in more than 100 countries
. Represented by approximately 18,000 dealers around the world
. 95% of products are exported
Since 1977 Husqvarna has been part of the Electrolux Group. The company is the primary component of the Professional Outdoor Products division of Electrolux. Most of the production takes place in Sweden. The Swedish factories are located in Brastad, Huskvarna, Ödeshög and Tandsbyn. Ninety-five per cent of the products are exported to some one hundred countries around the world.